Hershey Bears Take Down Toronto Marlies in Five Games
Toronto, Canada – Bears players mob Justin Peters after Hershey clinched the Eastern Conference Title in Game 5 Sunday night. (Kyle Mace / Chocolate Hockey)
It was the result nobody expected (except me). The Hershey Bears are heading back to the Calder Cup finals for the first time since 2010 and beat the best team during the regular season in the process. After taking a 3-0 series lead, the Bears lost to Toronto in game four on Friday night, 5-0. But Sunday afternoon was the Bears day, as they pulled out a 3-2 victory over the Marlies, giving them the AHL’s Eastern Conference Title.
The game was all Hershey to start. After Jakub Vrana was stopped on a power play penalty shot after a Marlies player covered the puck with his hand in the crease, Liam O’Brien make the game 1-0 in favor of the Chocolate and White.
After killing a Nathan Walker holding penalty late in the first, the Bears came out flying in the second period, with goals from Christian Djoos and Walker to make it a 3-0 Bears lead.
William Nylander cut the lead to 3-1 on a delayed penalty. Then Nikita Soshnikov scored a scrappy goal in front of the net to make it 3-2, but the Bears would keep it that way and move on to the Calder Cup Finals.
PHOTOS:
Liam O’Brien scores in the first.
Christian Djoos scores in the second
Djoos celebrates
Walker scores
Bears players join Walker and Carter Camper
Aaron Ness makes a big save in the third period
Tyler Lewington hits Connor Carrick in the third
Chandler Stephenson and Carrick hug during handshakes
Carrick and Bryan Helmer shake hands
Chris Bourque and Carter Camper celebrate the win.