PHN's Best Shots of the Game: Bears advance off 3-2 win in Game 5

The Hershey Bears earned a 3-2 victory in Game 5 of the Atlantic Division Semifinal series with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday night at the PPL Center. The victory gave Hershey a 3-2 series win, and advanced the Bears to the Atlantic Division Finals where they’ll battle the Providence Bruins.

Hershey jumped out to a 2-0 lead in Game 5. Stanislav Galiev scored his third goal of the series at 5:32 of the first period to pull Hershey ahead. Directly after a Hershey power play expired, the Bears worked the puck in front of the Phantoms’ net. Defender Tom Gilbert centered a pass to Galiev, and the forward’s initial chance was denied by netminder Martin Ouellette’s pad. Galiev scooped up the rebound and struck to make it 1-0 Bears.

At 11:04, Christian Thomas scored his first of the playoffs for Hershey. With Thomas battling in front of the goal for positioning, Gilbert flipped a shot towards the net from the right point. Thomas redirected the puck past Ouellette to double Hershey’s lead.

The Phantoms cut Hershey’s lead in half at 2:40 of the second period on a Colin McDonald goal. The forward notched his second goal of the playoffs on the power play at 2:40 to make it 2-1.

The eventual game-winning goal came at 6:06 of the third period. Rookie defender Colby Williams struck for Hershey to make it 3-1 Bears. Hershey winger Nathan Walker collected the puck behind the Lehigh Valley net. With Williams open in front, Walker centered a pass that Williams deposited over a sprawled Ouellette for his first career playoff goal.

The Phantoms would cut the lead to one on a Taylor Leier goal at 12:50, but Hershey netminder Pheonix Copley prevented Lehigh Valley from equalizing. Copley made 28 saves on the evening, including 10 in the third period to earn the win.

Hershey was outshot 30-26 in the game. The victory moved Hershey to the second round of the playoffs for the third consecutive season. For only the second time in AHL history, the road team won all five games in a best-of-five series. Prior to tonight, the only other time in AHL postseason history the road team won every single game in a best-of-five series came in 1999, when Fredericton defeated St. John’s, 3-2.
With Hershey match report

Sunday, April 30, 2017 – Game #5 of the Calder Cup Playoffs between the LV Phantoms and the Hershey Bears. The Bears won by a score of 3-2.

Sunday, April 30, 2017 – Game #5 of the Calder Cup Playoffs between the LV Phantoms and the Hershey Bears. The Bears won by a score of 3-2. LV Phantoms #3 Samuel Morin.

Sunday, April 30, 2017 – Game #5 of the Calder Cup Playoffs between the LV Phantoms and the Hershey Bears. The Bears won by a score of 3-2.

Sunday, April 30, 2017 – Game #5 of the Calder Cup Playoffs between the LV Phantoms and the Hershey Bears. The Bears won by a score of 3-2. LV Phantoms #20 Maxim Lamarche.

Sunday, April 30, 2017 – Game #5 of the Calder Cup Playoffs between the LV Phantoms and the Hershey Bears. The Bears won by a score of 3-2. LV Phantoms #43 T.J. Brennan.