Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
This was the Coachella Valley Firebirds putting on a show.
Returning to home ice for the first time since May 31, the Firebirds handed the Hershey Bears a 6-2 loss in Game 3 of the Calder Cup Finals last night and took a two-game lead in the best-of-seven series. . Game 4 is Thursday night (10 ET/7 PT, AHLTV, NHL Network).
Captain Max McCormick led the way with a hat trick, including two goals in the first 6:03. Rookie Shane Wright provided a highlight-reel goal and two assists as the Firebirds chase the AHL goaltender of the year Hunter Shepard after their fifth goal. Coachella Valley allowed 42 shots, including 23 in the second half – more than any team in the Finals season in 24 years. And they do it all outdoors Andrew Poturalskiwho missed his second straight game after leaving during Game 1.
“I thought the first period was probably the fastest hockey of the year,” the head coach Dan Bylsma said after the game. “It went both ways, though. It was very good, but the pace and where the game was played was where we wanted it to be. “
Said McCormick about returning to Acrisure Arena, “We were happy to come home. The fans would bring the energy.”
It was this kind of performance that visiting teams feared for the Firebirds, whose 3.50 goals per game led the AHL in the regular season. Coachella Valley's speed is strong inside the neutral zone and out of the rush, but they also repeatedly win the board and net-front puck battles. Their first four goals came by winning loose pucks and finding space on the Hershey defense. They were also able to create second chances, which is important when facing a goalkeeper of Shepard's caliber.
Bylsma and McCormick have been together since the 2021-22 season with the Charlotte Checkers.
“He is the leader of our team,” Bylsma said of his captain.
The Firebirds have great leadership, but youth and depth are part of their story as well. Even without a key figure like Poturalski, a two-time Calder Cup champion who ranked fourth in team scoring during the regular season, the Firebirds continued to roll. Besides McCormick's hat trick, their other three goals in Game 3 came from the 21-year-old. Lleyton Road20 years old Ryan Winterton and 20-year-old Wright. Roed, a Hobey Baker Award nominee from Bemidji State who signed as a free agent with the Seattle Kraken in March, made his playoff debut in Game 2.
“Depth has been the key to our success all year,” McCormick said. “We have a lot of guys who can contribute offensively up and down our roster, guys who have been working like dogs. (Roed) has had a big impact on us in the last two games, and he makes the difference. To see guys like him and others who are not yet on the list, seeing the work they put in is bearing fruit, it was fun to watch.”
The Firebirds have been in a similar situation before. Last year they beat the Bears three times in the finals, but lost by four one-goal decisions. They have now outscored Hershey 22-7 in five games at Acrisure Arena. But they bounced back from Tuesday's win and are determined to find an answer for the Bears in Game 4.
“We have a lot of work to do,” McCormick warned. “This is going to be a tough series, and we haven't done anything yet, so the focus is on the first change for our next game.”
TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams has covered the American Hockey League for nearly two decades at outlets including NHL.com, Sportsnet, TSN, Hockey News, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and SLAM ! Sports, and most recently was the host of The Hockey News On The 'A' podcast. He was the recipient of the AHL's James H. Ellery Memorial Award for the league's top scorer in 2016.
Source link
