Coachella Valley has a 10-point lead in the American Hockey League’s Pacific Division with nine games remaining in the regular season.
The Coachella Valley Firebirds didn’t wait long to get back into the win column.
Looking to bounce back from Wednesday’s loss in Calgary, Andrew Poturalski, Kole Lind, and Ville Ottavainen each scored on Saturday evening to lead the Firebirds to a 3-2 win over the Silver Knights at Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada.
The Firebirds (40-14-5-4) have recorded points in 15 of 16 games to build a 10-point lead in the American Hockey League’s Pacific Division with nine games remaining in the regular season.
The Firebirds will now return home to face the San Jose Barracuda on Thursday.
Poturalski scored the game’s first goal on a 2-on-1 rush with Lind. Max McCormick earned the secondary assist on Poturalski’s 14th of the season just 4:44 into the first period.
Ryan Dzingel tied the game for Henderson at the 8:24 mark, but it was quickly followed up with a Coachella Valley response. Lind rifled a shot over the shoulder of Henderson goalie Isaiah Saville to put his team back on top. The goal was Lind’s 15th of the year and second point of the game.
The two teams exchanged 14 shots in the second period, including a penalty shot try for the Silver Knights’ Adam Cracknell that was stopped by Firebirds netminder Chris Driedger, but Firebirds were the only team to capitalize in the middle frame. Ville Ottavainen took a wrist shot from the right point that traveled through a sea of bodies and hit the back of the net for his eighth of the season.
Sheldon Rempal scored late in the third period to pull the Silver Knights within one. Henderson pulled Saville for the extra attacker but Coachella Valley was able to fend off the 6-on-5 to pick up the victory.
Driedger made 24 saves to earn his 21st win of the season. The Firebirds outshot the Silver Knights 36-26.
Coachella Valley’s powerplay finished the game 0-for-3 while the penalty kill went 2-for-2.