John Hayden is inevitable.
The Calder Cup is in sight.
LET’S GO GET SOME VENGEANCE.
The Highlights!
Youtube to be added later. I promise! Until then, it’s videos on Twitter. Sorry!
Game Notes
- This was the John Hayden and Cale Fleury game; two players putting on an absolute clinic as the Firebirds absolutely tore the Admirals defense to shreds through the first 20 minutes. Sure, they got 11 shots on goal, that’s pretty good. Part of the dissection was just how effortlessly they were able to open up the ice and find space on the “Royal Road” out in the high slot, forcing Troy Grosenick to make saves however he could…which ended exactly how you’d expect. They got 4 goals and then sat directly on the Admirals, daring them to score. They only figured out how to do it once against them. Congratulations to Hayden on that hat trick, especially on the way he got to do it; getting a Mario Lemieux Hat Trick (an Evens goal, a Short-handed goal, and a power play goal) to put away the Ads has to feel good.
- Of course, most of this only happens because of Cale Fleury being a playmaking phenom of this game, getting 3 to end the night.
- This Devin Shore fella sure knows how to be a contributor, figuring out a goal and an assist on Hayden’s second tally.
- 2-for-5 on the power play is always good, but frankly given the Ads’ stunning lack of discipline with their arms and sticks, I think they could’ve had more. Milwaukee really could not help themselves all series with the elbows and roughing calls and they paid dearly for it just about every game.
- Given how hard the Firebirds took it to the Ads, I get the distinct impression they may have taken Game 4, especially how it ended, especially personally.
- Another wonderful night at the office for Chris Driedger, who finished the night with a .970 SV%. Technically a 0.9696969696969697, which is very nice…but it terminates on a seven so I’m gonna have to round up for posterity. If it kept going I would call it the nicest night in net he’s ever had. Still! He had a lot of work to do, especially in the third period where the Ads were trying to get anything past him. He’s making this run work like a freshly oiled machine.
- While a number of things ended the Ads run in the postseason, from Grosenick’s goaltending coming up short, to the number of impossibly obvious penalties, to the goal support coming too late, the Firebirds themselves might tell you that Milwaukee dug their own grave in Game 1 with Spencer Statsny’s comment on the Firebirds being a team with “Silver spoons” in their mouths. As it turns out, getting stabbed with spoons for five games still hurts a lot, and silver poisoning makes you look silly.
- Four more wins.
So! Now that they have the Western Conference Championship, it’s onto the Calder Cup Finals…where they’re gonna have to wait a little bit.
See, the Hershey Bears, who would’ve been the AHL Narrative-setter, have suddenly begun to splutter and fail to beat their foes the Cleveland Monsters, and have been once again defeated in their Game 5, forcing a Game 6. Game 6 starts on Monday night, and if they absolutely have to, it could go to a Game 7 on Wednesday.
We’ll keep you up to date as it comes, so please, enjoy the time off, keep calm, get ready for the Calder Cup Finals…and post the Firebird when we win.