A Resurgent Night at Giant Center
The Hershey Bears found their rhythm on Wednesday night, shaking off the frustration of a 5-0 shutout loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins just days prior. In front of 7,820 fans at the Giant Center, the Bears secured a decisive 4-1 victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack, improving their record to 7-4-0-0 and climbing to second place in the Atlantic Division. While the scoreboard reflected a comfortable win, the game served as a stage for significant milestones, high-profile returns, and a long-awaited defensive reinforcement.
The Bears fired 38 shots on goal in Wednesday’s contest, a sharp contrast to the 43 shots they managed Sunday without finding the back of the net. This time, the offense capitalized early. Josh Dunne opened the scoring at the 5:35 mark, followed by power-play goals from Louie Belpedio and Alex Suzdalev. Petr Sikora added an empty-netter to cement the win, while the Wolf Pack’s lone goal came from Liam Greentree with under three minutes remaining in regulation.
Joonas Korpisalo’s Conditioning Start
The Bears faced a formidable challenge in the crease as Joonas Korpisalo made his return to action. The 32-year-old Finnish netminder had been sidelined since the NHL season opener due to a foot infection, eventually being placed on injured reserve. His appearance in Hershey marked the beginning of a conditioning stint, a move aimed at assessing his readiness for a return to the Rangers’ lineup. Despite the final score, Korpisalo was tested frequently, stopping 34 of 37 shots faced.
UPDATE: #NYR has loaned goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to the Hartford Wolf Pack on a conditioning assignment. pic.twitter.com/TsGPzeOduy
Trineyev’s Double Century
Bogdan Trineyev hit a career milestone on Wednesday, skating in his 200th AHL game. The Voronezh, Russia native, who made his league debut on April 11, 2023, against the Charlotte Checkers, has evolved into a power forward for the Bears. He marked the occasion with two assists—the first setting up Alex Suzdalev’s power-play strike, and the second helping ice the game with Sikora’s empty-net goal. Trineyev currently has seven points through his first 11 games of the season; his four goals rank second-most on the team.
Puck’s down and Bogey takes the ice for his 200th @TheAHL game, all in Chocolate and White! pic.twitter.com/duAlz5fOYo
Vincent Iorio Tosses Pucks to Fans Before Game
The evening was marked by a moment for Vincent Iorio, who has spent time within three different NHL organizations. Now skating for the Wolf Pack, Iorio spent time during warmups tossing pucks to fans on both sides of the rink. The defenseman has been part of a whirlwind year of transition since leaving Washington.
At the other end of the bench, the Bears welcomed back a familiar face in Dylan McIlrath. After being waived by the Washington Capitals earlier in the week, the 6-foot-5 defenseman rejoined the Hershey roster to skate alongside Jacob MacDonald. His presence was immediately felt, both in terms of defensive stability and locker room leadership. The Bears limited Hartford to just three shots in the first period and eight through the opening 40 minutes, a marked improvement in defensive discipline.
It took me a little bit to feel comfortable on the ice. The speed of the game was one thing. It wasn’t even that. It was more just my game, like wanting the puck on my stick and knowing you’ve got a little time and kind of just getting back to my game. That took a little bit, but I thought I settled in eventually.
The Pursuit of a Scoring Breakthrough
While the team celebrated the win, Andrew Cristall remains in the midst of an unusual statistical drought. Despite being tied for the team lead with 10 points, all of his contributions have come via assists. Cristall nearly broke his goalless streak on Wednesday, firing a shot that deflected off Korpisalo and eventually into the net off the body of Josh Dunne. It is the longest goalless stretch of his professional career, surpassing his previous nine-game drought from his rookie season. With the Bears heading to Massachusetts for a two-game set against the Springfield Thunderbirds this weekend, the team will look to build on this momentum as they continue to chase the division-leading Charlotte Checkers.
