Bears stay alive on 3-0 win

HERSHEY, PA  – For the first time in the 2009 Calder Cup playoffs, the Hershey Bears not only fell behind in a series, but faced elimination. After failing behind at the hands of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in Game 5 of the East Division finals Hershey needed a win. The Bears faced adversity and passed the test by shutting out the Penguins 3-0 to force a seventh game in Hershey Tuesday night. Andrew Gordon got the Bears offense started at the 11:35 mark of the first period by making a nice move to avoid traffic in front of the Penguins net. Gordon cut in and out then took a shot on goal. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goaltender Adam Berkhoel made a save on that attempt, but Gordon got his own rebound and put the shot past Berkhoel’s glove side for the 1-0 lead.
 
The Bears extended their lead to 2-0 just 22 seconds into the second period when Darren Reid went down the left wing boards. Being a right handed shot, Reid pulled the puck to his forehand and put a wrist shot up over Berkhoel’s glove side for the goal.

The Bears Alexandre Giroux must have taken a tip from Gordon by going down the left wing boards just as Gordon did on his goal. But this time, with a Penguins defender all over him, Giroux kept skating behind the Penguins net and tucked the puck into the left corner net just before Berkhoel could get to the other side of the net at the 3:11 mark. Bears goaltender Michal Neuvirth was awarded with the first star of the game for stopping all 30 shots Penguins shots on the night, including on a five-on-three shorthanded situation midway through the second period. Neuvirth also prevented a couple of breakaway attempts during the game to keep the Penguins off the scoreboard. The loss was Berkhoel’s first of the playoffs and he is now 3-1 in the postseason for the Penguins. Neuvirth won his seventh game in ten playoff games. The shutout is his second of the playoffs.
 
Contact the author at Brian.Jennings@prohockeynews.com
Contact lewis.bleiman@prohockeynews.com
Catch all the playoffs at Intotheboards.net