Shepard 'The Backbone' Of Bears' Run To 2023 Calder Cup Finals

HERSHEY, Pa., - Hunter Shepard has often been referred to being the team's 'backbone' by his Hershey Bears teammates and head coach Todd Nelson.

After achieving a 20-8-5 record in his first full season in the American Hockey League (AHL), Nelson gave Shepard the net for the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs - a decision that has ultimately proven wise thus far.

Hershey punched their ticket to the Calder Cup Finals behind a 24-save shutout from Shepard - his second shutout of the series - in a 1-0 win on the road in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals Friday night against the Rochester Americans.

Despite beginning their Calder Cup run with wins in six of their first seven games to get to the Eastern Conference Finals, it wasn't an easy road to the finals for the Bears.

Hershey - and Shepard specifically - encountered their first real adversity of the postseason in Game 1 against the Americans.

The Amerks scored on the opening shift of the game, and used their speed and transition game to shock the Bears 5-1 on Hershey's home ice at Giant Center.

Shepard was pulled from action after surrendering four goals on 16 shots in 26:33. It was just the second time all season he was pulled from action (December 28 at Providence), and first time he had allowed more than two goals in the post-season.

"The team played a good game in Game 1 and I was kind of the difference and it wasn't in a good way, so I knew I had to be better," Shepard said when asked by InsideAHLHockey.com about shaking off the Game 1 performance before Game 2.

Not only was Shepard better when Nelson went right back to Shepard two nights later in Game 2, but the Bears' netminder rose to the occasion - like he often did during the regular season when he had a second-best goals-against-average in the league - shutting out Rochester with a 24-save effort to even the series at one game apiece before the series shifted to Rochester.

"I think to have a serious chance in the series moving forward, I mean, that's kind of what had to happen," Shepard said after the Game 2 win last Thursday, adding, when asked about how he was able to shake off the bad Game 1, "It's just, you know, being mentally tough. I think it's a decision. You can you can get down on yourself and let it bother you, or you can just forget about it and move on to the next shot because worrying about a goalie when he lets in a soft one right away - - it doesn't do you any good. There's no time for that."

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Hershey allowed just four goals against in their four wins in the series, getting not only strong play in net but timely saves in high-pressure situations and in low scoring affairs. Whenever the team needed a big save, Shepard was there - equal to the task.

"He's our backbone. I've said that multiple times," Morelli said of knowing Shepard was going to respond and play well. "We just look to build out from him, you know, be good in the [defensive] zone. We know that he's gonna be back there for us, and we're just trying to help him out any way we can."

It's that confidence in their goalie from his teammates that helps allow Shepard to be able to reset and reload after an off night. Even after a mostly solid performance in Game 5 Wednesday night - a game in which he allowed just one goal in the opening 40 minutes - Shepard knew he needed to up the ante for Game 6 Friday night.

And like he has so many times this season, Shepard delivered on another big time performance in net on his way to his second 24-save shutout of the series in the 1-0 win that has the Bears in the Calder Cup Finals for the first time since 2016 and in search of their franchise's 12th league title.

"I mean, I think it would have been tough to try and have a strong game if I didn't think the team had full confidence in me to go back out there and have a good game," Shepard said, adding, "You're not going to have a good game every game. That goes for everyone [and] on any team. So, just knowing that they have the confidence in me to go back out there and have strong performance, I think made it really easy for me."