Stars Fall to Firebirds 3-2 in Second Straight Overtime Loss


(Credit: Logan Foust/Texas Stars)

Sometimes, three periods are not enough time to decide the outcome of a game. The two-time defending Western Conference champions, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, forced the Texas Stars to play an extra period for the second night in a row.

Once again, the Firebirds did not lead for a single minute in regulation. Coachella Valley still found a way to top the Stars, this time by a 3-2 margin in overtime Saturday night at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park.

“Second half of the year, we’re going to have to find ways to win those games,” Kole Lind reflected after tonight’s loss. “That’s playoff hockey right there.”

To open the first period, it was all Stars. The two former Firebirds on the roster, Lind and Cameron Hughes, each found the back of the net to give Texas a quick 2-0 lead over Coachella Valley.

“It felt great,” Lind said about getting a goal over his former team. “It was a great play by [Curtis McKenzie]; he made an unbelievable pass to me on the backside.”

Around 40 seconds after Lind’s power play goal, the Firebirds started shaving away at their two-goal deficit, drilling the puck into the net past Magnus Hellberg late in the first.

In the waning moments of the first, Hellberg absorbed a shot from a Firebird skater freezing the puck, pausing the game for a brief moment. Hellberg skated to his bench and later went into the locker room with an apparent injury. He did not return to the game.

Swiftly putting his mask on, Remi Poirier jumped onto the ice in the wake of Hellberg's departure, closing out the opening period. After solid play by Texas for a majority of the middle frame, Emilio Pettersen's second penalty of the game set up the Firebirds for a prime opportunity to strike.

Nearing the end of their power play, Coachella Valley forward Jani Nyman found some space but his wrist shot blew right past the net. Rebounding his initial approach, Nyman quickly chipped in the puck to tie the game up at 2-2 late in the second period.

Texas played an aggressive forecheck in the overtime period, but it did not pay off as the Stars had hoped, only getting off one shot on goal. It just took one shot on goal for the Firebirds to secure victory. Forward Daniel Sprong swooped down the left side and sent Poirier jumping across his crease to attempt a save on the backhanded shot.

Poirier was too late to get to the other post, giving Coachella Valley a series sweep heading into the All-Star break. Still, Texas remains very positive despite three hard losses dating back to last week's games versus Milwaukee.

“Everything feels so much more connected,” Lind said. “We’re executing at a high level right now. We are being honest with each other and really working hard.”

Texas will return to the ice after the brief All-Star break next Friday when they take on Central Division foe Rockford at 7 PM at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.

Tonight’s lines
Stranges-Hryckowian-Lind
Hughes-Hyry-Blümel
Pettersen-Seminoff-McKenzie
Wheatcroft-Becker-Romano

Capobianco-Krys
Looft-Petrovic
Karow-White

Poirier

Injuries, scratches and notes
Bischel, McDonald, Kyrou (call-up)
Arcuri, Ertel, Punnett (scratch)

Tonight’s attendance was 6,778, Texas' sixth consecutive sellout.

AHL Gamesheet - Texas v. Coachella Valley - February 1 2025

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