Ryker Evans Scores, Firebirds Take 2-0 Lead In AHL Western Conf. Finals

New Seattle Kraken coach Dan Bylsma will happily be taking defenseman Ryker Evans (#41 in featured photo) back with him when he returns to the Pacific Northwest.

First, though, both Bylsma and Evans are continuing their mission to bring an AHL title to the Kraken's farm club in Coachella Valley.

Before 10,087 packing Acrisure Arena, Evans scored a power play goal to help the Firebirds to a 3-1 victory Friday over the Milwaukee Admirals. The win gives Coachella a 2-0 lead in the Calder Cup Western Conference Finals. It's also the 8th straight postseason win for the Firebirds.

Goalie Chris Driedger stopped 31 shots to improve to 8-1 in the playoffs. Driedger improved a postseason goals against average of 2.22 and save percentage of .929 when the evening started.

The Coachella defense has allowed Milwaukee just two goals over the first pair of games in the series.

1st Period

Andrew Poturalski needed just 28 seconds to bring the crowd out of their seats.

Evans, a 2021 2nd round Kraken pick, looked NHL-ready in his 36 games with Seattle this season. Because he was often a healthy scratch, management felt he would benefit from extra playing time during the Firebirds' postseason run.

On the power play at 15:06, the d-man nicknamed "Garth" showed the offensive chops he's known for.

2nd Period

Like Evans, 2022 1st round draft pick Shane Wright is finishing up his AHL apprenticeship. And working on major league facial hair.

Milwaukee finally solved goalie Driedger at 5:28. An Ozzy Wiesblatt goal cut the Admirals deficit to 2-1.

Kole Lind, who assisted on the Evans goal, couldn't restore the Firebirds two goal lead on a breakaway. Milwaukee goalie Troy Grosenick made the save with eight minutes left in the period.

Coachella followed with a dominant shift, lots of zone time and the puck on a string. Though they didn't score, fans could feel the ice tilting.

Lind cashed in at 15:56, his second point of the game. Poturalski, who found Lind on the weak side, also picked up his second point.

The Firebirds outshot the Admirals 16-8 in the 2nd period, and led in shots 26-22 after 40 minutes. Defenseman Jimmy Schuldt stood out, laying a couple of crunching checks in the period.

3rd period

The Firebirds bested the Admirals in six games in last year's Western Conference Finals. Oddly, that's the last time the two teams played, because they didn't meet during the 2023-24 regular season.

So, presumably to ramp up the snarl in the series, a Milwaukee player was quoted saying the 2nd year Coachella Valley franchise was born with a "silver spoon" in its mouth - implying the Firebirds had an advantage in roster construction.

On 106.9 FM Firebirds broadcasts, NHL Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr serves as game analyst. "Even if they do have a silver spoon," Fuhr helpfully explained, "you have to eat with something."

Milwaukee missed an opportunity to crawl closer when Kraken 2021 draft choice Ville Ottavainen was called for tripping at 8:56. The Finnish defenseman has a tendency to stand out - he's 6-foot-5 without skates.

Protecting a two goal lead, Coachella Valley did a marvelous job of clogging the neutral zone and standing up at the blueline. Milwaukee was frustrated time and again from setting up in the offensive zone.

The series resumes with Game 3 Tuesday, June 4 in Milwaukee.