Firebirds rally from three-goal deficit to beat Silver Knights 4-3 in Henderson
The Coachella Valley Firebirds erased a three-goal deficit on the road to beat the Henderson Silver Knights and avenge a Jan. 17 loss with a 4-3 win in Chris Driedger's return to the lineup.
Luke Henman scored his third goal of the season to start Coachella Valley's rally late in the first period. Shane Wright then scored his team-leading 16th goal of the season (tied with Max McCormick) and Andrew Poturalski scored his eighth on a power play to tie the game early in the third period.
Rookie forward Ryan Winterton scored the game-winning goal at the 4:51 mark of the third.
With the win, the Firebirds (23-12-3-1) are now in a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with the Tucson Roadrunners.
Coachella Valley now has a league-best 15 road wins this season, having lost just four road games in regulation and another in overtime.
On Wednesday, Henderson scored three times in the opening period, all on power plays. Daniil Miromanov scored first, with a penalty shot goal at the 9:29 mark, followed quickly by an Adam Cracknell goal at 9:48. Both goals stemmed from a five-minute major and game misconduct called against Firebirds’ forward Cameron Hughes.
Daniel D’Amato then netted another powerplay goal for the Silver Knights with 1:32 left in the period.
Coachella Valley responded with 35 seconds left in the opening frame as Henman was pushed into the Henderson net. Initially called no goal for goaltender interference, the referees converged and overturned the call.
The Firebirds dominated the second period, tying their franchise record in shots on goal in a period with 21 and scoring to pull themselves within a goal.
After Poturalskin tied the game, and the Firebirds took the lead at the 4:51 mark as Logan Morrison skated down the left wing and put a backhander off the side of the net. Morrison rebounded the puck and put it in the crease where Winterton crashed the net to make it 4-3.
Coachella Valley held Henderson to nine shots on goal in the final 40 minutes of the game to secure the victory.
Driedger, who was reassigned by the Seattle Kraken this week, after seven weeks of NHL action, made 20 saves in the victory, moving his record this season to 10-5-1.
Coachella Valley outshot the Henderson 39-22 and finished 1-for-1 on the powerplay and 1-for-4 on the penalty kill.
The Firebirds will now travel to Texas to face the Stars on Friday and Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Firebirds score four unanswered goals in 4-3 win over Silver Knights
