The Hershey Bears held off a hard-hitting Hartford Wolf Pack 3-2 in overtime in their home opener at Giant Center on a Saturday night in October 2015, in a matchup that pitted two brothers against each other.
Third time’s the charm
Hershey’s Chris Bourque scored the winner on a power play 2:50 into overtime, after two sharp Bears shots in a row rang off the goal frame.
“It was a little frustrating when you’re out there and you hit two posts,” said Travis Boyd, who fed Bourque the pass for the game-winner. “I think Bourquey actually hit two posts on the same shot.”
With frustration mounting, Boyd passed across to Bourque, whose slap shot from the right circle beat Hartford goalie Magnus Hellberg.
“Third’s the charm,” said Bourque, whose brother, Ryan, played for Hartford. “It’s a big win for us, to get back over .500, and to be able to help the team win in that situation was great.”
A slow start
The game opened sluggishly, with a scoreless first period as both teams struggled to complete passes and control the puck.
“As the game went on, we got a little bit crisper in our passes and our execution, and it gave us enough to get a win,” said Hershey goalie Dan Ellis, who stopped 22 shots.
Back and forth
Hartford scored first, on a goal by Jayson Megna at 12:49 of the second period. Hershey tied it on a goal by Ryan Stanton, assisted by Paul Carey and Madison Bowey. The assist was Bowey’s first point in the AHL.
Early in the third, Garrett Mitchell twice tried to beat Hellberg from close range after a turnover but was stopped. When Hartford’s Chris McCarthy was called for hooking at 1:48, the Bears capitalized, with Boyd scoring the go-ahead power-play goal.
Hartford answered at 16:16 of the third when Shawn O’Connell beat Ellis to tie it 2-2.
A disallowed goal
A pivotal moment came late in regulation, when the puck crossed into the Hershey net as the net was knocked off its moorings. After conferring, officials ruled no goal: a Hartford forward had knocked a Hershey defenseman into Ellis, causing the puck to cross the line.
Pink the Rink
The win pushed the Bears to 3-2 on the season. The teams met again the next night at Giant Center for the Bears’ Pink the Rink game, with a free flower for the first 500 female fans and the Bears skating in pink practice jerseys sold by silent auction on the concourse. Proceeds benefited the American Cancer Society.
About the Bears
The Hershey Bears are the oldest continuously operating franchise in the American Hockey League, founded in 1938, and have won a record number of Calder Cup championships. Affiliated with the NHL’s Washington Capitals, the Bears draw some of the largest crowds in minor-league hockey to Giant Center, a short drive from Lititz.
Overtime in the AHL
In the American Hockey League, regular-season games tied after regulation go to a sudden-death overtime period played with fewer skaters on the ice, which opens up space and creates scoring chances. If neither team scores, the game is decided by a shootout. Teams earn a point in the standings for an overtime or shootout loss, so every extra-time win carries added value over a long season.
The Hershey tradition
The Hershey Bears are one of the oldest and most successful franchises in minor professional hockey, with a long list of Calder Cup championships and a fan base that stretches across central Pennsylvania. Home openers at Giant Center are among the most anticipated nights of the season, drawing families from Lancaster, Dauphin and Lebanon counties.
A short drive from Lititz
For Lititz-area fans, Hershey is an easy trip, and many families make Bears games a winter tradition. Starting the season with an overtime win on home ice set an upbeat tone for the months ahead.
This article was originally published in October 2015.