Derek King led the Hershey Bears to a 4-1 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack at the GIANT Center, as Hershey outshot Hartford 38-15 and limited the Wolf Pack to three shots in the first period and eight through the opening 40 minutes. The Bears scored four goals in the victory on Nov. 5, 2026, while delivering a strong defensive performance.
Hershey Bears Control the Opening Period
Josh Dunne opened the scoring at 5:35 of the first period, scoring his fifth goal of the season against Hartford goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. Korpisalo was with Hartford on a conditioning loan from the New York Rangers.
King said Hershey wanted to test Korpisalo early. “It is like, let us get some pucks to this guy early and maybe we will tire him out,” King said. “But I like the way we played.”
Hershey Converts on Both Power-Play Chances
Louie Belpedio and Alex Suzdalev scored power-play goals for Hershey in the second period. The Bears finished two-for-two with the man advantage and added pressure to their offensive-zone play.
“I think it is way better when we are in the offensive zone 1 it is a lot more fun. There is nothing worse than when you get stuck out there and the other guys are buzzing and they are able to change, fresh guys come out, and you are stuck, and it is just rapid fire,” Belpedio said.
McIlrath and Gibson Support Defensive Effort
Dylan McIlrath played his first game with Hershey at GIANT Center since leading the club to its second consecutive Calder Cup in 2024. He said the Bears came into the game focused on producing a better start after losing their previous two games.
“I think it was the mindset coming in. I know the guys had lost the last two games. It was on record we needed a good start, and it seemed like we were suffocating them,” McIlrath said. The Hershey penalty kill also went four-for-four against the Wolf Pack.
Mitch Gibson stopped a breakaway attempt by Nathan Aspinall late in the second period while Hershey led 3-0. Gibson also rebounded from allowing 11 total goals over his previous two starts, according to the source.
“It definitely is tricky coming off of those two games, and just having the belief, we put a lot of work in every day, especially with associate goaltending coach Juha Lehtola,” Gibson said. King said the Bears maintained confidence in their goaltender.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
The Hershey Bears combined a 38-15 shot advantage with effective special teams in the 4-1 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack. Hershey scored on both power-play opportunities and stopped all four Hartford power plays.
The defensive effort also included limiting Hartford to eight shots through the first 40 minutes and Gibson’s breakaway stop on Aspinall. Derek Kings team secured the win at GIANT Center after being outshot but shut out in its previous game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Source: Original report
