Graham Mink scored 1:52 into overtime as the Hershey Bears claimed a 2-1 victory over Portland in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Thursday night.
The Bears have grabbed a two-games-to-none lead as the series shifts to the Giant Center in Hershey for the next two games, beginning Saturday night.
Mink buried a feed from Tomas Fleischmann past Nathan Marsters to allow the Bears to become just the second team in AHL history to begin a postseason with 10 consecutive wins.
Shane O’Brien scored off a goal-mouth scramble during a power play 12:17 into the first period to give the Pirates the early lead, snapping Frederic Cassivi’s shutout streak at 147:58.
Cassivi, who finished with 31 saves on the night, and the Bears have still allowed only two goals in the last 308:44 of play.
Dave Steckel’s goal, his sixth of the playoffs, with 9:28 remaining in regulation tied it up for the Bears.
Mink, who spent the previous four seasons in Portland before the Washington Capitals moved their AHL affiliation to Hershey this year, has six goals and five assists for the Bears this postseason.
Marsters got the start in net for Portland after relieving Jani Hurme in Game 1 and stopped 27 of 29 shots.
