AHL All-Star break & Kraken reinforcements
With the AHL All-Star festivities taking center stage for much of the past week, the Coachella Valley Firebirds only had one game on the schedule—but they made it count. Building on a three-game win streak, the Firebirds notched their fourth straight victory and their third consecutive overtime triumph. Key to this surge have been two players sent down from the Seattle Kraken: Daniel Sprong and Philipp Grubauer. Sprong has delivered clutch goals in back-to-back OT finishes, while Grubauer has posted a 2–0–0 record with a 1.95 GAA and a .933 save percentage—an impressive turnaround compared to his struggles at the NHL level this season (5–15–1, 3.83 GAA, .866 SV%). The Firebirds hope this stint in the AHL helps Grubauer rediscover his confidence, while Sprong continues to provide game-winning firepower.
Firebirds extend win streak to four with overtime thrills in San Diego
The Coachella Valley Firebirds extended their winning streak to four games with a dramatic 3–2 overtime victory over the San Diego Gulls on Friday night. After a scoreless opening frame, Ben Meyers broke the deadlock with a power-play strike early in the second, tapping home a feed from Logan Morrison (with Daniel Sprong earning the secondary assist). Less than a minute later, Ty Nelson’s shot from the right point was tipped in by Jani Nyman for his AHL-rookie-leading 18th goal, stretching the lead to 2–0. San Diego cut the deficit to one on a power-play tally by Ryan Carpenter, then pulled even early in the third period when Sam Colangelo found the net.
With the game knotted at two late in regulation, a Firebirds power play came up empty, followed by a too-many-men penalty that the penalty killers successfully navigated as the clock wound down. Just over a minute into overtime, Daniel Sprong—exiting the penalty box—picked up the puck and circled behind the Gulls’ net before firing home the winner from the slot. In his 200th career AHL game, Luke Henman contributed solid minutes, while Ben Meyers (celebrating game No. 100) led the offense with his 15th of the season. Philipp Grubauer turned aside 29 of 31 shots to earn his second win with Coachella Valley, which improved to 25-15-1-5 overall and 13-8-1-1 on the road. The victory marked the Firebirds’ third straight overtime triumph, showcasing their knack for late-game heroics as they continue their climb in the Pacific Division standings.
Key performers of the game
- Daniel Sprong – Game-winning goal in overtime and an assist, capping off another clutch performance.
- Ben Meyers – Opened the scoring on the power play in his 100th AHL game.
- Philipp Grubauer – Turned aside 29 of 31 shots to backstop the Firebirds to their fourth straight win.