Clay Stevenson stops 36 of 37 shots and Leason, Trineyev score as Hershey levels the best-of-five series at 1-1. May 2, 2026.
Hershey Bears 2, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 1 Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza, Wilkes-Barre, PA
AHL Atlantic Division Semifinals — Game 2 | Series tied 1-1
WBS outshot Hershey 37-26 and dominated the third period. None of it mattered. Clay Stevenson was the story of Game 2 — stopping 36 of 37 shots in his best performance of the playoffs — as the Bears evened the best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinals at a game apiece. Brett Leason opened the scoring on the power play in the first, Bogdan Trineyev — who left with an apparent injury before Leason’s goal but returned to start the second — added the insurance marker, and Stevenson did the rest as Hershey took a 2-1 win at Mohegan Arena on Saturday night.
How It Happened
First Period: Hershey struck on the power play at 16:25 — Brett Leason tapping a loose puck out of mid-air for his first of the postseason, set up by Ilya Protas and Andrew Cristall. Trineyev had left with an apparent injury shortly before the goal but would return to start the second period. WBS held a 3-8 shot disadvantage in the first, with Stevenson sharp throughout.
Second Period: Trineyev returned and made an immediate impact — burying his second of the playoffs at 17:11 from Cristall and Protas to push the lead to 2-0. The sequence that led to it was Stevenson at his best — the Hershey netminder stopped a point-blank McDonough chance, and on the very same shift, Cristall threaded a pass to Trineyev, who buried it with 2:49 left before the second intermission. Earlier in the period Stevenson had also stretched out with his left pad to stop an Avery Hayes shorthanded breakaway with a toe save. WBS outshot Hershey 12-10 in the second but couldn’t solve him.
Third Period: WBS finally broke through at 1:12 — McDonough’s shot on the rush deflected off a Bears defender and behind Stevenson for his second goal in as many playoff games. The Penguins pressed hard, outshooting Hershey 22-8 in the final frame, but Stevenson was immovable. The final horn sounded with Hershey winning 2-1.
Goaltending
Clay Stevenson was exceptional — earning his third win of the postseason with a career-best 36-save effort. The Hershey netminder stopped 36 of 37 WBS shots (.973 SV%) in 59:44, absorbing a relentless 22-shot third period without allowing a goal. Sergei Murashov took the loss for WBS, stopping 24 of 26 Hershey shots (.923 SV%) in 57:22 — solid, but the Penguins’ inability to convert on four power play opportunities cost them.
Special Teams
Hershey: 1-for-3 PP | WBS: 0-for-4 PP | Penalties: Hershey 8 min (4 infractions), WBS 6 min (3 infractions)
Three Stars
⭐ Bogdan Trineyev (HER) — 1G, 0A ⭐⭐ Ilya Protas (HER) — 0G, 2A ⭐⭐⭐ Clay Stevenson (HER) — 36 saves, .973 SV%, 59:44 TOI
Team Statistics
| Category | Hershey Bears | WBS Penguins |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 1 |
| Shots | 26 | 37 |
| Power Play | 1/3 (33%) | 0/4 (0%) |
| Penalty Minutes | 8 min (4 infractions) | 6 min (3 infractions) |
Shots by Period
| Period | Hershey | WBS |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 8 | 3 |
| 2nd | 10 | 12 |
| 3rd | 8 | 22 |
| Total | 26 | 37 |
Scoring Summary
First Period
- 16:25 HER — Brett Leason (1) (Power Play) — Assists: Ilya Protas (2), Andrew Cristall (2)
Second Period
- 17:11 HER — Bogdan Trineyev (2) — Assists: Andrew Cristall (3), Ilya Protas (3)
Third Period
- 1:12 WBS — Aidan McDonough (2) — Assists: Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (1), Alex Alexeyev (3)
AHL Prospect Flags
- Brett Leason (HER) — power play goal; Washington Capitals prospect producing in the playoffs
- Ilya Protas (HER) — two assists, now 3 playoff points; Washington Capitals top prospect
- Andrew Cristall (HER) — two assists, now 3 playoff points; Washington Capitals prospect
- Bogdan Trineyev (HER) — goal; Washington Capitals prospect
- Aidan McDonough (WBS) — goal; Pittsburgh Penguins prospect
Key Notes
- With the win, Hershey evens the best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinals at 1-1 — Game 3 is Tuesday, May 5 at Giant Center, Hershey (7:00 PM)
- WBS outshot Hershey 37-26 — including 22-8 in the third period — and still lost; Stevenson’s .973 SV% was the defining factor and his best performance of the 2026 playoffs
- Bogdan Trineyev left with an apparent injury before Leason’s first-period goal but returned to start the second and scored — his goal extended his postseason point streak to four games (2G, 3A)
- Ilya Protas extended his postseason point streak to four games (2G, 3A) with two assists; Andrew Cristall extended his point streak to three games (2G, 3A) — both players have been involved on every Hershey goal in the series
- Aaron Ness skated in his 74th career playoff game as a Bear, tying Ralph Keller for first in club history among defensemen and third overall in franchise history
- Aidan McDonough has scored in back-to-back games to open the playoffs for WBS — his third-period goal was a deflection off a Bears defender
- Stevenson’s best save of the night may have been a toe save on an Avery Hayes shorthanded breakaway in the second period — it came moments before the Trineyev goal on the same shift
- Brett Leason on his goal: “Obviously, kind of a lucky bounce to go in, but we needed a good start, play with the lead”
- Attendance: 6,591 at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza
Up Next
Hershey Bears: Game 3 — Tuesday, May 5 at Giant Center, Hershey, 7:00 PM — home ice advantage WBS Penguins: Game 3 — Tuesday, May 5 at Giant Center, Hershey, 7:00 PM — must win to take series lead
