AHL Playoff Update: Wilkes-Barre drops Game 2, tied 1-1 with Hershey

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The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins split the first two games of their series against the Hershey Bears. The best-of-five series now shifts for the next two games to Hershey.

It started out great for WBS, getting out to a 3-0 lead that they turned into a 4-2 win in Game 1. Sergei Murashov made 31 saves in the victory. Atley Calvert, Aidan McDonough, Owen Pickering scored goals for WBS, Avery Hayes added an empty netter to seal the victory.

The Game 1 lineup was as followed:

How we’re lining up for Game 1

Catch the action on AHLTV on FloHockey: https://t.co/CrNDVVHuPj#HitsDifferentpic.twitter.com/SFvz3QxfrL

— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) April 30, 2026

Game 1 was a physical and nasty game. The rookie Mikhail Ilyin was boarded and left the game. Harrison Brunicke lost his cool and went after a Bear player. The game ended in a scrum with Hershey looking to stir things up after the game was lost for them.

Andrew Cristall cross-checks Harrison Brunicke in the mouth at the net-front, and Brunicke loses his cool.

Have to have better control of your emotions there, as hard as it may be after eating one in the chops. #WBSPens to the PK. @InsideAHLHockeypic.twitter.com/5IuPLZGzeE

— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) May 1, 2026

Game 2 saw some lineup changes where Tanner Howe, Boko Imama and Finn Harding all rotated into the lineup.

How we’re lining up tonight

Catch the action on AHLTV on FloHockey: https://t.co/CrNDVVHuPjpic.twitter.com/4FiLhscWUL

— x – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 2, 2026

The Bears took back home ice for the rest of the series with a 2-1 victory. This time Hershey flipped the script, jumping out to a 2-0 lead and holding on. Goalie Clay Stevenson made his mark with 36 saves made on 37 shots to make the lead hold up. McDonough scored for a second straight playoff game for the lone WBS goal.

Wilkes made a furious run at tying the game in the third period, outshooting Hershey 22-8 in the final frame, but they couldn’t find the tying goal with Stevenson standing on his head. Head coach Kirk MacDonald pointed out the team going 0-for-4 on the power play (while giving up a goal to the Bears’ power play) and not getting enough until it ended up being too late.

"I think that encapsulates a lot of things for tonight. We lost the special teams battle, and we just tip-toed into the game testing the waters like we didn't know what to expect. We had some serious passengers, especially in the first two periods."https://t.co/EjpyFVYioR

— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) May 3, 2026

By losing at home, Wilkes ventures into tricky waters now. The next two games will be on the road in Hershey, the Penguins will need to win one of those games to keep their season alive. Game 3 will be on Tuesday night.

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