The Calder Cup Playoffs are underway for the American Hockey League (AHL). These run differently than the Stanley Cup Playoffs, as only some of the teams participate in the first round, and the teams that clinched the top spot for their division get a bye for the first round.
For a third straight season, the Coachella Valley Firebirds are making their push for the Calder Cup. Although the Firebirds had a great performance throughout the regular season to take them to the playoffs, they did not earn themselves a bye. They faced off against the Calgary Wranglers in a First Round best-of-three. The first game was on April 22, and the Firebirds won 4-3 after the game went into three rounds of overtime. On April 26, they played Game 2 and won 2-0 in regulation time. After sweeping the Wranglers, there were certainly some positives in the series.
Mitchell Stephens Leads the Team in Playoff Goals
In the two games of the series, the Firebirds scored six goals. Half of those were scored by Mitchell Stephens. He scored the third goal in Game 1 and the tiebreaker goal. Stephens also went on to score the first goal of Game 2. All three goals were scored consecutively.
Stephens’ tiebreaker goal was a work of art in Game 1. Two minutes into the third round of overtime, Nikolas Broulliard received the puck at the blue line and took a shot. Stephens tipped the puck into the net off the shot to end the game after over four hours of play.
On July 1, 2024, the Seattle Kraken signed Stephens as a free agent. He split his time between Seattle and Coachella Valley this season, playing in 35 games in the AHL. In those 35 games, he earned 13 points from six goals and seven assists. He hasn’t always recorded points, earning him a minus-2 for the regular season. However, with three goals already to his name in the playoffs, Stephens will be a force to be reckoned with as the Firebirds continue their playoff push.
Kokko Is the Player to Watch
Niklas Kokko took to the crease for both games of the series. While he played for a whopping 102 minutes in Game 1, he at least had several days’ rest before he was the netminder in Game 2. In Game 1, Kokko stopped 36 of 39 shots the Wranglers took, earning him a save percentage (SV%) of .923% and a goals-against average (GAA) of 1.76. In Game 2, he stopped all 23 shots, earning him the first shutout of his AHL career.
Related: 5 Coachella Valley Players to Watch in the Calder Cup Playoffs
The 2024-25 season is Kokko’s first season in the AHL, where he played in 33 games and went 20-10-2. He earned a SV% of .913 and a GAA of 2.26 for the entire regular season. He was also called up by the Kraken, where he played part of the game on Feb. 25. Joey Daccord let in five goals and Kokko stepped up to take to the crease for 29:57. He let in two goals and stopped four shots. This is surely not how Kokko wanted to start his NHL career, but at least he now has some experience on NHL ice under his belt.
With a stellar start to the Calder Cup Playoffs, Kokko is a player to watch out for. As the Kraken will look to find a strong goaltender to back up Daccord next season, could Kokko see NHL ice more often in 2025-26? If he keeps up this performance, there is a good chance.
Firebirds Need to Keep Their PK Strong
Throughout both games, the Firebirds and the Wranglers let their tempers flare a little too high. The Firebirds took seven penalties in Game 1 and three in Game 2. Despite having 11 power-play chances, the Wranglers did not capitalize on any of them; the Firebirds killed all the penalties. On top of this, none of the goals the Firebirds scored were on the extra-man advantage.
The Firebirds performed well throughout this series, and their penalty kill remained strong. If they wish to continue their playoff journey, they cannot let their tempers get to them, especially since four of the ten penalties were for roughing or unsportsmanlike conduct. If they continue to play good, clean hockey, the Firebirds will have a strong chance at a Calder Cup push.
Firebirds in the Pacific Division Semifinals
The next series for the Firebirds is already set; they will take on the Abbotsford Canucks in a best-of-five for the Pacific Division Semifinals. The first game of the series will be on Thursday, May 1, in Coachella Valley.
