Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
The Hershey Bears wore a goal all season.
They felt it each mentally and bodily. Not solely had been they the defending Calder Cup champion, in addition they proceeded to assemble one of many most interesting seasons in AHL historical past, ending with the second-best regular-season file ever and successful 53 wins, essentially the most by an AHL crew in a 72-game season.
The Bears took care of Lehigh Valley and Hartford and raced out to a 3-0 collection lead within the Japanese Convention Finals earlier than the stress intensified dramatically. Because the calendar turned to June, it regarded like Hershey might need lastly met their finish. The Cleveland Monsters gave them the whole lot that they may deal with, successful three straight video games and pushing the Bears to time beyond regulation of Recreation 7.
They survived because of Garrett Roe’s OT winner, incomes a visit again to the Calder Cup Finals, however a relentless Monsters had put the Bears by way of seven punishing video games.
Then the Coachella Valley Firebirds received their crack at redemption, the kind of alternative that doesn’t at all times come. Hershey had received final season’s Calder Cup by ending off the Firebirds in time beyond regulation of Recreation 7 of the Calder Cup Finals. All yr lengthy the Firebirds labored towards reaching that time as soon as once more.
Getting into the collection with solely someday of relaxation and lacking three high defensemen resulting from damage, the Bears misplaced the opener to the Firebirds, had been blown out in Recreation 3, and confronted a really actual chance of seeing their new cross-country rival seize that Calder Cup that had simply barely eluded them a yr earlier.
However Hershey as soon as once more rallied, scratching out a 3-2 win in Recreation 4 and getting a late purpose from Jimmy Huntington to seize one other 3-2 victory in Recreation 5. The Firebirds had been on the point of elimination for the primary time this postseason, and the Bears had been returning residence one win away from a repeat title.
“We’ve received quite a lot of depth,” mentioned Roe, “and we’re proud to make use of that. We’re proud to have the ability to put 4 strains on the market and really feel snug in opposition to different groups.”
Again at Large Heart, a standing-room-only crowd of 11,013 followers witnessed a tense, back-and-forth Recreation 6. Pierrick Dubé notched a hat trick and Hershey carried a 4-3 lead late into regulation, however one other tying purpose late in regulation despatched the competition to time beyond regulation.
Matt Strome, a ahead who was a wholesome scratch for the primary 9 video games of the common season, discovered himself almost alone with a unfastened puck that had come out of a scramble of gamers. He stepped right into a shot and ripped it previous Chris Driedger’s left glove hand 1:06 into OT.
The Bears had survived once more, and so they had their thirteenth Calder Cup.
“It’s the most effective feeling on this planet,” mentioned ahead Hendrix Lapierre, whose 22 factors (seven targets, 15 assists) in 20 video games earned him the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as essentially the most priceless participant of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
It was additionally the fifth title for the Bears since starting their affiliation with the Washington Capitals in 2005. Head coach Todd Nelson had his fifth Calder Cup, and his third as a head coach. Bears vp of hockey operations Bryan Helmer, who helped to construct this roster, matched Nelson together with his fifth championship, together with two as captain of the Bears after they went back-to-back in 2009 and 2010.
“This yr we had a goal on our again,” Nelson mentioned following Recreation 6. “There was much more stress this yr to complete it off and win a Cup. We had been anticipated to win, and it will be a crying disgrace if we didn’t end off the fitting manner.”
Mike Vecchione, who had the Recreation 7 Cup-winning time beyond regulation purpose final yr, knew they had been getting the most effective from their opponents each evening this season, and that helped deliver the Bears locker room nearer collectively.
“All people’s so shut,” he mentioned. “We’re actually a band of brothers, and that begins with [Nelson] on the high. You actually take care of the man sitting subsequent to you, and that’s why we performed so properly the whole yr.”
And it got here right down to Strome, who skated on what was a fourth line in identify solely. In actuality Nelson relied on them to close down opposing high strains, win key attracts and snatch momentum from opponents time after time. With shutdown middle Riley Sutter and rookie Bogdan Trineyev, the trio pissed off opponents proper till the ultimate second of the season. This time it was Strome who received his second to be the hero.
There actually may have been no extra becoming manner for the Bears to finish this season.
“Matt Strome has the clutch gene for all times now,” Vecchione mentioned. “I’m so blissful for him. He actually deserved this spot. He’s simply the most effective. I’m so pleased with these guys.”
TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams has been on the American Hockey League beat for almost 20 years for retailers together with NHL.com, Sportsnet, TSN, The Hockey Information, SiriusXM NHL Community Radio and SLAM! Sports activities, and was most lately the co-host of The Hockey Information On The ‘A’ podcast. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his excellent protection of the league in 2016.
