The defense is doing it again.
Following a three-game losing streak to end January, the Coachella Valley Firebirds have now won three in a row. And they’re doing it, largely, with defense.
Friday’s 6-1 win over the Tucson Roadrunners marked the fourth time the Firebirds have allowed fewer than two goals over their last 11 games. With the win, Coachella Valley (26-15-5) moves into a tie for third place in the American Hockey League’s Pacific Division, with the Bakersfield Condors, with 26 games remaining in the regular season.
Andrei Loshko scored the opening goal on Friday, and Jani Nyman added a second to give the Firebirds a two-goal cushion entering the third period. Logan Morrison, Eduard Šalé, Lleyton Roed and Gustav Olofsson added goals in the third period during an offensive explosion in front of 7,011 at Acrisure Arena.
Offensively, the Firebirds were crisp following the AHL All-Star break. But it is defensively where Coachella Valley continues to turn heads.
Coachella Valley has allowed just 2.1 goals per game over their last 14. They’re 10-3-1 over that stretch. The Firebirds have allowed just 19 goals (1.4/game) during 5-on-5 play during that 14-game surge, which illustrates marked improvement in the defensive zone. They allowed 2.6 goals per game during 5-on-5 action in December games.
“Guys are starting to figure out that if you defend well and you get the puck back, you’ll get rewarded,” Firebirds head coach Derek Laxdal said. “We started to do a better job of that probably after Christmas.”
Victor Ostman saved 27 shots in the game and is now 11-9-3-1 this season.
For the game, Coachella Valley was 0-for-1 on the power play but 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
Laxdal and Ostman spoke Friday about forcing turnovers on the forecheck and how that has helped the Firebirds not have to defend for such long stretches. Continuing with that, and constantly tweaking it, will be the goal.
“I just think that the number of high-danger chances have gone down drastically,” Ostman said. “So, (fewer) shots from the slot, guys are doing a better job at the net front and letting me see the puck and eating pucks, too, and blocking shots.
“And I also think we’ve been better with the puck. We don’t turn it over as much.”
The goals
First period
1-0, Firebirds. Loshko scored his fourth goal of the season, and second in three games, at the 4:28 mark. Roed and Ostman assisted on the play.
Second period
2-0. Nyman scored just 21 seconds into the period, on a jaw-dropping assist from Jagger Firkus, to give the Firebirds the two-goal lead.
Third period
3-0. Morrison scored his 24th goal of the season, on assists from Olofsson and Nyman, at the 5:53 mark.
4-0. Šalé scored his seventh goal of the season at the 9:06 mark. Loshko and Lukas Dragicevic assisted on the goal.
4-1. Tucson forward Jack Ricketts scored his third goal of the season at the 11:41 mark.
5-1. Roed scored an unassisted empty net goal at the 17:03 mark. It was his sixth goal of the season.
6-1. Olofsson scored his second goal of the season at the 18:09 mark. Loshko and Carson Rehkopf assisted.
Ice nuggets
Morrison is rather quietly headed toward the Firebirds’ single-season record for goals. The record is 32, held by Max McCormick. On his current pace, if Morrison plays all 72 regular season games this season, he’d have 37 goals by the end.
That’s fairly remarkable, considering that Morrison scored 16 goals as a rookie and 14 last season, during his second year of pro hockey. A jump to 37 would really be something, and it appears that it’s possible.
Andrew John covers the Firebirds at The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Firebirds extend win streak with another big defensive performance
Reporting by Andrew John, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
