Coachella Valley Firebirds
Perfect Performance by Backup Goalie Gives Firebirds Win Over Abbotsford
(CNS) – Callum Booth stopped all 19 shots he faced in relief of Christopher Gibson and had an assist as the Coachella Valley Firebirds defeated the Abbotsford Canucks, 7-4, Sunday evening in Seattle.
Firebirds coach Dan Bylsma replaced Gibson after Michael Regush’s short-handed goal two minutes, 12 seconds into the second period tied the score, 4-4.
Booth and Gibson both made their debuts with the Firebirds Sunday. Joey Daccord was recalled by the Firebirds’ NHL parent team, the Seattle Kraken, earlier Sunday after playing each of their first three games.
p n W 🔥 #IgniteTheSeason pic.twitter.com/3NUbJ9ebGB
— x – Coachella Valley Firebirds (@Firebirds) October 24, 2022
John Hayden gave the Firebirds (3-1-0-0) the lead for good when he scored at 4:30 of the second period off assists by Austin Poganski and Booth. Firebirds defenseman Ryker Evans scored his first professional goal at 11:38 of the second period.
Poganski scored an empty-net goal with four seconds left in the third period in front of a crowd announced at 8,724 Climate Pledge Arena, the Kraken’s home arena.
Firebirds defenseman Jimmy Schuldt opened the scoring 31 seconds into the game. Tye Kartye and Carsen Twarynski also scored for the Firebirds in the first period, which ended in a 3-3 tie.
Abbotsford (2-2-0-0) scored on three of its eight first-period shots against Gibson, who has played 16 games in the NHL, including two with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2020-21 season. Yushiroh Hirano scored on a power- play goal at 3:01, Christian Wolanin an even-strength goal at 7:01 and Danila Klimovich a power-play goal at 12:51.
Both teams took 28 shots.
Gibson made five saves.
Arturs Silovs (2-1-0-0) made 21 for the Canucks, the Vancouver Canucks’ American Hockey League affiliate.
The game was the Firebirds’ second of four in the Seattle area. Because Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms is under construction, the Firebirds will begin the season by playing 18 road games and four in the Seattle area before their first home game on Dec. 18.
A @Firebirds GOAL in the first minute!
Sunday Funday is off to a hot start 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qbjZXzVopk
— Climate Pledge Arena (@ClimateArena) October 24, 2022
Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.
By: Ceci Partridge
October 24, 2022
