Amerks Executed Gameplan For Game One, Need To Reset & Adjust For Game Two

HERSHEY, Pa. - The Hershey Bears came out swinging in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night.

Known for their hard forecheck and physicality, Rochester Americans head coach Seth Appert said after the game,"We knew trying to break the puck out and how we solve their forecheck pressure was going to be a main key to the game."

The Amerks were certainly ready for the challenge on the opening shift as, after the Bears laid a big hit or two on the opening forecheck of the game, they were able to dart up-ice in transition.

Defenseman Joseph Cecconi joined the rush, getting a tipped puck centered to him in open space by Brett Murray before tallyied 14 seconds into the contest to get the Amerks off and running in a game they never really looked back on their way to a convincing 5-1 win to open the best-of-seven series.

Hershey continued to impose their will as the period - and game - wore on with Bears' captain Dylan McIlrath on the delivering end on a pair of questionable hits in the first and third period, much to the displeasure of Appert.

"I wasn't worried about it," Appert said of his team's response to Hershey's physical play, adding, "Even though they should have called two five-minute majors. [They] just let McIlrath do what he wanted. Hopefully that gets cleaned up, but wasn't worried about it. That's what Syracuse tried to do once we won a game, that's what Toronto tried to do was we won a game. We might not be the most physical team, but we're not scared."

Murray extended the lead near the middle of the first period, finishing off a net-front scramble before Matt Bartkowski and Mason Jobst scored goals early in the second frame to put a stranglehold on the game.

"Obviously that's what got us started on the first goals, we were able to solve that pressure and get out into space a little bit. But it's a long series. That's just one game."

One thing Appert keyed in on when asked by InsideAHLHockey.com about the importance of making in-series adjustments, regardless of whether it's a best-of-five or best-of-seven.

"Since game one in Syracuse, We made adjustments, I don't think we adjusted well enough to them in the second game and Syracuse. And that's something that we talked a lot about. We have a young team. We're never gonna go away from our identity, so 80% of who we are, is going to stay the same. But at this time of the year, when you play the same team over and over. You have to be willing and able to adjust to be able to watch video and apply it the next day in a game or watch it that morning and apply it that night. And that's part of becoming a pro. And that's part of playing well in the playoffs. Our guys have been exceptional at it since that game. But it'll be important that we get better tomorrow."