The Firebirds defeated the Henderson Silver Knights on Monday night by the final score of 5-2. Ryan Winterton recorded his first professional multi-goal game and Shane Wright had a three-point night to help lead Coachella Valley to their 20th win of the season.

Coachella Valley scored twice in the first period as Ryan Winterton and Max McCormick each found the back of the net. Ryan Winterton knocked the puck over the goal line after Cameron Hughes rang a shot off the post. Shane Wright earned the secondary assist on Winterton’s first of the night. At 15:23 of the period, Andrew Poturalski led a pass for Kole Lind into the offensive zone. Lind’s shot ricocheted off Jesper Vikman’s right pad right to McCormick for his team-leading 15th goal of the season.

Jacob Melanson extended the Firebirds’ lead to 3-0 just six minutes into the second period. After Henderson failed to clear, Melanson picked up the puck in front of the goal, spun and fired it through Vikman for his fifth goal of the season. The Silver Knights responded with a Lukas Cormier goal at 11:02 to make it 3-1.

The Firebirds regained their three-goal lead on Ryan Winterton’s second goal of the game. Wright waited out the Silver Knights defense and found Winterton at the top of the crease for a 4-1 Coachella Valley advantage.

Henderson scored 2:41 into the third period to make it a two-goal game once again. Shane Wright capped off a three-point performance with a goal at 9:22 of period three to help close out a 5-2 victory.

Ales Stezka made 28 saves for his eighth win of the season. The Firebirds put 38 shots on the Silver Knight’s net.

The win moves Coachella Valley to a 20-11-3-1 record on the season. The Firebirds went 0-for-4 on the powerplay, and the penalty kill finished the night 1-for-1.

See the game’s full box score HERE.

NEXT GAME

The Firebirds continue their homestand with another meeting against the Henderson Silver Knights on Wednesday night for $5 Beer Night. Puck drop is set for 7pm PT. Coachella Valley will host Calgary on Friday, January 19th for Pride Night, presented by Silvercrest, at 7pm. Don’t miss any of the action! Head to Ticketmaster to lock in your seat before it’s too late. Don’t forget to purchase parking in advance online at ParkWhiz.

Don’t miss a moment of Coachella Valley Firebirds’ hockey! Group, Flex, and Individual tickets for remainder of the 2023-24 season are on sale now! For more information on ticket options, click HERE or call 760-835-8778.

Stay up to date on the latest Firebirds’ news and info by visiting CVFirebirds.com and by following the team on social media @Firebirds.