All Jimmy Huntington could do is marvel when asked about linemate Pierrick Dubé.
That Dubé is even playing right now is a testament to his grit, to say nothing of modern-day dentistry. The 23-year-old lost “five or six” teeth during Hershey’s Eastern Conference Finals battle with Cleveland. After undergoing oral surgery and missing three games, he returned to the lineup for Game 7, scoring a big second-period goal in a 3-2 overtime victory that sent the Bears on to the Calder Cup Finals.
“Coming back from that injury, it was pretty insane,” Huntington said of the 5-foot-9, 172-pound Dubé. “We saw him on the table, it was like, ‘Oh my God, how is that possible?’”
But it was.
Dubé continues to put his body on the line for the Bears even after the injury. He provided the game-winning goal in Game 2, driving hard to the net, taking a cross-slot feed from Huntington, and directing it past Firebirds goaltender Chris Driedger before falling heavily into the end boards. But Dubé quickly popped up, mobbed by his teammates, before charging toward the Hershey bench for more celebrations.
After notching one goal in his first eight playoff games, Dubé’s production has started to come, including the OT winner in Game 2 against Cleveland last round. Having gotten 28 goals from Dubé during the regular season, the Bears need every bit of the offensive drive that he can provide against a team as potent as the Firebirds.
“[Dubé is] a warrior,” Huntington added, “and he’s going to do everything it takes to win a Cup here. We’re right there. We’re here. Why not win it?”
Both teams made lineup changes for Game 2 following injuries in the series opener.
Two-time Calder Cup winner Andrew Poturalski was out on Sunday after leaving midway through Game 1. Shane Wright took his place on a line with Max McCormick and Kole Lind, while Lleyton Roed made his Calder Cup Playoff debut.
Roed, a Hobey Baker Award nominee this season with Bemidji State University, signed as a free agent with the Seattle Kraken on Mar. 27 after recording 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) in 38 NCAA games. The 21-year-old also played five regular-season contests with the Firebirds, notching a goal and an assist. His father, Peter, played two seasons with the AHL’s Kentucky Thoroughblades, including a playoff series against Hershey during the 2000 postseason.
For the Bears, forward Garrett Roe, who had the series-clinching overtime winner in Game 7 against Cleveland, was also injured during Game 1 and missed Sunday’s contest. Matt Strome stepped in to take Roe’s place.
― with files from Patrick Williams
