Calder Cup Finals live: What an opener! Firebirds blank Hershey Bears 5-0 in Game 1
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In a season of firsts for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the franchise marked another milestone moment Thursday night by hosting Game 1 of the AHL's Calder Cup Finals.
From start to finish, the Firebirds dominated the series opener and blanked the Hershey Bears 5-0 in front of a sold out Acrisure Arena crowd.
En route to reaching the Calder Cup Finals, the Firebirds, the affiliate for the NHL's Seattle Kraken, are the first AHL team west of Texas to play for the championship. Should the Firebirds beat Hershey (affiliate for the Washington Capitals), they would become just the second first-year expansion franchise to win the Cup. Since the American Hockey League started in 1936, the 1977-78 Maine Mariners are the only franchise to win the Cup in their inaugural season.
Check back here for updates on tickets, fans, the atmosphere at the arena and live game updates throughout the day.
How we got here: Firebirds beat Admirals to reach Calder Cup Final
How to watch from home: Don't have a ticket to Thursday's Coachella Valley Firebirds game?
Third-period scoring
Andrew Poturalski gave the Firebirds a 3-0 lead with a nifty goal just two minutes into the third period. Kole Lind and Ryker Evans had the assists.
Jesper Froden scored to extend the Firebirds lead to 4-0 with 10:30 remaining. Andrew Poturalski and Brogan Rafferty assisted.
Before fans could settle back into their seats, Alexander True scored his seventh playoff goal less than a minute later to give the Firebirds a 5-0 lead with 9:52 to play. Max McCormick assisted.
More: Dominant debut: Coachella Valley Firebirds blank Hershey Bears in Game 1 of Calder Cup
Second-period scoring
Ville Petman scored about seven minutes into the second period to give the Coachella Valley Firebirds a 2-0 lead. Kole Lind and Ryker Evans assisted.
The Firebirds were outshot by the Bears 11-9 in the period.
First-period scoring
The Firebirds get on the scoreboard first when Tye Kartye scored his sixth playoff goal with 10:58 remaining in the opening period. Kole Lind and Ryker Evans assisted. Coachella Valley leads 1-0 after one period.
The Firebirds outshot the Bears 9-5 in the period.
More: Kole Lind helps deliver the goals in Firebirds' Calder Cup Game 1 win
Calder Cup puck has dropped
Both the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Hershey Bears have taken the ice and the puck has dropped. The Calder Cup Finals are underway with nearly 10,000 flag-waving fans inside Acrisure Arena.
It’s been 55 years since the Hershey Bears last set foot in California for a hockey game.
Calder Cup Finals: Fans take trophy photos
A near-capacity crowd was gathering outside ahead of doors opening for Game 1 of the Calder Cup Finals.
Fans who showed up early stood in line to get their picture taken with the Robert W. Clarke Trophy that the Firebirds won Monday night for the Western Conference Championship.
Fans also were waving towels that said ‘Let’s Go Firebirds’ and were also displaying their white thunder sticks.
Calder Cup Finals field report: Hershey Bears are road warriors
Hershey is looking to extend its road playoff win streak of six games on Thursday. The Bears are 6-0 away from home entering the Calder Cup Finals, matching a franchise record shared with the 2006 Bears, which ultimately went 8-3 on the road, and the 1988 Bears, which finished the postseason with a 6-0 road win as part of an overall 12-0 record to win the title. The AHL playoff record for most consecutive road victories in a single postseason belongs to the 1998 Philadelphia Phantoms team, which won its first nine road games en route to a championship.
What's on the line: It's key to win Game 1
The team that wins Game 1 has history on its side in the Calder Cup Finals. In the 84 times that the Calder Cup has been contested, the winning team of Game 1 has gone on to win the Cup 63 times (75%). Last season, the Springfield Thunderbirds took Game 1 against the Chicago Wolves, only to lose the series in five games. The Hershey Bears dropped the first two games of the 2010 Calder Cup Finals at home before going on to win four in a row against the first-year Texas Stars to claim their most recent championship. Hershey is 11-12 in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Finals, and holds an 8-3 series record in years in which it has won the opening match.
Calder Cup Finals: Home sweet home for Firebirds
While the Coachella Valley Firebirds are encouraging fans to avoid chocolate for the Calder Cup Finals as they play the Hershey Bears, perhaps the Firebirds can satisfy their sweet tooth knowing they open the series with two games at home. Acrisure Arena has been satisfying to the Firebirds during the postseason. Coachella Valley is 9-3 at home compared to 3-4 on the road.
Calder Cup Finals: How to watch the Firebirds on television
If you don't have a ticket to this week's Calder Cup Finals series between the Firebirds and Hershey Bears at Acrisure Arena, you are in luck. Both Thursday's Game 1 and Saturday's Game 2 will be televised, so you can watch from your living room.
The opener of the best-of-seven championship series will be broadcast on FOX Channel 11 on Thursday evening. Coverage starts at 6:30 p.m. with the pre-game show. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.
Game 2 is on Saturday at Acrisure Arena. It can be viewed on the CW Channel 5. Coverage starts at 6:30 p.m., puck drop is at 7 p.m.
Calder Cup Finals: A few tickets remain for game at Acrisure Arena
The Coachella Valley Firebirds have sold out the last two playoff games and expect another one tonight for Game 1 against Hershey.
As of 9 a.m., a few tickets remain available. The on-site box office at Acrisure Arena opens at 10 a.m. Thursday.
Calder Cup Finals: What comes next?
Both teams return to Acrisure Arena for Game 2 at 7 p.m. Saturday night. Here's the rest of the schedule:
Game 2: Sat., June 10 – Hershey at Coachella Valley, 7 pm PT
Game 3: Tue., June 13 – Coachella Valley at Hershey, 4 pm PT
Game 4: Thu., June 15 – Coachella Valley at Hershey, 4 pm PT
Game 5: Sat., June 17 – Coachella Valley at Hershey, 4 pm PT *
Game 6: Mon., June 19 – Hershey at Coachella Valley, 7 pm PT *
Game 7: Wed., June 21 – Hershey at Coachella Valley, 7 pm PT *
*if necessary
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: AHL Calder Cup Finals: Coachella Valley Firebirds vs. Hershey Bears
