The Hershey Bears defeated the Springfield Thunderbirds 6-1 in Hershey on Nov. 8, 2026, after Derek King stressed the need for a complete effort following a 4-2 loss to Springfield on Friday.
Mitch Gibson Keeps Springfield Off the Scoreboard Early
Mitch Gibson made several key plays during Springfield’s early pressure. He stopped Chris Wagner on a breakaway, denied Otto Stenberg on the rebound and then poked the puck away from Wagner during the ensuing sequence.
Gibson also denied a point shot from Quinton Burns, helping Hershey remain level before the Bears opened the scoring. “That was huge. We knew we had to get a good start, and we did. But Gibby made some saves there to keep us alive in the game,” King said. “If those go in, maybe that takes the wind out of our sails, but he kept us in there and we just kept going.”
Andrew Cristall Scores on the Power Play
Andrew Cristall opened the scoring at 14:26 of the first period during a 5-on-3 power play. Cristall scored on a one-timer from the right circle after receiving a pass from Jonny Brodzinski, giving the Hershey Bears a 1-0 lead.
Cristall entered the game with 10 assists and no goals. He recorded 60 points as a rookie the previous season before breaking through against Springfield.
“I think sometimes hockey is a funny game,” Cristall said. “I’ve had a lot of looks and just haven’t been able to crack it in the net. So now that this one’s out of the way, it definitely feels good, and hopefully a lot more to come. But glad to win tonight. I think we just played a really good 60 minutes. Last night’s second [period] was not our game, and when we got away from it and they managed to come back. So I think tonight we just stuck with it for the whole game, and we’re a really good team when we do that.”
King also praised Cristall’s work on both sides of the puck. “I think today he played a solid 200-foot game. He didn’t cheat the game trying to get points or get that goal,” King said. “He got the goal, which is nice, and then he could take a deep breath and just play hockey, and I thought he did a good job for us.”
Dalton Smith Adds the Game-Winning Goal
Dalton Smith extended Hershey’s lead on the Bears’ first shot of the second period. Grant Cruikshank passed to Smith, who drove to the net and scored to make it 2-0.
The goal was Smith’s first of the season and his first game-winning tally in the AHL since the 2013-14 season. Smith returned to the lineup for his third game of the season under the AHL’s developmental rule.
“I was able to get some space there heading to the net, and Cruiky made a great pass to me, and I just tried taking it hard to the net and getting it elevated, and it went in,” Smith said. “Obviously I’m very happy to come in and contribute, and it was a great team effort all around. I think that was a pretty solid effort throughout, so we’re definitely happy with that.”
Smith’s goal stood as the eventual game-winner in Hershey’s 6-1 victory. King said the players respect Smith and praised their reaction after the veteran forward scored.
“The guys respect him. They respect what he does, and when he does stuff like that they’re pretty excited for him. I wish we could have him in the lineup every night, but that’s just not feasible right now,” King said. “I was happy to see him score a big highlight goal like that. You could see it in the way the players congratulated him and they’ve got his back.”
Maryland Sports Blog Take
The Hershey Bears delivered the complete performance King wanted in the 6-1 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds. Gibson protected the team during Springfield’s early pressure, while Cristall and Smith provided the first two goals.
Hershey’s puck management and consistency across three periods matched King’s assessment after the game. Cristall’s power-play goal and Smith’s first goal of the season also supplied important individual moments in the AHL victory.
Source: Original report
