PALM DESERT, Calif. — A big night is possible on the ice in Palm Desert, California as the Hershey Bears are poised to claim their 12th Calder Cup in franchise history with a victory against the Firebirds.
Hershey has won the series' last three games to take a 3-2 series lead. All three of those wins came in the Bears' Den at Giant Center. All three of those games were one-goal victories for Hershey and Games 3 & 5 came via overtime goals, thanks to Riley Sutter (Game 3) and Garrett Pilon (Game 5).
Hershey’s Game 5 win on Saturday was the second overtime victory of the series and third overall overtime win of the playoffs for the Bears. The last playoff year that the Bears won three or more games in overtime was in 2017, when Hershey went 4-1 in games decided beyond regulation.
The team is looking to ride the momentum into Game 6.
While Hershey enters tonight on a two-game road losing streak, after dropping the first two games of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals by a combined 9-0 score, the Bears previously went 6-0 on the road to begin the 2023 postseason.
After the morning skate in Palm Desert, FOX43 caught up with Bears coach Todd Nelson to preview tonight’s game.