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Game 1 of the Calder Cup Finals goes down on Thursday night between the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Hershey Bears.
The Bears beat the Rochester Americans in six games to advance to the Calder Cup. The Firebirds, meanwhile, beat the Milwaukee Admirals in six games to advance to the Calder Cup.
Game 1 goes down on Thursday at 10 pm ET.
How to watch Coachella Valley Firebirds vs Hershey Bears
Every AHL game, including the Calder Cup playoffs, can be seen live on AHLTV at watchtheahl.com.
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The Coachella Valley Firebirds are the home team in the Calder Cup Final after ending the season with the best record of 51-17-4. The Firebirds are the AHL affiliates of the Seattle Kraken. This is the first season they're in the AHL, as the team took a bit longer to get started after the Kraken joined the NHL.
The Hershey Bears, meanwhile, are the longest-running AHL team and are the affiliates of the Washington Capitals. The Bears last won a Calder Cup in 2009-10, their 11th triumph.
“It’s been awesome the last couple of days,” Bears coach Todd Nelson said after Monday’s practice. "You saw how hard the guys practiced today. They all know what’s at stake.
"For them to have this experience, it’s going to benefit them with their careers moving forward, and I’ve always believed in that. I believe winning is a form of development because if they can’t win in this environment, in the Calder Cup Playoffs, then they won’t be able to do it in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.”
Although the Firebirds have had so much success in their first season, coach Dan Bylsma says that it isn't a successful season unless they win the Calder Cup:
“As this year has gone along, as we were fighting to be a good team, the best team, we kinda’ knew we were gonna’ get to Calgary at some point, and I hoped and believed we would get by them, but Hershey is the ending point.
"It kinda’ has to be that way. They have a huge history of being a good team and franchise for so many years and winning a bunch of Calder Cups. And this is how it had to be, and now I’m excited it’s going to be.”
X-Factor: Joey Daccord is the starting goaltender for the Coachella Valley Firebirds and has been excellent this season.
However, the Bears are one of the best offenses in the AHL, so if the Firebirds are going to win Game 1, Daccord will need to continue his success and not allow the Bears to get out to a hot start.
Firebirds vs Bears Calder Cup Game 1 prediction
The Firebirds have been the best team in the AHL, but winning in the playoffs is different. The Bears team has shown year in and year out that they can do just that.
Expect this series to go six or seven games and be back-and-forth. However, in Game 1, Daccord should remain solid in the net and lead the Firebirds to a win.
Prediction: Firebirds 3-1 Bears
