Though the Hershey Bears trailed the Manitoba Moose after 40 minutes of play, they had to be thinking, “We’ve got them right where we want them”. The Bears, as they did three times in the Providence series, fought back from third period deficits to take a 1-0 lead in the Calder Cup finals with an overtime goal by Alexandre Giroux.
Giroux, the reigning AHL MVP, had three goals in the game, to give him 12 goals in the playoffs. Rookie Oskar Osala scored a pair of goals for the Chocolate and White.
Bears’ goaltender, Michal Neuvirth, made 26 saves, including a second period penalty shot from Matt Pope, to register his 13th win of the playoffs. Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Manitoba.