If the playoffs had started yesterday, the Hershey Bears would have faced the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who had "soundly" beaten them in their previous two meetings, but now, after their taming of the Tigers at Giant Center last night, they now have to feel much better about their chances should that post-season scenario occur.
The conventional thinking in hockey is that the visiting team needs to survive the first ten minutes of a big game on foreign ice, limiting the damage during that time frame, before settling into their own game. But with the Sound Tigers being well rested, having been idle since last Sunday and arriving in Hershey last night just as the Bears were finishing up an overtime setback in a hard fought battle against the Toronto Marlies, the roles were reversed.
The Bears survived the first ten minutes unscathed thanks to outstanding goaltending from Ilya Samsonov, who made two glittering glove saves to keep Bridgeport off the board. The home team took a 1-0 lead just under the 10-minute wire when Garrett Pilon potted his 9th goal of the season, and his third in four games, cashing in on a rebound of a Shane Gersich shot at 9:31.
Aaron Ness, a former captain of the Sound Tigers, gave the Bears a 2-0 when his shot from the point caromed past goaltender Christopher Gibson with Pilon providing an effective screen. Ness' goal, his 4th of the season and 3rd on the power play, was struck with John Stevens, the son of the former Bears coach of the same name serving a slashing sentence.
The visitors started out the second period with an advantage thanks to a carryover Pilon penalty, but that opportunity was short circuited by a too many on the ice bench minor penalty, and the Bears pounced upon their prey on the subsequent power play when Riley Barber's rooftop wrister made it 3-0.
"They block shots really well on that team, especially on the power play, so I just knew from the previous power plays that I had to get it off quick and not put as much on it and try to place it on the far side. The D (along with Devante Smith-Pelly) were screening their goalie," said Barber.
Steve Bernier's layup goal from the doorstep into a virtual empty net spoiled any hopes Samsonov had of a shutout, but Barber matched that marker with a layup goal of his own, converting a pretty pass from linemate Mike Sgarbossa.
"They turned the puck over in the neutral zone and we transitioned fast, making it a two on one, and I just tried to go as fast as I could to the back post. He made an unbelievable play. Those are the easy ones," said Barber, whose multi-goal effort second period effort marked the fourth time this season he has accomplished that feat.
Unselfishly, Barber gave up a quality chance to rack up a hat trick later in period, electing instead to return the favor by dishing off to Sgarbossa who converting his own layup for his 27th goal of the season.
"The D went down early, so I knew if I could wait them out, I could get it over across the side. It was a mix of both," said Barber when asked if it was just instincts that guided him or the urge to payback his linemate.
Steve Bernier's layup goal from the doorstep into a virtual empty net spoiled any hopes Samsonov had of a shutout, but Barber matched that marker with a layup goal of his own, converting a pretty pass from linemate Mike Sgarbossa.
"They turned the puck over in the neutral zone and we transitioned fast, making it a two on one, and I just tried to go as fast as I could to the back post. He made an unbelievable play. Those are the easy ones," said Barber, whose multi-goal effort second period effort marked the fourth time this season he has accomplished that feat.
Unselfishly, Barber gave up a quality chance to rack up a hat trick later in period, electing instead to return the favor by dishing off to Sgarbossa who converting his own layup for his 27th goal of the season.
"The D went down early, so I knew if I could wait them out, I could get it over across the side. It was a mix of both," said Barber when asked if it was just instincts that guided him or the urge to payback his linemate.
The Sound Tigers had a couple of more chances in the final frame to cut into their deficit, with the best being a breakaway attempt by Travis St. Denis thirty seconds in, but Samsonov stared down that attempt and every other Sound Tigers salvo on this evening and finished his night with 18 saves in backstopping the Bears to their 5-1 victory.
"On those power plays they had earlier, those one timers from the flank, they may not seem that difficult, but when guys have elite shots and they're setting up for the one timers those are tough saves. He's gotta get over there, and they probably have 4 or 5 of those looks alone," said Bears bench boss Spencer Carbery of Samsonov's work. "Then he made a couple of saves when we turned the puck over in front of our net, and he had to be really sharp there. He wasn't tested a lot, but that's what you need. There are going to be breakdowns and things that happen. Their breakaway is another example where he did a really good job tonight making sure he's sharp in the limited chances that he's seeing."
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