The Coachella Valley Firebirds recorded a franchise-low 15 shots on Wednesday but also had what may have been the most efficient, and most exciting, offensive sequence of the season.
That and a strong defensive stand in the final minutes led the Firebirds to a crucial 3-2 win over the Ontario Reign in Game 1 of their Pacific Division championship series. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is Friday, again inside Acrisure Arena.
"It's just the start," Firebirds head coach Dan Bylsma said. "You've got to anticipate this being a long, drawn-out battle and a difficult series. The game played out exactly how we anticipated it would. It was going to be a close one, there wasn't a lot of offense and we had to batten down the hatches at the end."
The 15 shots were the fewest in a single game that the Firebirds have recorded in their two seasons in the American Hockey League. They recorded 17 shots in a game twice last season.
It likely would have cost the Firebirds had it not been for a sequence late in the first period that gave Coachella Valley two goals in 62 seconds.
Trailing 1-0, Firebirds captain Max McCormick scored to even the game. Then, at the very end of the following shift, teammate Devin Shore scored following a barrage of shots that completely turned the momentum of the game. Prior to Shore's goal, the home crowd of 7,633 rose to its feet in anticipation and finally erupted once the puck hit the back of the net.
"Dan said that was the best offensive zone shift of the year," blueliner Jimmy Schuldt said, "and I agree. That's as fun as it gets, when the fans are that excited.
"That gives us the momentum and we seriously fed off of that."
Schuldt later scored what ultimately became the game-winning goal in the second period to give the Firebirds a 3-1 lead. After Ontario cut the lead to 3-2 on a power play early in the third period, Coachella Valley held firm defensively in the midst of an onslaught late in the game that included a 6-on-5 Ontario advantage after pulling goalie Erick Portillo.
The Reign ended the game with 31 shots, but Firebirds netminder Chris Driedger saved 29 of them. Bylsma said that he counted eight or nine blocked shots by defensemen in the final six minutes of the game, and that Driedger was up to the task of stopping all of the pucks that reached him down the stretch.
Driedger, who'll turn 30 on Saturday, has saved 60 shots and allowed just two goals in his last two games. For the postseason, his goals-against average is 2.35 or 92.3%.
For the game, the Firebirds were 0-for-2 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Coachella Valley has now won four consecutive postseason games and is 6-1 in the first game of a playoff series.
The goals
1-0, Reign. Ontario forward Andre Lee scored the first goal of the series at the 4:24 mark of the first period. Lee had a fairly wide open shot at the goal through the Coachella Valley defense, firing the shot off a pass from teammate Taylor Ward.
1-1. McCormick scored on a shot that bounced off multiple players and into the goal at the 14:37 mark of the first period, which brought the home crowd to its feet. Andrew Poturalski and Gustav Olofsson assisted on the play.
2-1, Firebirds. A minute after McCormick's goal, Shore scored his fourth goal of the postseason. With the Firebirds pressuring the puck on the forecheck, the home crowd rose to its feet as Coachella Valley nearly scored several times before Shore tipped Connor Carrick's shot. After the goal found the back of the net, the crowd again shot to its feet as the arena came to life with a sea of red rally towels waving.
3-1. Schuldt one-timed the puck into the net for the lone goal of the second period to give Coachella Valley a two-goal lead into the second intermission. Rookie forwards Logan Morrison and Jacob Melanson assisted on the play.
3-2. Samuel Fagemo, Ontario's leading scorer during the regular season, scored on a power play within the first minute of the third period to cut the Firebirds' lead to a single goal.
Firebirds' player of the game
This one goes to Schuldt, who not only scored the game-winning goal but also made a couple big blocks at the end of the game to help the Firebirds secure the victory. Coachella Valley's defense at the end of the game set the tone for the series, and Schuldt was at the forefront of that.
Andrew John covers the Firebirds for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.
Most Popular
Comments / 0