Firebirds Sweep Wranglers, Advance to Round 2 of Calder Cup Playoffs

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

The Coachella Valley Firebirds are heading to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs after completing a sweep of the Calgary Wranglers. The victory marks three straight postseason series wins over Calgary in as many seasons.

Rookie goaltender Niklas Kokko was the hero in Game 2, making clutch saves throughout the night. His performance helped the Firebirds withstand Calgary's offensive pressure and ultimately secure the series.

"Well, I think it starts with our goaltender," said head coach Derek Laxdal following the game. "I thought Kokko was outstanding tonight. He was dialed in, and our defenders did a great job around the net clearing rebounds and bodies. Our forwards played structurally sound from the inside out. When we did give something up, we recovered well. I really liked the grit, determination, and conviction our team showed tonight."

After the win, Kokko had a message for Firebirds fans:

"We have the best fans, and I want to see all of you guys next week."

The Firebirds' second-round opponent will be the Abbotsford Canucks, who defeated the Tucson Roadrunners in their series. Coachella Valley dominated Abbotsford during the regular season, winning five out of six meetings — but the playoffs are a whole new challenge.

Here’s the second-round schedule:

• Game 1: Thursday, May 2 – Acrisure Arena

• Game 2: Saturday, May 4 – Acrisure Arena

• Game 3: Wednesday, May 7 – Abbotsford Centre

• Game 4 (if necessary): Friday, May 9 – Abbotsford Centre

• Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, May 10 – Abbotsford Centre
  (All games start at 7 p.m.)

Fans can also expect several pop-up events across the Coachella Valley as the Firebirds get ready to "Paint the Town Red" ahead of Thursday’s Game 1.

That'll do it for sports. I'm Tim O'Brien.