Coachella Valley, Hershey set for Game 7 of Calder Cup Finals
Kraken, Capitals AHL affiliates to clash in winner-take-all showdown
ByPatrick Williams
NHL.com Independent Correspondent
PALM DESERT, Calif. -- It will be a winner-take-all showdown when Coachella Valley hosts Hershey in Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET; NHLN, NBCSWA, ROOT-NW).
After losing three consecutive road games at Hershey (Washington Capitals) in the best-of-7 series last week, Coachella Valley (Seattle Kraken) responded with a 5-2 victory at home Monday.
"We've talked about this all along," Coachella Valley coach Dan Bylsma said after the win. "This is what you play for. This is why we're playing, and I think you dream as a kid of playing Game 7 in the backyard. These are the pinnacle games. These are the games you hope to play for, you dream to play for, you work to play for, and that's going to happen on Wednesday night."
Coachella Valley had to play 18 of its first 22 games on the road this season while awaiting completion of Acrisure Arena (four home games were played in the Seattle area). The arena opened Dec. 18, and the Kraken's top affiliate has gone 38-10-3 at home between the regular season and Calder Cup Playoffs.
After finishing second in the regular season with 103 points (48-17-5-2), Coachella Valley has battled through five playoff rounds and pushed to the limit in all but one of them. It is 5-0 in elimination games and has outscored opponents 25-11.
Bylsma has been down a similar path before in the 2009 Stanley Cup Final with the Pittsburgh Penguins. After accepting the job midway through the 2008-09 season, he led the Penguins to the Final against the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit held a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series before Pittsburgh responded with 2-1 victories in Games 6 and 7 to win the Cup.
"It's not just another hockey game," Bylsma said.
Seattle has been at the NHL Draft table twice and is beginning to integrate prospects into its pipeline. Ryker Evans, a defenseman, had two assists in Game 6 and leads all AHL rookies this postseason with 24 points (four goals, 20 assists) in 25 games. The 21-year-old, who was a member of the AHL All-Rookie Team, was selected by the Kraken in the second round (No. 35) of the 2021 NHL Draft.
Seattle forward prospect Kole Lind has also excelled. Lind scored two more goals in Game 6 and leads the AHL with 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) in 25 games. The 24-year-old, who was selected by the Kraken from the Vancouver Canucks in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, had a career season with 62 points (30 goals, 32 assists) in 72 games.
Coachella Valley goalie Joey Daccord had a shutout in each of the first two games of the series. He ranks fourth in the AHL this postseason in goals-against average (2.21) and save percentage (.926). The 26-year-old, another acquisition from the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft (Ottawa Senators), has started all 25 playoff games and is 15-10.
Daccord played five games for the Kraken during the regular season (four starts) and went 2-1-1 with a 3.14 GAA and .900 save percentage.
The Capitals have their own prospects gaining valuable experience in this playoff run.
Connor McMichael scored Hershey's first goal in Game 6. The 22-year-old forward has nine points (five goals, four assists) in 19 playoff games. Washington selected McMichael in the first round (No. 25) of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Forward Beck Malenstyn, another candidate for increased duty with the Capitals next season, also scored for Hershey on Monday.
The home team has won each of the six games in this series. Hershey has been outscored 14-2 in three games at Coachella Valley.
"The bottom line is that we knew going into the series that we were going to have to win one on the road, Hershey coach Todd Nelson said after the loss Monday. "We still have that opportunity. It's been an awesome series so far, and I'm looking forward to Game 7."
