The Firebirds defeated the Bakersfield Condors on Saturday night at Acrisure Arena by the final score of 4-2. Jani Nyman scored twice in a 28 second span during the first period to help the Firebirds gain two points and pick up the team’s first win on home ice since February 23rd.
Bakersfield opened the scoring 1:06 into the game as Ronnie Attard’s shot from the left circle beat Nikke Kokko on the Condors’ first shot of the game. The Firebirds tied the game as Jani Nyman blasted a shot from the center point past Olivier Rodrigue. Nyman struck again 28 seconds later as he was set up by Ben Meyers and Oscar Mølgaard (first AHL point) for his 28th of the season. Nyman has tied Tye Kartye for the most goals by a rookie in Firebirds history.
Cale Fleury took a shot from the right point that hit off the inside of the left post and went in for his seventh goal of the season. Nik Brouillard and Jacob Melanson earned the assists on the strike to make it a 3-1 game. Jagger Firkus extended Coachella Valley’s lead to three at 14:38 of the first period after he received a feed from Brouillard with Fleury earning the secondary assist. Brouillard finished the game with three assists.
The Condors scored halfway through the third period to cut the Firebirds’ lead to two on a goal from Jacob Perreault. Bakersfield pulled their netminder for the extra attacker in the closing minutes of the third period, but Coachella Valley closed out the game with a 4-2 win.
With the win, the Firebirds’ record improves to 37-24-3-5 on the season but earned their 81st and 82nd points of the season, maintaining their fourth-place spot in the Pacific Division. Coachella Valley outshot Bakersfield 29-23. Nikke Kokko stopped 21 of 23 shots to secure his 20th win of the season and has held his opponents to two or fewer goals in 10 of his last 11 games.
The Firebirds concluded their regular season series with the Condors, finishing with 5-1-2-1 record. The victory also snapped the team’s five-game home winless streak.
To view the game’s full box score, click HERE.
