The Coachella Valley Firebirds will have to wait until Wednesday at the earliest to know their opponent in the Calder Cup’s Western Conference Finals after completing a three-game sweep of the Pacific Division Finals.
The Firebirds were 3-2 winners over the Ontario Reign Sunday night in Ontario, overcoming a 2-0 first-period deficit, with Kole Lind scoring twice, including the tie-breaking goal 46 seconds into third period.
On the game-wining goal, center Andrew Poturalski pried the puck away from defenseman Joe Hicketts on the boards to the right of the Ontario goal, then passed to Lind, who had skated to just in front of the goal crease and put a shot past goaltender Erik Portillo for his third goal of the playoffs.
The Reign had six skaters against the Firebirds’ four for 1 minute, 54 seconds after Ontario coach Marco Sturm pulled Portillo for a sixth attacker with 2:05 to play, six seconds after Ryker Evans was penalized for holding the stick, but Chris Driedger stopped shots by Akil Thomas and Alex Turcotte to preserve the lead.
Driedger made 22 saves, including stopping each of the Reign’s final 17 shots after Tyler Madden scored 13:02 into the first period.
Ontario took a 1-0 lead 6:17 into the game on Turcotte’s goal from the right faceoff circle in front of a crowd announced at 8,533 at Toyota Arena.
Lind began the Firebirds’ comeback 5:41 into the second period when he put a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle past Portillo.
The Firebirds tied the score, 2-2, 11:37 into the second period when defenseman Jimmy Schuldt scored on a slap shot from the left point.
The Firebirds, the Seattle Kraken’s American Hockey League affiliate, killed both of the Reign’s two power-play opportunities. The Firebirds were scoreless on their three power-play opportunities.
The Firebirds were outshot, 24-23.
Portillo made 20 saves for the Reign, the Los Angeles Kings’ AHL affiliate.
The victory was the sixth straight for the Firebirds after opening the playoffs with a 4-1 loss to the Calgary Wranglers May 3.
The Firebirds will face either the Grand Rapids Griffins or Milwaukee Admirals in the Western Conference Finals. Grand Rapids leads the Central Division Finals one game to none, with Game 2 of the best-of-five series set for Monday in Milwaukee and Game 3 Wednesday in Grand Rapids, Michigan.