Bears top Pens again for sixth straight victory

HERSHEY 3, WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 1
Hershey scored three times in the first period and cruised to a 3-1 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sunday at Giant Center in Game 2 of the East Division Finals.

Graham Mink was one of three players to score for the Bears, who took a 2-0 series lead and won their sixth straight game to open the playoffs.

Bears rookie Oskar Osala opened the game’s scoring with his second of the playoffs at 10:38 of the first period, as Andrew Joudrey and Staffan Kronwall registered assists.

Defenseman John Carlson, a first-round draft pick by Washington in 2008, scored his first professional goal for Hershey at 13:54 to make it a 2-0 lead.

Mink extended the advantage to 3-0 at the 17:51 mark, tallying his second goal of the postseason. Rookie Mathieu Perreault picked up his second assist of the afternoon on Mink’s goal, and defenseman Greg Amadio also earned a helper.

Neither team would score again until Penguins defenseman Alex Goligoski tallied his first of the playoffs with just 1:56 to go in regulation, spoiling the shutout bid by Bears goaltender Michal Neuvirth, who finished with 24 saves in the victory.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goaltender John Curry was chased after making six saves on nine shots in the first period, and Adam Berkhoel stopped all 20 shots he faced in relief.

Both the Bears and Penguins went 0-for-6 on the power play after each side scored a pair of power play goals in the series opener.

Hershey improved to 8-1 at Giant Center in the playoffs against the Penguins, and the Bears will go for a commanding 3-0 series lead when the scene shifts to Wilkes-Barre for Game 3 on Wednesday.