After ending their first playoff series, Marco SturmThe Ontario Reign have their backs against the wall in the divisional finals.
Coachella Valley's 5-3 win last night gave the Firebirds a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
“We didn't play a game that we could play for 60 minutes,” Sturm said after Game 2. “We didn't play with enough detail and that's why we fell behind. It felt like we were chasing it all night.”
The Reign returns home for the next two games of the series, which begins Sunday evening.
“This is what the playoffs are all about,” Sturm continued. “Why don't you do it for us? We are looking forward to playing at home again, see what we can do better and go from there.”
Shut down one, two, or three lines on the Hershey Bears, and they can still hurt the opposition with their fourth.
The Wolf Pack struggled to stop Hershey's dynamic fourth line Matt Strome, Henrik Rybinski again Bogdan Trineev in Game 1 on Thursday night. Rybinski had two assists while Strome added an assist, but it was their staying power and ability to disrupt the Wolf Pack that stood out the most.
Bears the coach Todd Nelson doesn't particularly like attaching the moniker of a fourth line to a three, especially after a performance like Game 1.
“Every line has its own identity,” Nelson said. “I hate to call them the fourth line because if they're on the ice, they're your first line.”
All three players were with the Bears in their bid for the 2023 Calder Cup championship but did not make the roster. However, this season, they have been an important part of Hershey's forward depth. They combined for 43 points this season (12 goals, 31 assists) and provided a reliable presence for Nelson and the Hershey coaches.
Forward Matthew Phillips he was out for the second straight game with what Nelson called “a lower-body injury that's not fully healed.” Besides Phillips, Garrett Roe get in line with Ivan Miroshnichenko again Mike Vecchione.
When Phillips is healthy, there will be more program decisions to be made. But if the Bears are going to win another Calder Cup, Nelson is certain of one fact.
“We will need everyone,” he said.
― with files from Patrick Williams
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