2024 Calder Cup Playoffs: Game 2, Cleveland - 2 at Hershey - 3 (OT) 6/1/24

HERSHEY, Pa. - For the second straight game, the Eastern Conference Finals needed overtime to decide the winner.

The Cleveland Monsters came ready to play in Game 2. They also out-shot Hershey 14-3 in the third period, with David Jiricek tying the game up at 2-2 on an extra attacker goal - forcing overtime for the second straight game.

The Monsters also had the first six shots of overtime, but it was once again the Hershey Bears coming up clutch in overtime Saturday night to take a 2-0 series lead before the series shifts to Cleveland next week.

Pierrick Dube used his speed to his advantage 13:54 into overtime, creating space for himself in the neutral zone before executing a give-and-go with Jimmy Huntington - getting the puck back with a step on a Monsters defender before putting home the game winning goal and sending a raucous crowd of 10,562 at Giant Center into a frenzy.

Garrett Roe and Ethen Frank also scored in the Game 2 win for Hershey, while Hunter Shepard stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced.

Cleveland got the third period game-tying goal from Jiricek and also another tally from forward Josh Dunne late in the second period to give the Monsters a chance to steal a win on the road. Jet Greaves stopped 27 of 30 in the loss.

The Bears take their 2-0 series lead to Cleveland for Game 3 on Tuesday night.

GAME STORY

Hershey took an early penalty 1:06 into Game 2 Saturday night, but Cleveland's ensuing power play was quickly negated 21 seconds later - providing four-on-four hockey to start the contest.

The Monsters had a much better effort in opening period than they did in Game 1 when they managed just three shots on goal. They were arguably the better team in the opening eight minutes of play - out-shooting the Bears 5-2 before a pair of penalties saw Cleveland in danger on a brief 5-on-3 penalty kill.

The Bears had their chances on the ensuing man advantages, but credit Greaves and the Monsters' penalty killers for making the necessary blocks and saves to keep the game scoreless heading into

After just eight shots in the opening 40 minutes Thursday night, Cleveland had themselves 11 shots in the first period Saturday - though they were still taking too many penalties with three first period penalty kills - similar to the eight minutes they were shorthanded in the opening 20 minutes of Game 1.

The two teams dug in and tightened things up in the middle frame, as shots on goal and offensive scoring chances were few and far between as a traditional defensive and checking battle began to play out.

Cleveland's trips to the penalty box didn't come back to haunt them in the first frame, but after Jakub Zboril took a high-sticking penalty with 6:22 left before the second intermission put Hershey on their fifth man advantage of the night the Bears power play was able to break through for the opening goal of the hockey game.

After an offensive zone face-off win saw the puck come to Chase Priskie at the center point, Priskie got the puck to the right wing for Ivan Miroschnichenko before Miro gave the puck back to Priskie in the middle up top.

Priskie then dished it to his left to Roe at the top of the left-wing circle, with Roe electing to turn to the net and firing a quick shot past Greaves for his fourth of the postseason to give the Bears the lead.

Hershey appeared set to take the 1-0 lead into the second intermission, but a series of unfortunate events for the Bears resulted in Cleveland tying the game at 1-1 with 1:11 left in the period.

Shepard came way out of his crease to attempt to get to a loose puck above the face-off circles in the Bears' defensive zone, but was unsuccessful, sliding nearly to the blue line before the Monsters were able to corral the loose puck and tuck it into the empty net on Dunne's fourth of the postseason.

The third period brought the same intensity as the middle frame as the two teams battled hard for every inch on the ice.

The referees kept their whistles in their pockets, letting both teams play out the 1-1 game and attempting to avoid making any decisions that could directly impact the game.

Cleveland was generating the better of the chances, out-shooting Hershey 8-2 in the opening 12 minutes of the period, but it was the Bears breaking the tie with 8:39 left in regulation after Hendrix Lapierre got control of the puck just inside the Bears' offensive zone blue line.

Lapierre, from the left wing wall, had two Monsters players converge toward him so he flung a perfect pass cross-ice to a wide open Frank - with Frank making the most of the chance for his team-leading seventh goal of the postseason.

But for the second straight game in this series, Cleveland didn't call it quits.

They continued to pressure the Bears, out-shooting them 14-3 in the final frame before getting a game-tying goal with 1:33 left in regulation to force overtime.

For the second straight game, it was Jiricek providing a game-tying extra attacker goal - getting a puck from captain Brendan Gaunce and blasting a slap shot from the right point past Shepard.

The Monsters had Hershey on their heels quite a bit, and that continued to start overtime as Cleveland held a 6-0 advantage in shots on goal before the Bears began to get to their game 10 minutes into the extra period.

Eventually, the Bears were able to come up big - like they have all season - as Dube and Huntington executed a give-and-go play through the netural zone to perfection. Dube got the puck back with speed in the offensive zone, driving down the left wing and taking the puck to the net before picking the far-side corner on Greaves to clinch Game 2 for the home team.

Cleveland Monsters Lineup Notes

Jett Greaves led Cleveland onto the ice for warmups Saturday for Game 2, with Malcolm Subban serving as the team's backup goaltender.

Two changes for the Monsters from their Game 1 lineup Thursday, with captain Brendan Gaunce and defenseman Samuel Knazko drawing in and forward Jake Gaudet and defenseman Cole Clayton coming out.

Monsters Scratches: Pavel Cajan, Corson Cuelemans, Nick Blankenburg, Zachary Okabe, Jake Gaudet, Jake Christiansen, Cameron Butler, Cole Clayton, Luca Pinelli, Tyler Angle and Ole Julian Bjorgvik-Holm

Lines/Pairings:

Owen Sillinger - Luca Del Bel Belluz - Mikael Pyyhtia James Malatesta - Hunter McKown - Trey Fix-Wolansky Steffan Matteau - Brendan Gaunce - Roman Ahcan Justin Pearson - Josh Dunne - Alex Whelan

Stanislav Svozil - David Jiricek Jakub Zboril - Marcus Bjork Samuel Knazko - Billy Sweezey

Jett Greaves (Backup: Malcolm Subban)

Hershey Bears Lineup Notes

Hunter Shepard got the start in net for Hershey, and Clay Stevenson served as the Bears' backup goaltender.

Defenseman Hardy Haman Atkell remains out with a lower body injury, with Jake Massie in the lineup in his place.

Bears Scratches: Garin Bjorklund, Mitch Gibson, Nicky Leivermann, Hardy Haman Aktell (injured), Matthew Phillips, Tyson Empey, Ryan Hofer, Logan Day (injured), Dmitry Osipov, Andrew Cristall, Kevin O'Neil, Jon McDonald and Matt Strome

Lines/Pairings:

Joe Snively - Hendrix Lapierre - Ethen Frank Alex Limoges - Jimmy Huntington - Pierrick Dube Ivan Miroschnichenko - Garrett Roe - Mike Vecchione Henrik Rybinski - Riley Sutter - Bogdan Trineyev

Aaron Ness - Dylan McIlrath Lucas Johansen - Vincent Iorio Jake Massie - Chase Priskie

Hunter Shepard (Backup: Clay Stevenson)

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

1:06: HER - (PP) Frank, minor (tripping) 1:27: CLE - (PP) Svozil, minor (interference) 7:52: CLE - (PP) Sweezey, minor (tripping) 9:14: CLE - (PP) Knazko, minor (delay of game)

2nd Period

4:16: CLE - (PP) Jiricek, minor (tripping) 9:11: HER - (PP) Miroschnichenko, minor (interference) 13:38: CLE - (PP) Zboril, minor (high-sticking) 14:35: HER - PPG Roe (4) - Priskie, Miroschnichenko 18:49: CLE - Dunne (4) - Pearson, Whelan

3rd Period

11:21: HER - Frank (7) - Lapierre, Johansen 16:24: HER - (PP) Massie, minor (delay of game) 18:27: CLE - Jiricek (3) - Gaunce, Del Bel Belluz

Overtime

6:56: HER - (PP) Sutter, minor (tripping) 13:54: HER - Dube (2) - Huntington

BOXSCORE

Cleveland  0 - 1 - 1 - 0  = 2 Hershey    0 - 1 - 1 - 1 = 3

Shots

Cleveland  11 - 4 - 14 - 7= 36 Hershey    12 - 8 - 3 - 7 = 30

Goalies

CLE: Jet Greaves (27 saves - 30 shots) HER: Hunter Shepard (34 saves - 36 shots)

Power Play

CLE: 0-for-4 HER: 1-for-5

Penalty Kill

CLE: 4-for-5 HER: 4-for-4

Post-Game EXTRA!

Video interviews with Cleveland Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber and Hershey Bears forward Pierrick Dube.