Lessons Learned As Bears Set To Host Hartford In Atlantic Division Finals

"I want them to learn how tough it's going to be. It's just learning from what we went through here. It's not going to be easy. Everybody has to tug at the rope."

- Hershey Bears Head Coach Todd Nelson after the Game 4 win last Thursday saw the Bears advance to the Atlantic Division Finals.

HERSHEY, Pa. - The Hershey Bears defeated the Charlotte Checkers three games to one in the Atlantic Division Semifinals round, but Bears head coach Todd Nelson put cold water on any inkling of their opening round series being a breeze.

"Those games were a lot closer than the scores indicated," Nelson said after the Bears' series-clinching win last week.

For Hershey, going in to Charlotte and taking the first two games of the series proved to be too much for the Checkers to overcome.

As they enter the Atlantic Division Finals against the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Bears will once again need a strong start in the series - but this time at home as the Bears host Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-five series on Thursday and Saturday night.

Recapping The Hershey-Charlotte Series

Game 1 - Hershey 5, Charlotte 2

In Charlotte Friday night, the Bears came roaring out of the gates with a pair of goals in both the first and second periods, taking a commanding lead on the Checkers who finally answered late in the second.

Mike Vecchione, Alaiksei Protas, Hendrix Lapierre, Connor McMichael, and Mike Sgarbossa all recorded goals. Sam Anas and Vincent Iorio recorded a pair of assists while Gabe Carlsson, Lucas Johansen, Garrett Pilon, Ethen Frank, and Lapierre each had an assist. With 11 on the scoresheet, shades of Todd Nelson’s season-long wish for scoring from multiple lines seemed to come to fruition.

Hunter Shepard got the nod between the pipes and made 22 saves on 24 shots. Hershey was 1-for-3 on the powerplay and 3-for-4 on the PK. While the PK unit performed admirably, taking five minor penalties and allowing Charlotte’s powerplay chances was definitely a correction to make heading into Game 2.

Game 2 - Hershey 5, Charlotte 1

It took a bit longer for the Bears to break through in Game 2 on Saturday, but Joe Snively and Mason Morelli both scored in the second to give Hershey a 2-0 lead.

In the third Charlotte cut the lead in half, but a huge answer from McMichael 35 seconds later proved to be the turning point in the game as Anas and Pilon added extra insurance markers.

Nelson rolled out the same lineup as the night before and the Bears left Charlotte for the final time this season with a commanding lead in the best of 5 series.

Shepard, playing back-to-back, recorded 19 saves on 20 shots as Hershey clamped down on Charlotte’s chances

Game 3 - Charlotte 2, Hershey 1

The Bears returned to Giant Center on Wednesday night looking for one more win for the series sweep, but the Checkers had other ideas.

Unfortunately for the Bears, the loss of the game was not the only loss of the evening as veteran defenseman, Aaron Ness, left the game in the first period after landing awkwardly into the boards behind Shepard’s goal. The blueliner made it to the bench in a great deal of discomfort before heading down the tunnel, holding his right shoulder/collarbone area. He was ultimately ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Already down a defenseman, the Bears lost Bobby Nardella right after Ness went down the tunnel. Nardella returned in the second period, but the Bears were down to four defensemen for a lengthy span of time in the first period and were unable to hold offensive zone pressure during that time, a problem Nelson and Anas both stated needed to be corrected.

In the second, it was Anas who scored first to give the Bears a 1-0 lead, but a pair of breakaway goals for Charlotte kept the Bears from ending the series in Game 3.

After the game, Anas described trying to play with just four defensemen.

"Yeah, playing with four D is very tough, and extremely tough on them. And kudos to them, because they handled it very well. I think a lot of that is on the forums, you know, in those situations, we really have to simplify and get pucks deep. Because if we're not getting the puck deep, then you know, those D can't change, and that really affects them when you only have four bodies back there. So I think, again, it's something that we really, really harped on. We made some mistakes early on. But I think we handled it well."

Game 4 - Charlotte 2, Hershey 6

In Game 4, the Bears had to battle back from a 2-goal deficit to advance to the Atlantic Division Finals.

Mason Morelli and Beck Malenstyn both scored in the second before Aliaksei Protas tallied twice and Riley Sutter and Dylan McIlrath added empty net goals.

After the game, Protas described McIlrath's goal. "We were so happy for him. He just finally got his; he needed that. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if it's empty. He was waiting for pretty much the whole year so we were really happy for him. Finally got it. So that's again like that's how tight this group is like we were more happy for him then we just say everywhere. So that's unbelievable."

A Positional Perspective

Forwards

A reloaded Hershey lineup since the Capitals missed the playoffs has some surprising names in bottom-six positions that might cause many to pause. Protas, Malenstyn, Anas, Morelli, Lapierre, and Sutter aren’t necessarily names one would expect to see on the third or fourth lines, but Nelson's team is deep and talented, and they've bought into the system and are focused on doing whatever it takes to win hockey games.

Of course, Sgarbossa, Frank, and Vecchione led the charge in the regular season, but with the return of Protas and Snively from Washington as well as the offensive contributions of Pilon, this team has exhibited the scoring balance Nelson had hoped to see this season.

"It just goes back to depth, like we were talking about before," Ness told InsideAHLHockey.com before the Bears' began their postseason run. "I think that's been a key for us all season. One guy comes in, whether it's a recall or for an injury, whatever it could be, it seems like whoever steps in is always ready and playing good hockey. And it's really been a fun year. I think this team is really close, and guys are rooting for each other. So, you know, [when] a guy goes out, we're cheering for that guy just as much to come back as we are the guy that takes his spot. So it's been, it's been a lot of fun. And we're gonna continue to have fun here in the playoffs."

Defense

Hershey's concerns rest with the defense thanks in large part to an injury (upper body) to Ness, one of Hershey’s steadying forces on the blueline and Bobby Nardella (upper body) who left a lengthy blood trail on his way down the tunnel for repairs soon after Ness departed.

While Nardella returned to action in game 3 and Hershey adjusted to life with four blueliners, the loss of Ness could prove rather large.

However, Hershey's mantra all season has been "Next Man Up" and there is no doubt that Logan Day and Jake Massie could handle duties on the backend.

Hershey’s defensive corps definitely benefited from the addition of Gabe Carlsson this season.

"Yeah, he's so solid, you know, he's a great player, and he plays the right way. And you see that in the plus-minus category," Ness said of Carlsson. "So he's obviously a huge piece of this puzzle, too. And he's playing great hockey, and you know, he's gonna keep doing [that in] the playoffs for us and we'll see what we can do."

Goaltending

Todd Nelson started Hunter Shepard in Game One in Charlotte, and he's had a death grip on the starting spot ever since despite the setback in Game Three. Shepard has recorded 85 saves on 92 shots for a .924 save percentage. His 1.77 GAA is fourth among playoff goaltenders.

"Our goalies? Yes, they've been unbelievable this year," Ness said, adding, "I think, you know, backstops like that, it just makes the rest of the team be confident throughout each and every game. So it's been a huge part of our success this year. And we're gonna keep rolling them into the playoffs here."

Special Teams

*The Penalty Kill

"I think just about everyone through the lineup sacrifices every night. So it's, it's part of this team and what we believe in. So that's, like.. that's what we're focused on. Guys really sacrifice and it's all playing for the guy next [to you]. And we've done a great job of that this season," said Ness.

Malenstyn added, "If we can gain momentum off penalty kills. That's a huge turning point for our group. So it's something we take a lot of pride in."

The Power Play

One area that will need a bit more consistency is Hershey’s powerplay.

Nelson has at times gone with five forwards or the more traditional route of four forwards and a defenseman.

Neither has worked consistently this season, but both have had some success. Hershey was 18.5% in the regular season and 20% (3-for-15) in the series against the Checkers.

Bringing Back a Staple

The Good

Scoring from just about everywhere. Through four games, 16 of 21 Hershey skaters have recorded a point.

The Bad

Hershey’s inability to not only sustain o-zone pressure while down a pair of defensemen, giving up not one, but two breakaway goals, and unnecessary penalties here.

The Ugly

That Ness injury and possible long-term loss of one of Hershey’s alternate captains is a pretty big loss, but the Bears are a very deep team and Ness will still make his presence felt at practices and in the locker room.