Well, Game 2 went about as expected.
After the Coachella Valley Firebirds won Game 1 of their best-of-five series Wednesday, the Ontario Reign answered back emphatically Friday.
The Firebirds’ 5-1 loss to the Reign evened the series, 1-1, and now Coachella Valley will have a chance to close out the Calder Cup Playoffs series at home, with Games 3 and 4 at Acrisure Arena on Tuesday and Thursday. If the Firebirds are unable to close it out at home, a deciding Game 5 would be back in Ontario.
Following a 3-0 win on Wednesday, Coachella Valley picked right up where it left off by scoring the first goal on Friday. The Lleyton Roed goal came at the 7:52 mark of the first period and seemed to put the Reign back on their heels once again.
But Logan Brown answered back for Ontario to tie the score entering the first intermission, before Glenn Gawdin scored in the second period to give the Reign a 2-1 lead entering the second intermission.
Cole Guttman scored just 15 seconds into the third, issuing a major blow to a potential Firebirds comeback, and Francesco Pinelli scored a short-handed goal to increase Ontario’s lead to 4-1. The final goal came from Martin Chromiak on an empty net, with the Firebirds pulling goalie Nikke Kokko to get an extra skater on the ice.
The Firebirds were 0-for-5 on the power play and did not have to kill off a single penalty. Coachella Valley is 3-0 when scoring on the power play in these playoffs and 0-2 when they don’t score on the power play.
After a Game 1 shutout, Kokko saved 19 shots Friday. Pheonix Copley started in the net for Erick Portillo, who started Game 1 for the Reign, and Copley saved 34 shots to get the win.
Coachella Valley outshot Ontario, 35-24. For the series, the Firebirds have outshot the Reign, 68-47.
The Firebirds and Reign are playing to reach the Pacific Division finals, against either the Colorado Eagles or the Henderson Silver Knights. The winner of the Pacific Division will then play in the Western Conference Finals.
Schedule for Coachella Valley Firebirds vs. Ontario Reign
Colorado tops Henderson
In the other Pacific Division semifinal, Colorado topped Henderson, 1-0, on Friday. Alex Barré-Boulet scored the lone goal.
The shutout was significant, as Henderson scored the most regular season goals (263) in the American Hockey League. But Colorado has allowed just a single goal in three playoff games this month.
That series will continue Monday.
Andrew John covers the Firebirds for 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 fall to Reign in Game 2, series now tied 1-1
Reporting by Andrew John, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
