Garrett Pilon’s overtime snipe puts Hershey Bears just one win away from franchise’s 12th Calder Cup
The Hershey Bears needed three and a half periods to find their first goal of Saturday night’s Game Five in the Calder Cup Finals. They got that goal and it was the only goal in the game as Garrett Pilon sniped over Firebirds netminder Joey Daccord in overtime to give Hershey a 3-2 series lead.
Hunter Shepard pitched a shutout at the other end of the ice as the Bears took home just the fifth game in Calder Cup Finals history to go into overtime without a goal. Mason Morelli and Logan Day picked up the assists on Pilon’s game-winner.
The Bears, after winning all three games of the series on home ice, will now go back into California with two chances to win the franchise’s 12th Calder Cup.
Pilon put away the ultra-clutch tally with 9:59 remaining in the first overtime frame. The Bears had just come off of a power play seven seconds prior.
The goal came after veteran forward Mike Vecchione saw the puck bounce off his stick with a wide-open net to aim for just moments before. Although Vecchione wasn’t unable to end the game with the chance, the play leading up to it earned Hershey that power play and got Pilon onto the ice.
Using their usual five-forward, first unit setup, the Bears sputtered a bit with the man advantage until defenseman Logan Day stretched to keep a puck in at the blueline before dropping it to Morelli who then dropped it to Pilon. The Firebirds player in the box stumbled on his way out which allowed Pilon to freely curl into the high slot and sling a wicked wrister to the top corner past a screened Daccord.
The marker was Pilon’s fourth of the playoffs and his 10th point (4g, 6a) in 18 postseason games. Giant Center went absolutely wild in celebration.
Garrett Pilon with the OTGWG!!! The Bears are one win away from their 12th Calder Cup championship. pic.twitter.com/EtRGZmIdem — Ian Oland (@ianoland) June 18, 2023
The voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, said it best postgame.
“To quote the great John Walton, ‘The decibel levels so loud it seems as if the roof itself might come off.’ 10,869 have not left this building. They are on their feet cheering their Bears for one last time. They will hop on a flight tomorrow and they’re California dreamin’ of a Calder Cup.
“This building is losing their minds,” he continued. “One of the most memorable goals in Giant Center history and it puts the Bears on the verge of doing something they haven’t done in 13 years.”
POV: You jump off the bench to celebrate Garrett Pilon's overtime winner. pic.twitter.com/FtGAtpkeSG — Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) June 18, 2023
Go get that last one, boys!
Headline photo: Ian Oland / RMNB
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