Wild Game 7!
The Cleveland Monsters managed to find their way “out of the depths” down 3-0, and forced a decisive Game 7 against the Hershey Bears at a sold-out Giant Center in Hershey, PA. In Game 6, Cleveland tied the game in the final minute and eventually won in overtime, setting the stage for this pivotal Game 7. The Bears, the defending Calder Cup Champions, had a 3-0 series lead, but the Monsters did not go down without a fight in this one.
The first period saw chances for both teams, with goals from Trey Fix-Wolansky for Cleveland and Logan Day for the Bears in the final minute, ending the period at 1-1.
The Bears took the lead in the second period with Pierrick Dube scoring on the power-play, making it 2-1. Despite the Monsters’ strong play early in the third period, Hunter Shepard’s goaltending kept the Bears in the lead. With less than 6 minutes left, James Malatesta tied the game at 2-2, leading to a dramatic Game 7 overtime that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
In overtime, Garret Roe scored for the Bears, ending the Monsters’ comeback hopes and sending the Hershey Bears to the Calder Cup Final for the second consecutive year, where they will face the Coachella Valley Firebirds. For the Monsters, this was a crushing loss after an outstanding season, and it proves to the talent that is likely to make its way up to the Columbus Blue Jackets soon. This is an idea that all Blue Jackets fans should get behind!
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