Coachella Valley Inches Closer to Securing Home Ice in Postseason in OT Defeat to San Diego
The Coachella Valley Firebirds, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, fell to the San Diego Gulls in overtime on Sunday at Acrisure Arena by the final score of 4-3. Oscar Mølgaard recorded his AHL first goal and Ben Meyers notched three points in the loss, moving the Firebirds record to 37-24-4-5.
Coachella Valley opened the scoring 1:34 into the first period as Ben Meyers found a loose puck right in front of the San Diego net. Jani Nyman and Ty Nelson earned the assists on Meyers 23rd goal of the season. The Firebirds extended their lead at 16:21 as Jagger Firkus ripped a shot over the glove hand of Calle Clang for his 15th of the season. Nik Brouillard’s outlet pass located Firkus at the red line. Meyers picked up his second point of the game with the secondary assist.
The Gulls cashed in twice inside the final 2:58 of the second period to tie the game. Jan Mysak and Yegor Sidorov each beat Victor Ostman to make it 2-2 after forty minutes.
The Firebirds regained their lead with 8:21 remaining in the third period as Charlie Wright slid the puck to Oscar Mølgaard at the right circle, beating Clang on a one-time to make it 3-2. Meyers recorded his third point of the game on Mølgaard’ goal, the first in the American Hockey League for the 2023 second round Seattle Kraken draft pick.
San Diego pulled their goaltender inside the final minutes and Coachella Valley’s Max Lajoie was called for cross-checking with just eight seconds remaining in regulation. Roland McKeown scored the game-tying goal off the faceoff as his team was on a 6-on-4 advantage, sending the game to overtime.
Nico Myatovic won the game for the Gulls 2:52 into overtime on the first shot of the extra session to secure the extra point for San Diego and limit Coachella Valley to just one point earned.
The Firebirds earned their 83rd point of the season, maintaining their fourth place spot in the Pacific Division and moving them one point away from securing home ice for the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Coachella Valley was outshot by San Diego 34-30. Victor Ostman made 31 saves on 34 shots as his record falls to 2-1-2.
The Firebirds and the Gulls will finish out their regular season series this Saturday, April 19th at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.
Fan Appreciation Night!
Coachella Valley concludes their homestand this Friday, April 18th for their final regular season game at 6 p.m. PT for Fan Appreciation Night presented by Acrisure!
Group Tickets Still Available!
Group tickets are also on sale! For groups of 10 or more, take advantage of special ticket discounts and the opportunity to avoid taxes and fees when attending a game. Don’t miss out – lock in your tickets today and be part of the excitement! Bring you group to a game.
Firebirds Playoff Presale!
The Firebirds are gearing up for 2025 Postseason presented by Spotlight 29 Casino. Secure your 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs seats before anyone else! While exact dates and opponents are yet to be determined, don’t miss your chance to be a part of another electric year of playoff hockey. Sign up now for exclusive presale access and be among the first to grab playoff tickets before they go on sale to the public.
Season Tickets on Sale Now!
Season ticket memberships for the 2025-26 season are on sale now! Join the Firebirds family and secure your seats for another thrilling season of action.
Premium Seating at Firebirds’ Games
Experience the game like never before with Firebirds’ Premium Seating! Experience access to the VIP amenities from the comfort of one of several club options located throughout Acrisure Arena. Deposits are currently accepting deposits for our exclusive, sold-out premium areas.
Stay up to date on the latest Firebirds’ news and info by visiting CVFirebirds.com and by following the team on social media @Firebirds.
