Bears head coach Todd Nelson always wants more, win or lose.
So the three-time Calder Cup champion offered no conciliatory words for his players following Hershey’s 5-2 loss in Game 6 on Monday night. Nelson is an easygoing, player-friendly coach, but only so long as the on-ice standard remains high.
Nelson knows that the Bears can — and must — give more tonight if they are to lift the Calder Cup. They have gone 0-3 at Acrisure Arena and been outscored 14-2. As was the case in Games 1 and 2, ill-timed penalties and defensive-zone breakdowns doomed the Bears’ chances in Game 6.
“We weren’t very good,” Nelson said, shooing away any excuses. “Look at their fifth goal. Our coverage was horrible. Once again, it’s a wake-up call. We can’t be giving up four or five goals.
“We need more guys paying the price. Some guys didn’t, and it’s evident. Against a team like this, you can’t have passengers.”
Fortunately for the Bears, they defended their own home ice with three wins at Giant Center, meaning it still takes just one road win to take the series. And this is not the first time that they have found themselves in a bind. After all, they trailed the Finals two games to none before they even scored their first goal of the series. They have shown that they can extract themselves from these situations.
“We have to learn to overcome some adversity,” Nelson said. “We have all year.”
Even one win at Hershey, and the Firebirds could have already been going home for the summer after hoisting the Calder Cup. That did not happen, of course, but they saw the silver lining.
The Firebirds have a chance to win the Calder Cup at home tonight, in front of their fans. Typically head coaches do not go into the dressing room following a loss, but Dan Bylsma changed course following a 1-0 overtime defeat in Game 5 that put the club’s season in peril.
“I want to go back to Game 5 on the road,” AHL leading playoff scorer Kole Lind said following Game 6. “[We] all were obviously hanging our heads. [Bylsma] was the first one into the room telling us to keep our chins up. Three hard road games, and they played well, but we’re winning this thing at home.
“That’s the attitude we’ve had ever since then. We executed our game plan. I think everyone was excited, but the job’s not finished.”
Indeed it is not. Lind and the Firebirds have a Bears-sized obstacle standing between them and the Calder Cup tonight. But just as they have done five times already this season when facing elimination, they expect to emerge victorious.
“It will be the most electric game in my life,” Lind said.
― Patrick Williams
