The Hershey Bears (38-9-0-2) conceded a 2-0 lead in regulation before emerging with a 3-2 overtime win over the Toronto Marlies (21-16-7-2) on Saturday night at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
The Bears wrapped up their regular-season series with the Marlies with a 2-0-0-0 record. Hershey improved to 6-2-0-0 against the North Division this season. Hershey has won all seven of its games that have been decided this season in sudden-death.
Hershey opened the scoring midway through the second period when Toronto goaltender Luke Cavallin played the puck up the far boards and Henrik Rybinski stole it from a Marlies skater before feeding it to Matt Strome, who backhanded his third of the season past Cavallin at the 9:30 mark.
Alex Limoges continued his torrid scoring pace with his 14th of the season coming at 1:17 of the third period, as he hammered a Mike Vecchione rebound for a power-play goal and his fifth consecutive game with a tally. Joe Snively earned a secondary assist for his 100th career AHL helper.
Toronto got on the board at 12:22 of the third period when Joseph Blandisi snapped a shot off the rush from the right circle that struck the far post and then trickled past a lunging Hunter Shepard.
The Marlies then tied the game at 2-2 less than two minutes later when Dylan Gambrell scored at 13:47 to force overtime.
The Bears put a bow on the evening when Garrett Roe finished off a give-and-go with Limoges at 3:14 of the extra frame to bury his seventh of the season. Hendrix Lapierre also assisted on the tally.
Shots finished 25-22 in favor of the Bears; Hershey’s 37 shots on goal matched a season-high. Shepard went 20-for-22 in the win for Hershey to earn his 20th victory of the season, matching his AHL career-high of the previous campaign and becoming the first Bears goalie to post back-to-back 20-win seasons since Frederic Cassivi (2006-07, 22; 2007-08, 20); Cavallin took the overtime loss for Toronto with a 22-for-25 effort. The Bears went 1-for-7 on the power play; the Marlies went 0-for-3 with the man advantage.
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