The Hershey Bears are set to face the Cleveland Monsters in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight. The match will take place at the GIANT Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania at 7 p.m. The Bears are leading the best-of-seven series three games to one and are hoping to secure their place in the Calder Cup Finals.
The Bears, who are the defending Calder Cup Champions, are looking to advance to the Calder Cup Finals for the 25th time in franchise history. If successful, they would become the first American Hockey League (AHL) team to win back-to-back Calder Cups since they achieved the feat in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Despite a strong start to the series, the Bears suffered a 5-1 defeat against the Monsters in Game 5. Logan Day scored his first goal of the playoffs for Hershey, but it wasn't enough to secure a victory. The Bears are now looking to bounce back in Game 6 and close out the series.
"You can have a kid in the house safe, seemingly, and then you have predators that can get right in there into your own home," DeSantis said at the press conference.(hersheybears.com)
The Bears have a strong playoff record when playing potential series-clinching games, with 79 wins and 68 losses. They last claimed the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals in five games in 2016 against the Toronto Marlies.
Ethen Frank, who leads the Bears and is second overall in playoff goals with nine, will be a key player to watch in tonight's game. He currently has a seven-game goal-scoring streak. Garrett Roe, who has a seven-game point streak, will also be a crucial player for the Bears.(hersheybears.com)