Pirates end Bears’ run, win in 2OT

Shane O’Brien scored 7:31 into the second overtime period as Portland rallied for a 6-5 victory over Hershey at the Giant Center on Saturday night.

It was the Bears’ first loss since Apr. 8, snapping a 10-game winning streak in the postseason and a 12-game winning streak overall.

The game-winner came off the ensuing faceoff after Boyd Kane was whistled for a hooking minor. It was the Pirates’ fourth power-play goal of the night.

Hershey still owns a 2-1 lead in the series. The second-longest game in the AHL this postseason came as the teams were playing for the third time in four nights, with a 480-mile overnight bus ride following Thursday’s Game 2 thrown in. They’ll go right back at it on Sunday, with Game 4 scheduled to face off at 6:00 p.m. ET.

After a scoreless first period, the teams combined for 10 goals through the rest of regulation. Portland scored three times in the second period, one goal more than Frederic Cassivi and the Bears had allowed in their previous 16 periods combined.

It was 3-3 after two, and Hershey took a two-goal lead on goals by Colin Forbes and Tomas Fleischmann. But the Pirates answered with two quick goals late in regulation to force overtime, with Zenon Konopka and Garett Bembridge striking 23 seconds apart to make it 5-5 with five minutes to play.

Fleischmann and Dave Steckel scored two goals each for the Bears, while Graham Mink, Boyd Kane and Jeff Schultz each recorded two assists.

For Portland, Konopka recorded two goals and an assist, Pierre Parenteau chipped in a goal and three assists and O’Brien registered three assists in addition to scoring the winning goal.

Cassivi for the Bears and Jani Hurme for the Pirates each recorded 39 saves.