Firebirds secure improbable comeback win over Ontario Reign at sold-out Acrisure Arena

Dan Bylsma had some concern last Friday that his team could be sluggish on the ice following three days off for the holidays. And for at least one period Wednesday night, the worries of the Coachella Valley Firebirds head coach were validated.

But it turns out the sloppy defense and clumsy offense the Firebirds exhibited early versus the Ontario Reign were merely a prelude to a huge comeback and massive 7-6 win in front of a roaring, sold-out crowd at Acrisure Arena.

Firebirds forward Andrew Poturalski wrapped the puck around the net and managed to get it past Ontario goaltender Cal Peterson for the game-winning goal with just over a minute to play to give Coachella Valley what once seemed like an improbable victory. The Firebirds had not held the lead on Wednesday until that final minute.

"I took the time in space and drove the net and tried to get guys to come to me," Poturalski said. "I just wrapped it around and got it in front of the net and good things happened. It got a good bounce and I was really fired up that it went in."

The Firebirds (18-6-3) are now tied for first place, with the Calgary Wranglers, in the Pacific Division and have won eight of 11 games in the month of December.

Coachella Valley has won three of four inside their new, $500 million arena, which opened Dec. 18. The Firebirds beat the Tucson Roadrunners on that night to open the building, before a loss in a rematch game two nights later. Last Friday, before taking a short break, the Firebirds beat the Henderson Silver Knights 1-0 with a goal with just over six minutes to play.

The run at Acrisure Arena took a downward spiral in the first period on Wednesday. The Firebirds allowed two goals in the first four minutes and in an instant had fallen behind by two goals.

Bylsma said that getting “punched in the face” with two early goals seemed to wake the team up, but they couldn't seem to get back into the game. Each time Bylsma's team would score a goal, they'd allow another.

“You look up and it’s 5-3, then 6-4, and you think it’s out of reach,” Bylsma said. “But I think the guys, the whole game but especially the last two periods, played like, ‘Hey, we’re not going to be denied.’”

Entering the final period, trailing by two goals, Bylsma replaced goaltender Joey Daccord, whom Bylsma referred to as his best player. Daccord had secured his second shutout of the season on Friday versus Henderson. It may have been his best game of the season.

But with the defense not playing well early on, the Firebirds allowed four goals in the first period. Bylsma said he intended to stick with Daccord for the entire game. After the sixth goal at the end of the second period, the coach opted to give his second goaltender, Chris Gibson, a shot in goal.

"Give Gibson a ton of credit," Bylsma said. "He made 3-4 really big saves. A glove save and a scramble save. He made 2-3 really big ones to keep it at six and give our guys a chance to come back."

Gibson made 11 saves in the final period to help secure the win.

Coachella Valley trailed by two goals entering the third period, before Jimmy Schuldt scored a short-handed goal -- the first of three goals in the final period -- with teammate Max McCormick scoring the second to tie the game at six apiece.

"The whole game was a roller coaster of emotions," McCormick said. "We were definitely feeding off the fans. You could feel the momentum and the chances we were getting.

"I don't think we lost belief at any point in the game that we could come back and win the game."

The goals

1-0, Ontario: Reign forward Austin Wagner scored the first goal of the night on a close-range slapshot just 2:33 into the first period. Samuel Helenius and Jacob Moverare assisted.

2-0: Not long after Wagner found the back of the cage, teammate Samuel Fagemo fired a rebound shot past Daccord for his eighth goal of the season. Alex Turcotte and Cameron Gaunce were credited with assists on the play.

2-1: Exactly a minute later, Coachella Valley left winger Carsen Twarynski answered back to put the Firebirds on the board just 4:49 into the game. Schuldt made the pass to Ville Petman, who drew two defenders on the break before firing the puck to Twarynski, who was streaking down the middle of the ice and had a clean look at the goal.

3-1: Turcotte extended the Reign’s lead back to two goals 14:14 into the period, when he fired the puck past Daccord on the first power play goal of the game. Martin Chromiak and Aiden Dudas assisted.

3-2: Just over a minute later, Kole Lind scored his 13th goal of the season on a Firebirds power play to keep the game within reach. Jesper Frödén and Ryker Evans found Lind alone from the right wing, and Lind quickly smacked the puck into the net.

4-2: Lias Andersson extended Ontario’s lead back to two goals with his ninth of the season on an assist from TJ Tynan 18:29 into the first period.

5-2: Ontario extended the lead to its largest of the game when Wager found the back of the net for the second time on the night. Tobias Bjornfot and Helge Grans assisted on the play.

5-3: The Firebirds began what appeared to look like a comeback with an unassisted goal by left winger Cameron Hughes at 8:35 into the second period. Hughes scored the first goal inside Acrisure Arena on Dec. 18 and this goal made his second in four games in this building. He has recorded just one other goal all season.

5-4: Two minutes later, Lind assisted on a Tye Kartye breakaway goal that brought the home crowd to its feet. It was about as load as Acrisure Arena has been in four hockey games played here.

6-4: Tynan pulled the puck around the cage and snuck it past Daccord to foil the Firebirds’ hopes for tying the score heading into the third period. Gibson replaced Daccord after the goal.

6-5: Five minutes into the third period, and short-handed, Schuldt managed to break free through the Reign defense and teammate McCormick found him in the opening. Schuldt fired the puck into the net, prompting a massive roar from the crowd.

6-6: McCormick then scores at 11:47 into the third period to tie the game on an assist from Lind.

7-6: Poturalski nets the final goal of the game on assists from Hughes and McCormick.

Firebirds' player of the game

Poturalski has to get the nod here. If he's not the player of the game after scoring the game-winning goal to cap a comeback win in front of a sell out crowd at home, then who is?

That said, Schuldt deserves some recognition for his performance, as does McCormick. Schuldt ended the game with an assist and a short-handed goal that essentially ignited a three-goal third period for the Firebirds.

“We had to come back from two goals a couple times,” Bylsma said. “But I thought the short-handed goal in the third period was a huge, huge thing.”

McCormick’s goal then tied the game and put Coachella Valley in position to win the game in the final moments. McCormick scored that goal and assisted on the Firebirds’ two others as part of that three-goal third period rally.

But Poturalski was the hero Wednesday. The goal was his second in the first four games at Acrisure Arena, and his eighth of the season. This one was the most meaningful of the eight.

Next game

Friday: The Firebirds will travel to San Jose to face the Barracuda (13-16) on Friday and Saturday.

Coachella Valley will then return home for a stretch of six consecutive home games, starting Jan. 4 versus the Colorado Eagles. Colorado (18-9-2) is just behind the Firebirds in the Pacific Division standings.

Andrew John covers sports in the Coachella Valley and beyond for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.