The Firebirds defeated the Calgary Wranglers on Monday at the Scotiabank Saddledome by the final score of 6-1. John Hayden scored a pair of goals in the Firebirds first win of 2024.
The Firebirds opened the scoring in the first period on John Hayden’s second goal of the season. Logan Morrison fired the puck off the pads of Calgary netminder Dustin Wolf, ricocheting onto the stick of Hayden who forced it five-hole to give Coachella Valley the 1-0 lead. Marian Studenic earned the secondary assist on the tally at 5:09 of the opening frame. The Wranglers tied the game 34 seconds later on a Yan Kuznetsov goal.
Coachella Valley exploded for three goals in the second period to lead 4-1 after forty minutes of play. Kole Lind snapped an eight-game goalless drought with a powerplay goal at 3:57 with the assists belonging to Ryker Evans and Tucker Robertson. Jacob Melanson added another powerplay goal at 6:33 as he found the puck in his skates after Cameron Hughes centered it from behind the net. Melanson’s goal was his third of the season and Cale Fleury earned the secondary helper.
John Hayden redirected home his second goal of the game as Evans moved the puck from the boards right to Hayden’s stick. Robertson picked up his second assist of the game on Hayden’s third of the season at 11:02.
Andrew Poturalski and Ryan Winterton added goals in the third period as Coachella Valley went on to defeat Calgary 6-1. The Firebirds outshot the Wranglers 40-30.
Ales Stezka made 29 saves in the victory that moves Coachella Valley to a 16-10-2-0 record on the season. The Firebirds powerplay went 2-for-5 and the penalty kill finished the night 2-for-2.
See the game’s full box score HERE.
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