The Hershey Bears rode a late second-period outburst to a 6-2 win over Cleveland on Tuesday and a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals.
The Monsters host Game 4 on Thursday looking to stave off elimination.
After Cleveland had rallied to erase a 2-0 deficit, Hershey scored three times in the final 2:46 of the middle period to put the game out of reach. Alex Limoges scored at the 17:14 mark, Ivan Miroshnichenko netted his sixth goal of the playoffs at 18:23, and Joe Snively added his first of the postseason at 19:32.
Miroshnichenko finished the night with a goal and two assists to lead the Bears to their seventh win a row. Snively, Chase Priskie and Ethen Frank all chipped in with a goal and an assist.
Hunter Shepard stopped 27 of 29 shots for Hershey, which went 3-for-6 on the power play in the contest and is now 6-for-18 (33.3 percent) in the series.
Alex Whelan and Trey Fix-Wolansky scored for the Monsters, who lost at home for the first time this postseason.
Attendance at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse was 14,675.
(Hershey leads series, 3-0)
Game 1 – Thu., May 30 – HERSHEY 5, Cleveland 4 (OT)
Game 2 – Sat., June 1 – HERSHEY 3, Cleveland 2 (OT)
Game 3 – Tue., June 4 – Hershey 6, CLEVELAND 2
Game 4 – Thu., June 6 – Hershey at Cleveland, 7:00
*Game 5 – Sat., June 8 – Hershey at Cleveland, 7:00
*Game 6 – Mon., June 10 – Cleveland at Hershey, 7:00
*Game 7 – Wed., June 12 – Cleveland at Hershey, 7:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern