Bears take 3-2 series lead back to Milwaukee

HERSHEY, Pa. (caldercup.com) … Eric Fehr scored two of Hershey’s four power-play goals on the night as the Bears moved one step closer to their ninth Calder Cup championship with a 6-4 victory over Milwaukee in Game 5 of the 2006 Calder Cup Finals on Tuesday night.

The Bears own a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series as the scene shifts back to Milwaukee, where the Admirals will host Game 6 on Thursday and Game 7, if necessary, on Saturday.

Brooks Laich needed just 20 seconds to get Hershey on the board as the Bears again used a first-period outburst to gain the early edge, scoring twice in the first 4:09 of the game and opening up a 3-0 edge by intermission. Hershey has outscored Milwaukee 10-3 in the opening stanza this series.

The hosts had made it 4-0 just past the midway point of the second period before the Admirals began to come back, as Jordin Tootoo and Shea Weber scored 68 seconds apart to cut the deficit in half.

In the third period, Milwaukee closed to within 4-3 and 5-4 before Simon Gamache was denied on a point-blank bid to tie the score with exactly one minute remaining.

Libor Pivko recorded a goal and two assists and Brandon Segal and Shea Weber added a goal and an assist each for Milwaukee, who saw the offense spread around as Gamache and Darren Haydar were held off the scoresheet.

Kris Beech also scored twice for the Bears, his second straight two-goal game, and Colin Forbes added three assists for Hershey, which scored at least five goals on a game for the 11th time in 20 outings this postseason.

Milwaukee owned a 37-22 edge in shots for the game, including 29-12 over the final two periods, but Hershey finished 4-for-11 on the power play.

Frederic Cassivi (15-5) finished with 33 saves, while Pekka Rinne (10-3) turned aside 16 of 21 shots.

Attendance was 10,807, the third straight sellout at the Giant Center.