Live-Blogging: 2023 Calder Cup Finals-Game 1-Hershey Bears at Coachella Valley Firebirds

AHL Live Stream

2023 Calder Cup Finals: Game 1-Hershey Bears at Coachella Valley Firebirds

Announcers: Evan Pivnick, Grant Fuhr

Game Location: Acrisure Arena, Palm Desert, CA

Hello, and welcome to another edition of ‘Live-Blogging Shish on Professional Ice Hockey’. Tonight, it is Game 1 of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals, between Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals AHL Affiliate) & the Coachella Valley Firebirds (Seattle Kraken Affiliate).

Bears won the Eastern Conference, by defeating Charlotte Checkers in 4 games, sweeping Hartford Wolf Pack, and defeating Rochester Americans in 6 games. They are looking for their 12th Calder Cup. For that to happen, they need outstanding goalkeeping by Hunter Shepard.

For the Firebirds, they defeated the Roadrunners, Eagles, and Wranglers to the limit. And they won the Western Conference in 6 games against the Milwaukee Admirals. They also need good goalkeeping from Joey Daccord, if they want their inaugural season a Calder Cup Championship Season.

Aliaksei Protas & Mason Morelli are the Bears leading scorers. While Hershey is led by Protas in points. And Joe Snively is the Bears’ leader in assists.

As for Coachella Valley, they are led by Max McCormick in goals scored. And Kole Lind is the Firebirds’ leader in points.

It is the Hershey Bears and Coachella Valley Firebirds. In Game 1 of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. Game 1 will begin shortly.

Possible Starting Lineups:
Hershey Bears:
Forwards: Gersich, Malenstyn, Sutter
Defense: Ness, Day
Goalkeeper: Hunter Shepard

Coachella Valley Firebirds:
Forwards: Kartye, Hayden, Petman
Defense: Tennyson, Olofsson
Goalkeeper: Joey Daccord​

Firebirds are in their 'blue' uniforms. While the Bears are in their white sweaters, helmets, and brown pants. 

1st Period:
20:00: Bears win faceoff, center ice. Hershey to defend the right net. While the Firbirds to defend the left net.
19:00: Hughes’ shot saved by Shepard.
18:45: Snively's shot saved by Daccord.
16:08: True's shot saved by Shepard.
15:05: Kartye's shot saved by Shepard.
14:52: Hayden's shot saved by Shepard.
14:51: Tennyson's shot saved by Shepard.
14:35: McMichael's shot saved by Daccord.
13:43: Poganski's shot saved by Shepard.
12:24: Malenstyn's shot saved by Daccord.​
12:12: Media Timeout #1: HER 0, CV 0

11:58: PENALTY: Henrik Borgstrom called 2-minutes for hooking. Firebirds Power Play.
10:58: POWER PLAY GOAL: Tye Kartye scored a PPG, for the Firebirds. HER 0, CV 1
9:30: Schuldt's shot saved by Shepard.
7:22: Wittchow's shot saved by Shepard.
6:15: Protas' shot saved by Daccord.
4:15: PENALTY: Mason Morelli called 2-minutes for boarding. Firebirds Power Play.
4:15: Media Timeout #2: HER 0, CV 1

​4:15: Firebirds win faceoff. Inside Hershey's Zone.
2:15: Bears return to full strength.
1:43: Bears called for icing.
1:43: Firebirds win faceoff. Left Circle of Hershey's Zone.
:59: Carlsson's shot saved by Daccord.
:00: The End of 1st Period.

1st Intermission:
HER 0, CV 1

1st Period Scoring:
9:02: Tye Kartye (CV) PPG

1st Intermission Thoughts:
Firebirds cash in on a Henrik Borgstrom hooking penalty into a Tye Kartye PPG, to get the 1-0 lead in the 1st Intermission.

2nd Period:
20:00: Bears win faceoff, center ice. Hershey to defend the left net. While Coachella Valley to defend the right net. 
19:28: Ness' shot saved by Daccord.
16:57: Twarynski's shot saved by Shepard.
16:57: Twarynski's shot saved by Shepard.
16:57: Bears win faceoff. Left Circle of Hershey's Zone.
15:58: Malenstyn's shot saved by Daccord.
15:47: Firebirds win faceoff. Right Circle of Hershey's Zone.
15:03: Gersich's shot saved by Daccord.
15:03: PENALTIES: Riley Sutter (HER) & Jimmy Schuldt (CV) called 2-minutes each for roughing. 4-on-4 Hockey.
15:03: Firebirds win faceoff. Right Circle of Coachella's Zone.
14:34: Borgstrom's shot saved by Daccord.
14:21: Firebirds win faceoff. Left Circle of Hershey's Zone.
13:06: GOAL: Ville Petman scored a goal, for the Firebirds. HER 0, CV 2
13:06: Bears win faceoff, center ice.
12:48: Wright's shot saved by Shepard.
​12:48: Media Timeout #3: HER 0, CV 2

Vegas & Florida are Heading to Overtime; Knotted up at 2-2 

12:48: Bears win faceoff. Right Circle of Hershey's Zone.
12:28: Wright's shot saved by Shepard.
12:28: Bears win faceoff. Right Circle of Hershey's Zone.
12:04: Lapierre's shot saved by Daccord.
10:31: Vecchione's shot saved by Daccord.
10:31: Firebirds win faceoff. Right Circle of Coachella's Zone.
10:03: McMichael's shot saved by Daccord.
10:03: Firebirds win faceoff. Inside Coachella's Zone.
9:21: Pilon's shot saved by Daccord.
8:36: Protas' shot saved by Daccord.
7:40: Hayden's shot saved by Shepard.
6:36: Media Timeout #4: HER 0, CV 2

6:36: Firebirds win faceoff. Inside Coachella's Zone.
5:55: Bears called for icing.
5:55: Bears win faceoff. Left Circle of Hershey's Zone.
4:16: McIlrath's shot saved by Daccord.
4:16: Media Timeout #5: HER 0, CV 2

4:16: Firebirds win faceoff. Left Circle of Coachella's Zone.
3:55: Morelli's shot saved by Daccord.
3:40: PENALTY: Max McCormick called 2-minutes for slashing. Bears Power Play.
3:40: PENALTIES: Aaron Ness (HER) & Alexander True (CV) 2-minutes each for cross-checking. Bears 4-on-3 Power Play.
1:40: Both teams back to full strength.
1:03: Firebirds win faceoff. Right Red Dot of Coachella's Blue Line.
:56: Bears win faceoff. Left Red Dot of Coachella's Blue Line.
:37: Bears win faceoff, center ice.
:02: Firebirds win faceoff. Left Red Dot of Coachella's Blue Line.
:00: The End of 2nd Period.
​

2nd Intermission:
HER 0, CV 2

2nd Period Scoring:
6:54: Ville Petman (CV) G

2nd Intermission Thoughts:
Firebirds get another goal on the 4-on-4. Where Petman scored an insurance goal. 
​
For the Bears, they need to make it hard for Joey Daccord to save shots.

Panthers Defeat Vegas 3-2 in Overtime of Game 3; Vegas Lead SCF 2-1

3rd Period:
20:00: Bears win faceoff, center ice. Hershey to defend the right net. While Coachella to defend the left net.
19:48: Hayden's shot saved by Shepard.
19:11: Firebirds win faceoff. Right Red Dot of Coachella's Blue Line.
18:23: McCormick's shot saved by Shepard.
18:01: GOAL: Andrew Poturalski scored a goal, for the Firebirds. HER 0, CV 3
16:46: Lapierre's shot saved by Daccord.
16:46: PENALTY: Jesper Froden called 2-minutes for tripping. Bears Power Play. 
16:46: Bears win faceoff. Right Circle of Coachella's Zone.
16:39: Borgstrom's shot saved by Daccord.
16:16: McMichael's shot saved by Daccord.
15:25: Day's shot saved by Daccord.
14:46: Firebirds back to full strength.
13:08: Lind's shot saved by Shepard.
12:52: Media Timeout #6: HER 0, CV 3

​12:46: Firebirds win faceoff. Right Circle of Coachella's Zone.
11:26: Massie's shot saved by Daccord.
10:30: GOAL: Jesper Froden scored a goal, for the Firebirds. HER 0, CV 4
10:30: Firebirds win faceoff, center ice.
10:21: McCormick's shot saved by Shepard.
10:17: McCormick's shot saved by Shepard.
9:52: GOAL: Alexander True scored a goal, for the Firebirds. HER 0, CV 5
9:43: Media Timeout #7: HER 0, CV 5

​8:17: PENALTY: John Hayden called 2-minutes for high-sticking. Bears Power Play.
8:17: Bears win faceoff. Right Circle of Coachella's Zone.
7:52: Borgstrom's shot saved by Daccord.
7:08: Anas' shot saved by Daccord.
6:17: Firebirds back to full strength.
5:39: Sutter's shot saved by Daccord.
5:04: PENALTIES: Dylan McIlrath (HER; Roughing) & Ryker Evans (CV; Cross-Checking) 2-minutes each for their penalties. 4-on-4 Hockey.
5:04: Media Timeout #8: HER 0, CV 5

​5:04: Bears win faceoff. Inside Coachella's Zone.
3:30: Petman's shot saved by Shepard.
1:06: Gersich's shot saved by Daccord.
1:06: Firebirds win faceoff. Right Circle of Coachella's Zone.
:00: The End of Game 1.

Final:
HER 0, CV 5
Coachella Valley Firebirds lead 2023 Calder Cup Finals 1-0.

Final Stats:
SOG: HER 25, CV 27
PP: HER 0/3, CV 1/2
PIM: HER 10 min/5 in; CV 12 min/6 in

3 Stars of the Game:
1st: Andrew Poturalski (CV) G, A
2nd: Joey Daccord (CV) 25/25, 1.000 SV%, 0.00 GAA
3rd: Kole Lind (CV) 3 A

Final Thoughts:
Firebirds dominated Game 1 vs. Hershey Bears. Poturalski got two points in the win. While Kole Lind had 3 assists. But Joey Daccord got a shutout, in this 1st game of this Best-of-7 Series.

As for the Bears, they did not play well tonight. Who knows if it was the 9-day rest or the cross-country travel. But they get less than 48 hours to recover from this lopsided loss. 

Same two teams on Saturday Night, in Palm Desert. 

This is Paul Shishkoff, Junior. This has been 'Live-Blogging Shish on Professional Ice Hockey'. Thanks for visiting this post.