Jonny Brodzinski scored twice in the first period, but the Hershey Bears lost 4-2 to the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday at MassMutual Center. Springfield scored three goals in roughly seven minutes during the second period to erase Hershey’s early advantage.
Otto Stenberg began the surge with a power-play goal at 5:07 of the second period. Oskar Sundqvist then scored a shorthanded goal at 7:24 to tie the game 2-2, and former Hershey Bears player Calle Rosén scored the eventual game-winning goal at 12:37 during a 4-on-4 sequence.
Springfield Thunderbirds Capitalize in Second Period
The three-goal stretch changed the game after Brodzinski’s two first-period goals had put Hershey in a strong position. Brodzinski said Springfield’s shorthanded goal was a turning point because Hershey had expected to build momentum during the power play.
“That shorthanded goal I think was the turning point right there. We get a power play, we are expected to kind of gain some momentum off of that, and then they end up getting a shorthanded goal to tie it,” Brodzinski said. “I think that comes down to us 6 that we have to be better on the power play.”
Brodzinski also said Hershey generated positive stretches but needed to eliminate smaller execution errors, including failed clears and turnovers, which limited the Bears’ ability to sustain pressure and create offense.
“If anything, we are gaining momentum into those next shifts, keeping them in their zone, just pounding pucks at their goalie and trying to generate offense,” Brodzinski reflected. “I thought there were moments where we played really well. There are moments where there were some small little errors where we don’t get it clear, we turned the puck over and in certain situations that the puck gets out, it’s a totally different game. So some small little things that we need to clean up, and I think we’ll be all right.”
Derek King Criticizes Hershey Bears9 Second Period
Hershey head coach Derek King said the Bears played well for much of the first and third periods but lost their structure in the middle frame. He said the team stopped skating and moving after Springfield’s shorthanded goal before responding with a stronger third period.
“We are not a team that’s built to take a period off, and we took the second period off,” King said. “We allowed them to get back in the game, and then we played to our identity in the third, and we were all over them.”
“I think we were starting to get on our heels and we stopped skating and moving [after the shorthanded goal]. The third period we came out and we tilted the ice back in our favor. So if we play like we did in the third period, we give ourselves a chance to win.”
King said the Springfield Thunderbirds remained a difficult opponent but that Hershey could win the rematch by playing three solid periods. The rematch was scheduled for Saturday.
“They are a good hockey team 6 there are a lot of good hockey teams in this league,” King said of the Thunderbirds. “But we can beat them 6 we just have to play three periods of solid hockey like we did in the third. If we do that, we give ourselves a good chance.”
Hershey Bears Expect Lineup Changes
King said Hershey brought its entire active roster on the trip and expected changes for the rematch. He also said some players were somewhat banged up and that the team would evaluate their status.
“We will get some fresh bodies in for tomorrow, and we will see the status of some players,” King said. “Some are kind of banged up a little bit but there definitely will be some changes.”
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Jonny Brodzinski’s two-goal first period gave the Hershey Bears an early advantage, but Springfield’s three-goal second period determined the outcome. Hershey’s response in the third period provides a clear area to build on in the rematch, while the power-play execution and second-period structure remain key concerns.
Read the Hershey Bears9 official game reaction.
Source: Original report
