HERSHEY, Pa. — He needed to stop a short-handed breakaway in the final minutes of the game, but Hunter Shepard was up to the task and made a beautiful kick save with his right skate to preserve a record-tying shutout for the Hershey Bears.
The 4-0 blanking of Hartford ties a franchise record with 10 shutouts, and 12 games still remain in the Bears' regular season. Shepard has three, while fellow goalie Clay Stevenson has the other seven. The win stretches their lead in the Atlantic Division to 16 points over Providence.
"I got to make a few decent saves in the first and got into a rhythm," explained Shepard. "I had a lot of energy tonight and felt sharp."
He stopped all 26 shots he faced and allowed the offense to gain some traction against the Wolf Pack.
Hershey's next two games are on the road in Cleveland this Friday and Saturday Night. Both games against the Monsters can be seen on FOX43.2 Antenna TV.