Hunter Shepard had a save for every shot in Game 1 of the AHL Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Semifinals.
“He [Shepard] made a couple big saves. Parker [Gahagen] was good, too, and it’s tough to get a win when you don’t score goals.” – Ian Laperrière; 4/30/2025
History repeated itself when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (2-1-0) swept the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the First Round of the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. Again, it’s happening. The Hershey Bears (1-0-0) met the Phantoms in the Division Semifinals in 2024, taking an early series lead. It was the first step for the Bears to repeat as AHL Calder Cup Champions, and Hershey wants the 1-0 lead in the 2025 Eastern Conference Division Semifinals to bloom into an AHL Calder Cup ‘three-peat.’
Lehigh Valley stumbled for the first time in the 2025 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. No one could solve Shepard, though there were a few close calls.
First Period
Shots: 12-6, Bears
Score: 1-0, Bears
On the first shift, Rhett Gardner slid into the net, causing a stoppage in play. Gardner and Givani Smith were getting chippy with Jake Massie and Chase Priskie. Each goaltender made an early save, followed by more post-whistle pushing and shoving. After Parker Gahagen made his first stop against Ivan Miroshnichenko, Zayde Wisdom and Bogdan Trineyev exchanged pleasantries.
Priskie struck first, scoring the eventual game-winner. Pierrick Dubé worked a give-and-go to create a small shooting lane around Louie Belpedio. Rodrigo Ābols tried to block the shot in front of Gahagen, but the sharp-angled shot snuck through, 1-0, with 10:44 remaining in the first period.
Due to how the Phantoms attacked in the first period, it seemed as if there was a focal point on taking sharp-angled shots at Shepard. Olle Lycksell and Ethan Samson took earlier shots along the extended goal line. Lehigh Valley wasn’t so successful in cycling the puck. The Bears collapsed their defense in front of Shepard, taking away shooting lanes. Forcing takeaways on the forecheck generated the highest quality chances due to Hershey temporarily losing its defensive structure.
“We didn’t manage the puck properly. We think that there’s a play when there’s no play, the right play’s put behind our [defense], and that’s the game plan. That’s what they [the Bears] do. At the end of the day, they tease you, and you think you got a play, and you turn the puck over, and they’re going the other way.” – Ian Laperrière; 4/30/2025
Jett Luchanko did force a takeaway, and the shot by Anthony Richard yielded a juicy rebound almost immediately.
Second Period
Shots: 19-15, Bears
Score: 1-0, Bears
Riley Sutter began the period, stapling Gardner into the boards. Then, Luchanko outskated Priskie and Henrik Rybinski for a partial breakaway but missed the shot. Shepard stopped a great opportunity by Gardner after a pass to the slot from Smith. This fourth line, including Oscar Eklind, kept grinding away at the Bears.
“We [the Phantoms] had our chances. We had our looks. They [the Bears] won’t give you free looks. The looks we had, we couldn’t bury them, and they did.” – Ian Laperrière; 4/30/2025
Gahagen closed the door on Matt Strome. Strome shot from around the same area Priskie scored from. In the second period, Gahagen tracked the puck more smoothly. Shepard, of course, remained on top of his game, denying Lycksell in the slot. Overall, the Phantoms made a stronger push in the middle frame.
“We check. We check most of the night, and they check. If people thought it was going to be easy, that’s a hell of a team there. They know how to win. They’ve been there two years in-a-row. We have a young team. We need to learn and move forward. The second period was better, and the third, I felt we pushed too. When we got into the penalties problem, we kill our momentum.” – Ian Laperrière; 4/30/2025
Adam Ginning served a minor penalty for cross-checking. Ābols and Emil Andrae cleared the puck out of the defensive zone. Gahagen remained square on the penalty kill, helping Lehigh Valley complete Game 1 with a 4/4 (100%) success rate.
“I really like what we did, but these are…can’t take those penalties at this time of the year. Can’t. They did it. We did, and they didn’t score, which is great, but I’m overplaying guys and underplaying guys, and the old story that we have to be smarter. We will be.” – Ian Laperrière; 4/30/2025
In the dwindling seconds of the second period, Gardner served a minor penalty for roughing. Mike Vecchione had an open net while Gahagen was out of position and missed.
Third Period
Shots: 27-26, Bears
Score: 3-0, Bears
A very disjointed third period didn’t do any favors. The Phantoms had a five-on-three opportunity with Miroshnichenko (slashing) and Strome (delay of game) serving separate minor penalties. Still, Shepard stopped all shots. Andrae and Alex Bump worked the five-on-three powerplay, but overall, Lehigh Valley completed Game 1 with a 0/2 (0%) success rate.
“I thought his [Bump] game was better and better. You know what? He’s one of the guys, early in the game, he didn’t manage the puck properly. It’s an adjustment for him. He used to play college, and when you get to this level at this time of the year against the best team [the Bears] in the league [AHL], you will get burned and you have to manage the puck. I felt in the second and the third, he adjusts, and he’s a hell of a player. He makes us better, he’s making plays, and he’s going to help us in this series, for sure.” – Ian Laperrière; 4/30/2025
Ian Laperrière called for a review of a shot attempt during the five-on-three, believing Bump scored on Shepard. Challenges are already relatively rare in the AHL, and this one by Laperrière was retroactive. He motioned to challenge after Spencer Smallman scored the insurance goal, 2-0, with 13:00 remaining in regulation. The goal by Smallman stood, meaning the challenge by Laperrière failed. In the AHL, if a coach loses a challenge, they lose a timeout instead of providing the opposing team with a powerplay.
Laperrière pulled Gahagen late in the period. Bump lost his edge, allowing Trineyev to break containment. Trineyev scored the empty-net goal, 3-0, with 1:11 remaining in regulation.
Up Next
Next, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms visit the Hershey Bears for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Division Semifinals at the Giant Center. The puck drops on Friday at 7:00pm/ET.
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