Firebirds unable to sustain pressure in season-ending loss to Eagles
Coachella Valley had won its previous four elimination games this postseason, but couldn't pull out a fifth on Wednesday
This one will sting a little for the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The Firebirds nearly staved off elimination one more time on Wednesday, but a miraculous five-minute stretch from the Colorado Eagles instead ended Coachella Valley's 2025-26 season in Loveland, Colorado. Coachella Valley held a two-goal lead before Colorado scored three goals in a span of fewer than five minutes midway through the second period.
Neither team scored in the third period, allowing the Eagles to hold onto a 3-2 win that clinched the Pacific Division title. Colorado won the best-of-five series, 3-1, with the Firebirds winning only Game 2. The Firebirds beat the Bakersfield Condors and Ontario Reign in the first and second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, winning four times when facing elimination.
That good fortune ran out Wednesday. "We love our start in these last two games," Firebirds head coach Derek Laxdal said. "But we couldn't maintain the pressure.
" Forward Jagger Firkus scored in the first period, before defenseman Ville Ottavainen added his first goal of the postseason early in the second period. Eagles forward Bryan Yoon scored his first goal of the playoffs at the 6:45 mark of the second on a fluky goal that fluttered in after hitting a Firebird stick. Tristen Nielson added another goal for Colorado on a power play two minutes later to tie the game.