Ivan Miroshnichenko responds with hat trick days after Hershey suffers embarrassing 9-0 loss – RMNB

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The Hershey Bears, wearing their brand new third jerseys, defeated the Bridgeport Islanders 5-4 at Giant Center on Friday — two days after suffering a 9-0 loss to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, their worst defeat since 1998.
Ivan Miroshnichenko notched his second career hat trick in the win, scoring once in every period.
“I told Miro – I challenged him, saying that if you want to score goals and stuff like that, get the opportunity, you have to work hard out there for 60 minutes,” Bears head coach Todd Nelson said per the team. “And his goals were a byproduct of him working hard tonight.”
Miroshnichenko found paydirt 18 seconds into the game — the fastest Bears goal to open a game this season.
Skating hard to the net, the young Russian was the first to a big rebound, burying the puck past Islanders goaltender Henrik Tikkanen. The tally gave the Bears an early 1-0 lead, and Pierrick Dubé scored 32 seconds later, giving Hershey two tallies in the game’s first minute.
The Bears, however, saw their early advantage evaporate quickly, surrendering three consecutive goals to the Islanders’ Brian Pinho, William Dufour, and Gemel Smith. Miroshnichenko, though, would respond 10:12 into the second period, adding his second goal of the night and tying the game 3-3.
Miro scored on a broken play after an offensive zone faceoff. After Mike Sgarbossa gained control and pushed the puck forward, he sent a pass toward the crease that Miroshnichenko jammed into the net.
The Capitals’ 2022 first-round pick then completed his second career AHL hat trick, potting a goal 27 seconds into the third period. Skating near the right post, Miro took a pass from Mike Vecchione and quickly beat Tikkanen short side.
The tally sent hats flying at Giant Center and gave Hershey back the lead at 4-3.
After the Islanders’ Matthew Maggio scored to tie, Alex Limoges would go on to pot the game-winning goal, completing the Bears’ 5-4 victory.
Miroshnichenko was interviewed on the ice after the game, where he told fans, per Bears Hockey Nation, “We need you tomorrow, and we love you. Go Bears.”
Inside Hershey’s victorious locker room, Miroshnichenko was awarded the Bears Head from Vecchione as player of the game. “One game before break, and we need two points,” he said as his teammates cheered.
Miroshnichenko skated on Hershey’s top line with Sgarbossa and Vecchione. The two AHL veterans combined for four assists in the win.
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— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 31, 2025

“His goals were a byproduct of him working hard tonight,” Nelson said. “And we’ve got to keep that consistent. That’s what we wanted to see from him. Obviously, he’s not going to score three goals every night, but if he has a consistent effort working hard out there, he’ll get rewarded with goals, and that’s what’s going to help him make the step to the National Hockey League.”
Miroshnichenko’s big night comes after some struggles since returning from the Washington Capitals on January 10. Before his hat trick tonight, Miro had only one goal and three assists in eight games.
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