Firebirds forward John Hayden, a veteran of 249 NHL games, nine of them with the Seattle Kraken, scored both Coachella Valley goals as the home team defeated the Milwaukee Admirals 2-1 in Game-1 of the Calder Cup western conference final.
It’s the seventh consecutive playoff victory this spring under outgoing head coach Dan Bylsma. Bylsma was named head coach of the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday.
After losing the opening game of the first round to the Calgary Wranglers, the Firebirds won the next three matches to win that best-of-five series, then swept the Ontario (California) Reign in three games in round two, before winning the opener of this best-of-seven against last year’s same conference final foe.
The Firebirds have a plus-8 goal differential over the course of their eight playoff games.
Former Kraken netminder Chris Driedger made 37 saves in Wednesday night’s win in front of more than seven thousand fans at Acrisure Arena.
Earlier Kraken / Firebirds:
— Kraken Bylsma’s Coaching Pedigree Runs Deep
— Disco Dan Bylsma The Right Man For The Job
