AHL: Coachella Valley Firebirds season ends in Calder Cup OT heartbreak in Hershey again
The Seattle Kraken affiliate in their second year of existence in their second Calder Cup Final appearance, again against the Hershey Bears, fell to the Bears in Game 6 overtime after a wild game.
For Hershey won their 13th Calder Cup with a game winning overtime goal from Matt Strome. The Bears won the game 5-4, which saw Cale Fleury tie the game with 2:55 left.
The wild game is a part of series that saw the Bears sneak by the skin of their teeth. The last three wins by Hershey were all by one goal. Last year Hershey won all four games in their Calder Cup win over Coachella Valley also by one goal, including the game 7 overtime winner.
This marks the end for head coach Dan Bylsma with Coachella Valley, Bylsma will return to the NHL as head coach of the Seattle Kraken.
Bylsma in his postgame press conference, lamented over how he was not able to coach his Firebirds to a championship. Bylsma commended his players for the competitors and character they had. Bylsma emotional in the media availability said that not winning a championship would leave a mark.
Many of the stars on the Firebirds will likely play for the Kraken next year. Shane Wright who led the Firebirds in scoring in the Calder Cup with eight points, shapes to be one of the many key figures to establish their mark on the Seattle Kraken roster.
Cameron Hughes led the Firebirds in scoring with sixteen assists in the playoffs. Defenseman Cale Fleury was not too distant with five goals and nine assists which are stellar numbers for a defenseman.
Although the Firebirds Calder Cup trips with Bylsma did not end in a championship, the future for the players is trending in the right direction, with time with the Kraken on tap.
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