The Hershey Bears showcased their championship mettle in a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, evening the Atlantic Division Semifinals at 1-1 in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs. It was a night where goaltending stole the spotlight, and Hershey's Clay Stevenson delivered a masterclass performance that will have fans buzzing.
The drama unfolded early when Hershey's Aaron Ness was whistled for a double minor penalty just 3:41 into the first period, handing the Penguins a four-minute power play. But instead of buckling, the Bears' penalty kill stood tall, limiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to just one shot during that stretch. That set the tone for a dominant opening frame, as Hershey outshot the Penguins 8-3 and capitalized on their own power play opportunity. Forward Brett Leason found the back of the net to give the Bears a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
The second period saw more of the same resilience from Hershey. They killed off the remaining 1:57 of penalty time from the first period, holding the Penguins to just one shot during that span. While the Penguins managed to keep the shot differential close at 9-8 in their favor, the Bears struck again at the 17:11 mark. Forward Bogdan Trineyev beat Penguins goalie Sergei Murashov to extend the lead to 2-0, sending the Bears into the second break with momentum firmly on their side.
Desperation fueled the Penguins in the third period as they came out flying, outshooting Hershey 5-1 in the first 3:30 minutes. Forward Aidan McDonough scored on the first shot of the frame to cut the deficit to 2-1, igniting hope for a comeback. The Penguins dominated the rest of the period, outshooting the Bears 17-7, but Stevenson was a wall between the pipes. He turned aside 36 of 37 shots—a jaw-dropping .973 save percentage—to preserve the victory and send the series back to Hershey tied.
On the other end, AHL All-Star Murashov put up a solid effort with 24 saves on 26 shots (.923 save percentage), but it wasn't enough to overcome the Bears' relentless defense and Stevenson's brilliance. For fans of the game, this was a classic playoff battle where every save and every shot mattered. If you're looking to channel that same energy on the ice, gear up with performance-driven apparel that helps you play at your best—because every game counts when the stakes are this high.