Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
Loads has occurred because the Coachella Valley Firebirds final skated on Acrisure Enviornment ice.
Eighteen days in the past, on Might 31, the Firebirds took a 2-0 collection lead within the Western Convention Finals with a 3-1 win over Milwaukee.
From there they flew to Wisconsin and took two of three from the Admirals to shut out the collection and their second convention championship in as many seasons of existence.
After which, they waited.
On June 9, they flew to central Pennsylvania to attend out the conclusion of the Japanese Convention Finals between Hershey and Cleveland. Whereas head coach Dan Bylsma and his workers had an opportunity to scout each potential opponents in particular person, Firebirds gamers headed off to the wilderness for a team-bonding retreat.
On June 12, the Firebirds lastly discovered their opponent when the Bears knocked off the Monsters in extra time of Sport 7.
And after the groups break up the primary two video games of the Finals in Hershey, it was time for a cross-country flight again to California.
“I’m going to want my GPS to get dwelling,” Bylsma joked after Sport 2. “That’s simply playoff hockey.”
Sport 3 is tonight at Acrisure Enviornment (10 ET/7 PT, AHLTV), and the Firebirds are wanting to have their followers behind them after 5 consecutive street video games in troublesome buildings in opposition to Milwaukee and Hershey.
“It’ll be good to get dwelling to our followers,” stated ahead Luke Henman, who picked up his first purpose of the postseason in Sport 2 at Hershey. “I feel they’re going to be able to welcome us. They’re actually loud, and we’re excited.
The Firebirds must be excited. Dwelling has been good to them ever since they opened Acrisure Enviornment in December of 2022. They’re 62-19-4-5 of their Palm Desert dwelling, together with a 6-0 mark this postseason whereas outscoring Calgary, Ontario and Milwaukee by a mixed 23-12. They’ve misplaced simply twice in regulation over their final 24 dwelling dates (19-2-1-2).
Though the Bears play out of the Japanese Convention, they’re fairly conversant in what awaits them for the subsequent three video games after 4 intensely emotional video games on Coachella Valley ice in final yr’s Calder Cup Finals. The Firebirds shut out the Bears decisively in Video games 1 (5-0) and a pair of (4-0), and got here by with a 5-2 victory in Sport 6 earlier than leaping out to a 2-0 lead in Sport 7. However Hershey received the ultimate three targets of the collection, capped by Mike Vecchione’s extra time Cup-clincher.
Firebirds followers got here by final yr as effectively, packing in capability crowds of 10,087 for all 4 video games within the Finals. It was loud, emotional, frenzied playoff hockey, and the Firebirds play an up-tempo, rush-heavy type that solely amplifies these followers additional.
Regardless of the loss on Sunday, Bylsma is happy together with his membership. They managed important stretches of the sport solely to return up in opposition to Hershey’s Hunter Shepard, this season’s Bastien Award winner within the AHL and the MVP of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. He’s somebody the Firebirds know fairly effectively.
“Sixty minutes of hockey,” Bylsma stated. “I assumed we performed very well and had some alternatives. Shepard got here up with three or 4 large glove saves and was the distinction within the second interval once we had been actually pushing.”
Right now of the yr, the stakes are fairly clear, and Bylsma hardly must spell them out for his gamers. If all goes effectively this week, the Firebirds may skate the Calder Cup at dwelling after Sport 5 on Saturday. The work continues tonight, the primary time that the Firebirds could have an opportunity to be welcomed to the ice by their followers this month.
“Now we get three in our barn,” Bylsma stated, “and we’ve received to make hay.”
TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams has been on the American Hockey League beat for almost twenty years for shops together with NHL.com, Sportsnet, TSN, The Hockey Information, SiriusXM NHL Community Radio and SLAM! Sports activities, and was most just lately the co-host of The Hockey Information On The ‘A’ podcast. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his excellent protection of the league in 2016.
