WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Whenever the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Hershey Bears face off, it’s always bound to be a heated affair. Game one of the Atlantic Division Semifinals was no different.
Looking to get their first win in a division semifinal matchup since 2017, the Penguins came out soaring as they defeated their Chocolatetown-based bitter rivals 4-2 on Thursday night at Mohegan Arena.
The Penguins almost let a three-goal lead slip in the third period, but hung on off the back of a big performance from Sergei Murashov.
WBS started the scoring just three minutes in as Atley Calvert picked up a goal. A clearance in the defensive zone by former Bear defenseman Alex Alexeyev found the stick of Calvert, who had wide open space on his way to the slot.
With a snipe to the top of the net, he lit the lamp, knocking down Hershey netminder Clay Stevenson’s water bottle in the process.
The rest of the period saw the physicality enter the room, with the Penguins and Bears laying down some big hits. Sergei Murashov and Stevenson were impressive in the opening frame, combining for 22 saves in the first 20 minutes of play.
Early on in the second period, Aidan McDonough, who led the Penguins in regular-season scoring found twine, doubling the lead to two goals.
The Penguins’ power play unit came onto the ice for the third time just about halfway through the middle period, and capitalized on the offensive zone pressure.
Ville Koivunen and Owen Pickering played a little give-and-go, with the latter firing a low-driven shot past Stevenson, pushing the Penguins’ lead to three.
Pickering filled in on the power play unit for Harrison Brunicke, who was in the penalty box at the time.
“Yeah, I mean it feels good,” he said. “I think that’s more of a microcosm of our team in general. Obviously I’ve spent a good amount on the power play this year, so I know I’m confident when I get out there.”
Just over a minute later, the Bears got a goal back. On Hershey’s first shot of the period at 10:48, Ilya Protas cut the deficit to two, scoring his second goal of the playoffs.
Later on in the first minute of the third period, Hershey struck again, this time off the stick of Henrik Rybinski.
The Bears kept on pushing, but were unable to get that needed equalizing goal, with Murashov making 11 saves in the final frame. Avery Hayes sent the Bears packing with an empty-net goal, pushing the score to its eventual final, 4-2.
Stevenson made 27 saves en route to the loss, but still looked very good. He came into the game after getting wins in both of Hershey’s first-round victories over Bridgeport.
Murashov made 31 saves for the Penguins, adding to a storied breakout campaign.
It was the first time that the Penguins took the ice in almost two weeks. Despite this, they looked sharp as they began their playoff campaign.
“I thought our intent was really good, ” Head Coach Kirk MacDonald said. “You can tell the guys care a lot, and stuck to the plan, and went out and got to our game and how we want to play.”
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Hershey continue the division semifinal in game two on Saturday night, May 2. Puck drop between the two bitter rivals is slated for 6:05 p.m. from Mohegan Arena
