HERSHEY, PA – For the first time in the 2009 Calder Cup playoffs, the Hershey Bears lost on home ice as the Providence Bruins hung on late for a 3-2 to take Game 1 of the AHL’s Eastern Conference finals.
Photo by Lewis Bleiman
The Bruins scored the games first two goals in the first period to shock the home crowd who rarely see their team get outplayed in any one period. The Bruins outshot Hershey 12-7 in the first and took a 2-0 on power play goals at 8:03 and 16:19 thanks to Jeff Penner and Jordan Knackstedt. Penner scored with a shot from the left face-off circle and Knackstedt’s goal came after he was set up by Zach Hamill. Oskar Osala scored the first of his two goals on the night with a hard wrist-shot to get the Bears back to within one just over three minutes into the second period. Hamill was behind the Bruins insurance goal when he took a shot which nearly broke through Hershey netminder Michael Neuvirth;s legs. Before Neuvirth or any of the Bears could secure the puck Matt Marquardt was able to poke it into the net for the Bruins. Osala used a roof shot to register his second goals at the 14:41 mark to once again get the Bears back to within one of the Bruins. That would be as close as Hershey could get the rest of the night. Despite the Bears outshooting the Bruins 25-15 the rest of the game, Tuukka Rask shutout the Bears. Rask was tested but he made some key saves especially when Hershey had essentially a two man advantage at the end of the game. The advantage came when Johnny Boychuck was called for cross-checking with only 24 seconds left in the game and the Bears had Neuvirth pulled for an extra attacker. Despite having pulled the goalie the Bears couldn’t get the puck past Rask.
Photo by Lewis Bleiman
Contact the author at Brian.Jennings@prohockeynews.com Contact the photographer at lewis.bleiman@prohockeynews.com Catch all the playoffs at Intotheboards.net
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