Bears Top Firebirds 3-2, One Win Away From Calder Cup Repeat

New Seattle Kraken coach Dan Bylsma said earlier in the AHL playoffs, "I haven’t won a Calder Cup yet. I desperately want to win a Calder Cup."

If he's going to do so, his Firebirds will have to sweep Games 6 and 7 of the Final on the road.

Saturday night, in the final game of the season at Acrisure Arena, Jimmy Huntington's second goal of the game with 3:15 left gave the Hershey Bears a 3-2 Game 5 victory. It was also Bylsma's final home game behind the Coachella Valley bench before taking the reins in Seattle.

The champagne will be on ice in the home dressing room at Giant Center, when the Firebirds play Game 6 in Hershey on Monday night.

1st Period

The Firebirds were playing from behind virtually the entirety of Game 4. Kole Lind made sure that wouldn't be the case at 10:05, as Lind joined pals storming the Bears crease.

Coachella Valley maintained its 1-0 lead for the next 9:53. Unfortunately, the period lasted 9:55. Hershey's Jimmy Huntington tied the game 1-1 with two ticks left on the clock.

2nd Period

It's 110 degrees outside, you're wearing a head-to-toe furry costume, and firing a flame-thrower. Fuego, please stay hydrated.

In the first nine minutes of the period, Coachella took the only seven SOG. Hershey didn't record its first shot until Ryan Winterton took CV's third minor penalty at 11:59. Though the Firebirds killed all three, they're still committing too many infractions.

With 15 minutes done in the 2nd, shots were 15-1 Firebirds. Either Coachella Valley is getting "goalied" by Hershey's Hunter Shepard, or their dominance will eventually show results on the scoreboard.

Score after 40 minutes: 1-1. Shots after 40: Firebirds 23, Hershey 12.

3rd Period

2021 Kraken draft pick Ryan Winterton gave the Firebirds a 2-1 lead at 4:43, his 5th of the postseason. Cameron Hughes, who made the steal and set up Winterton, recorded his playoff-leading 13th assist.

Tellingly, Winterton's goal would be one of only three shots the Firebirds were able to take the entire period.

Four minutes later, Hardy Häman Aktell, a defenseman turned scoring machine, tied the game 2-2 with his fourth goal of the Final.

There's always a guy who unexpectedly steps up to help a team win a championship. The Swede who will celebrate his 26th birthday on July 4 may be that guy.

Häman Aktell had scored just two goals in 55 regular season games for the Bears, and just one in 11 playoff games prior to the Final.

The game appeared headed to overtime until Huntington had other ideas, firing home the game-winner at 16:45. He was left inexplicably wide open in the lower half of the left wing circle, pinpointing a shot over the shoulder of Firebirds goalie Chris Driedger.