2026 Calder Cup Playoffs: Atlantic Division Semi-finals Game 3

HERSHEY, PA.

The I-81 Series returned Chocolatetown for playoff hockey since the 21-22 Season. After an intense 65 minutes of play, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins would march to a 4-3 OT victory over the Hershey Bears, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

The Penguins came out strong as they took an early 2-0 lead in the first period. Goals coming from captain Phil Kemp at 3:15, followed by a first North American Goal from forward Mikhail Ilyin, only 3 minutes later.

Hershey started to stage a comeback when Ivan Miroshnichenko scored his first goal of the postseason at 9:49 in the first. Bogdan Trineyev would even the score at 2-2 right before the first intermission.

The Bears carried that momentum into the second period, taking a 3-2 lead only 37 seconds in on a goal from Brett Leason.

Trailing by 1 late in the third, Penguins head coach Kirk McDonald made the decision to pull goaltender Sergei Murashov and send out the extra attacker. The move paid off, as Avery Hayes scored the game-tying goal at 17:07 to force overtime.

Overtime lasted just over 5 minutes, ending at the 5:02 mark when Rutger McGroarty redirected a point shot. The tip-in, his first of the playoffs, secures the win for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Sergei Murashov posted 26 saves and a .897SV% for the Pens, while Bears goaltender Clay Stevenson stopped 23 of 27 shots faced with a .852SV%.

The Penguins look to clinch the series in Game 4 on Thursday, May 7th, at Giant Center with puck drop slated for 7:00 pm.

Lexis Woodard / Olde City Sports Network
Photos credit / Jake Law / Olde City Sports Network