photo: Twitter/The AHL
Game 5 of the Calder Cup Finals between the Hershey Bears and the Coachella Valley Firebirds was at times sloppy, gritty, and of course, nail-biting. This is typical late in the postseason, especially with a championship on the line.
Fortunately, clutch tournaments Jarrett Bailon He ended nerves with 9:59 left in overtime with a top-shelf sniping from the high hole to give the Bears a 1-0 win and a 3-2 lead with the Calder Cup on the line.
Garrett Bailon drops the hammer in overtime! Bears series lead, 3-2. #HBH #alcaps pic.twitter.com/NmYNFh0plz
– Capitals Horizons (@jon_m_sorensen) June 18, 2023
Here are five things that stood out in the Bears’ third win in three games with a home run.
Perfect penalty kill
Bears special teams have been great in this series, with the penalty kick taking center stage. PK is now 7-for-7 in the last two games after going 4-for-4 in Game 4 and 3-for-3 in Game 5. The Firebirds have struggled to set up their power play due to how aggressive the Bears’ penalty killing unit has been in the series.
While the power game was 0 for 5 on the night, the Bears had several high-risk chances that could have easily turned the tide of the game.
Defensive deadlock
The main reason Game 5 was so tight and low in scoring was because of how good each team was on defense. Both teams had sticks in their passing lanes and shooting lanes, making it difficult to get good shots on goal. Things started to open up in the latter half of the game, but neither team could convert.
Just as he was in Game 4, Hunter Shepard got locked out. He made several saves for the home team in Saturday’s game, especially in the second period when the Firebirds had the most chances. He finished the game by stopping all 21 of Coachella Valley shots.
No sir. pic.twitter.com/nWbH44aEM4
– Hershey’s Bears (@TheHersheyBears) June 17, 2023
Firebirds goaltender Joey Daccord was also solid with 30 saves.
No foreclosure and fitness
The Bears took the majority of their winning chances Thursday due to their aggressive play in the offensive zone. The fierce review is not shown as frequently in Game 5 as it was in the previous contest. It started to come alive at the beginning of the second period, but it wasn’t consistent.
Moreover, the Bears were not playing with the amount of physical superiority that made them successful in Game 4.
Careless imp management
Hershey had a hard time managing the puck in his own area. Shepard had to be sharp early on, compared to Game 4, facing just one shot through the first 10 minutes. The Bears had a hard time on breakouts because they tried to force too many passes that the Firebirds defense intercepted.
The Coachella Valley front check came right from the start which resulted in some turnovers. Luckily, when a breakdown occurred, Shepard stepped forward to keep it a scoreless game.
Close the door hard. pic.twitter.com/41mOJW8XX5
– Hershey’s Bears (@TheHersheyBears) June 18, 2023
Clever puck management was a big reason why chocolate and white had a lot of chances in the first period of Game 4, so they’ll need to clean this up in the direction of a potential Game 6 clinch.
Failed to finish
The rebound didn’t go the Bears’ way in the first period. Hershey would have been 2-0 after 20, but Dacor stood tall. Conor McMichael, who has no goal in the series, had the net wide open just over the goal line, but he shot it across the crease.
best chance.
A nice steal from Malenstyn. Pilon has a good move over the middle, but the CV blocks the clean shot. McMichael tries to end it. #HBH # the capper pic.twitter.com/N2ynU0sKK0
– Capitals Horizons (@jon_m_sorensen) June 17, 2023
Mike Vecchione also had a great chance against Daccord in the middle frame, but he couldn’t settle for a bouncing bounce on him. He also had a great overtime opportunity that was just out of reach.
Alixi Brotas was bitten the most after converting at least three chances in front of the net.
Game six comes Monday, June 19 at Acrisure Arena at 10 p.m. ET, with the Bears winning just one of their 12th Calder Cup.
By Jacob Shires