Meeting Milwaukee for the second year in a row for the right to represent the Western Conference in the Calder Cup Finals, the Firebirds already had an idea of what to expect.
They grinded out a 2-1 win in Game 1 last night at Acrisure Arena.
“Yeah, definitely you expect a game like that,” forward Devin Shore told reporters at last night’s post-game press conference. “It was very tight-fought.”
Shore set up John Hayden’s second goal of the night, the game-winner with 11:11 to play. With Hayden’s style and size (6-foot-3, 223 pounds), a series like this one suits him well. Their line also includes Marian Studenic, who brings excellent speed.
“It’s a pleasure playing with him,” Shore said of Hayden. “He works so hard. He’s such an honest player. I think the biggest part of his game, besides his work ethic and driving the emotional kind of tone for the team, is he’s so predictable. We all have different skill sets, but all you can ask for in a linemate is predictability.”
“Playing with an elite guy like him makes my job pretty simple,” Hayden said. “If I get to the right areas, I know he’ll find me.”
― with files from Patrick Williams
