Coachella Valley blows out Hershey to force Game 7 in Calder Cup Finals
PALM DESERT, Calif. (WHTM) — Facing elimination in the Calder Cup Finals, the Coachella Valley Firebirds dominated home ice in the 5-2 win over the Hershey Bears. Monday’s win forces a Game 7 in the Calder Cup Finals with the series tied at 3-3.
The Hershey Bears are still one win away from the franchise’s 12th Calder Cup, but now it is do-or-die on Wednesday.
Things looked promising for the Bears after Connor McMichael scored the first goal of Game 6 just 1:33 into the first period. That goal marked the first for Hershey while in California after the Firebirds blanked the Bears 5-0 in Game 1 and 4-0 in Game 2.
From there, Coachella Valley scored three straight across 6:42 in the first period to take a commanding 3-1 lead at the end of the first.
In the second period, Bears veteran Beck Malenstyn opened up the scoring to bring Hershey within a score. But the Firebirds kept distance down the stretch in the 5-2 victory to force a Game 7.
The home team has won every game of the Calder Cup Finals. Game 7 is on Wednesday, inside Acrisure Arena, meaning the Bears will have to upset home ice advantage if they want to win the Calder Cup. Before the finals, Hershey was perfect on the road in these playoffs.
These are live updates from the abc27 Sports team for the Calder Cup Finals Game 6 between the Hershey Bears and the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Hershey is the oldest and most successful franchise in American Hockey League history with 11 Calder Cups already to their name. The Coachella Valley Firebirds are the league’s newest team, playing in its inaugural season.
Hershey hasn’t won a Calder Cup since the bears won back to back titles in 2008-09 and 2009-10. The Bears last Finals appearance was in 2015-16, where Hershey was swept by Lake Erie.
Game 7 is on Wednesday, June 21 inside Acrisure Arena in Palm, Desert, California; puck drops at 10 p.m. EST.
Source: ABC27
