Sports
Firebirds Advance to Pacific Division Finals After Double Overtime Thriller vs. Reign
The Coachella Valley Firebirds are moving on to the third round of the playoffs after a double overtime thriller last night against the Ontario Reign. In what was Saturday night's top story, the Firebirds secured a 3-2 victory to clinch the series and set up a Pacific Division Finals matchup against the Colorado Eagles.
NBC Palm Springs sports director Tim O’Brien was inside Toyota Arena calling the action alongside Evan Pivnick. After over 90 minutes of high-stakes hockey, the Firebirds managed to overcome the top-seeded Reign in a tense Game 5 that saw momentum swings for both sides.
Coachella Valley came out fast and strong, mirroring their performance from earlier in the series. Jani Nyman opened the scoring for the Firebirds, burying a beautiful effort past Reign goaltender Erik Portillo. While Ontario fought back to tie the game in their first elimination match of the postseason, the Firebirds regained the lead with a second goal from Oscar Fisker Mølgaard.
The Reign answered late in the third period to force overtime, shifting the pressure back onto Coachella Valley. Goaltending became the focal point of the extra frames, with Erik Portillo and Nikke Kokko both making spectacular saves to keep their seasons alive. At one point, Kokko lost his stick and was forced to make desperation saves while prone on the ice. The defensive effort was bolstered by Ty Nelson, who made a diving save across the crease to prevent a Reign goal.
The stalemate finally ended 1:47 into the second overtime. Tyson Jugnauth delivered a perfect feed off the boards to J.R. Avon, who used his speed to slip past the defender. Avon went forehand to backhand on a breakaway to beat Portillo for the game-winner, sparking a celebration in the hallway media scrum.
"I saw the D kind of go down and Juggie made a good pass to me off the boards," Avon said of his winning goal. "I just thought, I have my little signature, and it worked."
Head coach Derek Laxdal expressed immense pride in the group's character after battling back from a 2-1 series deficit. "Winning a double overtime just says a lot about the character of our group," Laxdal said. "Ontario had a hell of a year, but we’re looking forward to the next series."
The Pacific Division Finals are now set. The Firebirds will host the Colorado Eagles for Game 1 this Wednesday night, May 13, at Acrisure Arena. Game 2 will follow on Friday before the best-of-five series shifts to Colorado.
Explore NBCPalmSprings.com, where we are connecting the valley.
By: Tim O'Brien
May 10, 2026
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