Firebirds Ready for Playoff Clash with Wranglers as Calder Cup Campaign Begins

The NBC Palm Springs Sports Desk with Tim O'Brien, brought to you by Agua Caliente Casinos.

Season two begins Tuesday night at Acrisure Arena. Everything that happened in the regular season now resets, as the Coachella Valley Firebirds begin their Calder Cup playoff campaign. The Firebirds will face a familiar foe—the Calgary Wranglers—in the first round for the third straight year.

Coachella Valley has won six of the eight matchups this season against the Wranglers and took both of the previous playoff meetings. But as defenseman Gustav Olofsson reminds fans, none of that matters now.

“Yeah, it’s going to be great. It’ll be tough to sleep tonight looking forward to it,” Olofsson said during practice. “We got a new group here to do it with. And we’re just excited to play in front of these fans. It’s great sleeping in your own bed, knowing your fans are behind you.”

Head Coach Derek Laxdal, who has led the Firebirds through multiple successful campaigns, says the team is ready for the postseason.

“We’re excited to get the second season started. It’s been a long year—72 games, lots of ups and downs, movement with players, and a lot of growth,” Laxdal said. “Calgary came out with a win over San Jose, so now we open against them. We’ll break down their tactics, focus on what we do best, and get to our game early.”

This is a best-of-three series, which means intensity will be high right from puck drop. Game one begins Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Acrisure Arena.

In other hockey news, the Seattle Kraken made headlines Monday by firing head coach Dan Bylsma after just one season. Bylsma had previously led the Firebirds to back-to-back Calder Cup finals before his promotion to the NHL. Kraken assistant coach Jessica Campbell, a former Firebirds assistant, will remain with the team as the coaching search begins.

NBC Palm Springs will have full coverage of the Firebirds' playoff opener beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday from Acrisure Arena.

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