In the midst of what has become one hell of an entertaining NHL Stanley Cup finals, there is a big surprise brewing in the AHL’s Calder Cup finals. The Texas Stars, in their first season in the league, have absolutely stunned the Hershey Bears in the first two games of the series.
The Bears, the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, were the best team in the AHL this past season and were absolutely dominant at home. The Bears had won 37 of 38 games at home this season, and no one believed the Stars had a chance to steal any of the games in Ohio, let alone win the series.
Yet after last night’s 4-3 win, in which Travis Morin broke a 3-3 tie with 45 seconds remaining in regulation, the Stars own a 2-0 series lead as the teams head back to Austin for Games 3, 4 and (possibly) 5.
The Bears have had nearly 11,000 fans at each of the first two games of the series and each time the fans have left stunned and reeling after the two losses. The Stars have turned into perhaps one of the more surprising stories and possible Cup-winning teams, as many felt they were just a team with role players and a suspect defense.
After they were able to come back and win a surprising Game 7 against the Hamilton Bulldogs, many felt the Stars were just banking on Jamie Benn to get as far as they had. Yet against Hershey, the Stars have proven to be much, much more than that.
The Bears head to Austin having to answer all the questions about why they’ve allowed a team like Texas to stun them, as it’s possibly another instance of a talented and successful team overlooking their opponent. Everyone expect the Bears to roll the Stars, and now they face a considerable hole in the series.
Game 3 is tomorrow night in Cedar Park, Texas.