TWO GOOD! Firebirds shut out Hershey for second consecutive game, take 2-0 lead in Calder Cup Finals

Turns out that Game 1 rout was no fluke.

Two days after the Coachella Valley Firebirds won the most lopsided Calder Cup Finals Game 1 since 1967, they secured another emphatic win on Saturday in what is now looking like it could realistically be the final game of the season inside Acrisure Arena.

In front of another sell-out crowd of 10,087, Coachella Valley used a dominant, four-goal second period to run away with a 4-0 Game 2 win over the Hershey Bears to take the first two games in the best-of-seven American Hockey League championship series. The Firebirds won Game 1 on Thursday and have outscored the Bears 9-0 in two games.

Game 3 is set for Tuesday in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Puck drop is at 4 p.m. PT.

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"Getting this win is super critical," Firebirds head coach Dan Bylsma said. "Because we know we're going back to a place that's a really hostile environment. It's a great place to have a hockey game and it's a place where they've won a lot of hockey games, so it's critical getting the two here at home."

If the Firebirds win Game 3, they can finish the series with a win in Game 4 on Thursday.

That is a possibility, in part, because of how Firebirds’ goaltender Joey Daccord played on Saturday. In the win, he became the first goalie since 1939 to secure back-to-back shutouts to start a Calder Cup Finals series. In his first Calder Cup Finals, Daccord has not allowed a single goal to go with his 58 saves. It's been a legendary performance.

The Firebirds benefitted from 13 Hershey penalties, including six in the decisive second period. It helped Coachella Valley overcome a difficult start to the game, with the Firebirds being outshot 15-5 and going 0-for-3 on the power play in the first period. They are unbeaten this postseason when they have a lead entering the first intermission yet are 5-7 in all other playoff games.

"I thought our first period was really good," Bears head coach Todd Nelson said. "The second period, that's all on us. We can't take penalties like that."

Nelson said that he spoke with AHL supervisors after the game to better understand the standard for the way the games will be called, because he believed it was called differently than Game 1.

"We're going to see more of what we saw tonight," Nelson said. "So, at least that's clear and I can go to the players and that this is what they're calling. I would've liked to have known that before the game, but that's on us."

While Hershey was trying to stay out of the penalty box in the second period, Coachella Valley became more aggressive in the offensive zone. On a power play early in the period, Firebirds' forward Jesper Frödén seemed to light a spark with the first goal of the game.

A minute and 14 seconds later, forward Austin Poganski scored a second goal for the Firebirds and the rout was on. Hershey had gone from having a strong first period to quickly playing from behind by multiple goals.

The Firebirds have now won eight consecutive games when they’ve scored on a power play. That includes each of the last three games they’ve played.

Defenseman Ryker Evans and forward Cameron Hughes, who scored for the first time this postseason, added two more goals in the second period to seal the win.

Now the Firebirds have five games to win just two more to capture the Calder Cup in their inaugural season.

But with the series shifting to Hershey for Games 3 and 4 and possibly 5, if necessary, Coachella Valley players know that the pressure is now all on them to close it out. Tuesday's Game 3 will determine whether the Bears can make it a series or if it's just a matter of time before the Firebirds lift the Calder Cup.

"I've played there a handful of times and it's always been a fun atmosphere in a great building," Daccord said. "I think we can expect the same reception they received from our fans. It's going to be hostile, and we're going to have to bring our best if we want to have success there."

The goals

1-0, Firebirds: After spending much of the playoffs with the NHL's Seattle Kraken, Frödén scored his fourth goal of the postseason on the power play at the 5:08 mark of the second period to give the Firebirds the one goal they needed to win. Hughes and Alexander True assisted on the play.

2-0: Poganski scored his first goal of the postseason at the 6:22 mark of the second period on assists from Evans and Shane Wright.

3-0: Evans then scored at the 11:55 mark of the second on assists from Kole Lind and Max McCormick.

4-0: Hughes scored the final goal of the game, on a skillful one-on-one with Hershey goalie Hunter Shepard.

Was that a penalty shot?

Lost in all the actual goals for the Firebirds was a unique missed goal early in the second period. For the first time ever at Acrisure Arena and only the second time in team history, the Firebirds were awarded a penalty shot.

With the game still scoreless, Carsen Twarynski was hacked while on a breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot. Twarynski did not capitalize, however, as he was denied by Shepard as he tried to score stick-side.

The only other penalty shot in Firebirds history was by McCormick on the road against Ontario on Feb. 24. He also failed to score.

Calder Cup Finals: What comes next?

Both teams now fly east for Game 3 at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Hershey. Here's the rest of the schedule:

Game 3: Tue., June 13 – Coachella Valley at Hershey, 4 p.m. Pacific

Game 4: Thu., June 15 – Coachella Valley at Hershey, 4 p.m. Pacific

Game 5: Sat., June 17 – Coachella Valley at Hershey, 4 p.m. Pacific*

Game 6: Mon., June 19 – Hershey at Coachella Valley, 7 p.m. Pacific *

Game 7: Wed., June 21 – Hershey at Coachella Valley, 7 p.m. Pacific *

*if necessary

Andrew John covers the Firebirds for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Calder Cup Finals: Coachella Valley Firebirds shut out Hershey Bears in Game 2 of