The Hershey Bears are back at Giant Center for Game Six of the Eastern Conference Final on Monday. On one hand, the Bears have to win just one more game in order to punch their ticket to the Calder Cup Final. On the other hand, Hershey has dropped two consecutive games to make this a much tighter series. The Calder Cup Playoffs are no joke, and winning this series was never going to be easy. Therefore, we present six reasons to be excited and amped up about Game Six on Monday night at Giant Center.
A chance to advance. Yes, the Bears have their third chance to end the series on Monday, but the shift back to Giant Center puts the series in unusual territory. Hershey has not advanced to the Calder Cup Finals on home ice since Boyd Kane’s overtime, series-winning goal over the Manchester Monarchs way back in 2010. It’s a rare opportunity to perhaps see the feat accomplished in the friendly confines of Giant Center.
Home cooking in June. It’s a rare opportunity to see more hockey in the month of June. While most teams are focused on the draft, making personnel changes, or announcing start dates to count down to, the Bears are playing hockey still. It’s a far cry from years past, where the Bears played just one home game in June from 2011 up until last year. Two years in a row is certainly spoiling Bear Nation.
Seventh man. It’s no secret the Bears thrive on home ice, with a perfect record at Giant Center in six games in these playoffs. Hershey captain Dylan McIlrath mentioned the fans specifically as a game-changer for the team after Game Five and as a factor in lifting the team on their return home. Giant Center’s atmosphere is envied across the AHL for good reason.
Mauling the Monsters. It’s no secret that the Bears have not played their best hockey in the last two games. Cleveland has brought heavy physicality to the series and fed off their home crowd. Bears head coach Todd Nelson called upon his top players to find ways to score starting with winning puck battles on the boards. The Monsters have played a heavy physical game that’s been on the edge at times, but the Bears need to counter and get back to what’s made them successful.
More Bears history. If the Bears punch their ticket to the Calder Cup Finals tonight, it’ll mark the 25th time in the team’s storied history they’ve made it this far. A matchup with the Coachella Valley Firebirds awaits the winner of this series, and if the Bears advance, it’d be the first time in team history that they’ve faced the same opponent in the final round in back-to-back years. One of the closer matchups was against the predecessor to the Monsters, the Cleveland Barons, who the Bears met up with in back-to-back seasons (1941 and 1942). Due to playoff formats, however, one matchup was in the Calder Cup Finals, while the other one was in the semifinal.
Do it again. If the Bears advance, it’ll mark the fifth time in team history that the team has advanced to the Calder Cup Finals in back-to-back seasons. Hershey has won back-to-back Calder Cups two times in their storied history amongst their 12 championships. Although the headline would be the rematch, there’s plenty of history to be celebrated with a win in this matchup.
The Bears and Monsters do battle at 7:00 PM from Giant Center tonight. If you haven’t gotten tickets yet, they’re available here. A limited supply of rally towels will be available.
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