The Henderson Silver Knights gave their fans a rollercoaster of a finish on Saturday night, but despite a furious late-game rally, they fell just short in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
This one had just about everything-tight goaltending, momentum swings, and a dramatic final-minute comeback-but in the end, it was the Firebirds who walked away with the extra point.
Early Pressure, Early Reward
Coachella Valley came out with purpose, and their pressure paid off late in the opening period. Logan Morrison spotted Jani Nyman open in the slot, and Nyman didn’t hesitate-he buried it past Jesper Vikman for his 10th goal in his last 12 games. That’s a heater by any standard, and the Firebirds were on the board.
But don’t let the early goal overshadow Vikman’s effort. The Silver Knights netminder was sharp in the first, turning away 14 of 15 shots, including a key deflection save in the final minutes of the frame.
Head coach Ryan Craig took notice: “I liked his first period a lot,” he said. “He’s battling for us.”
Hemmerling Answers Back
The second period started with a spark from Henderson. Ben Hemmerling found twine early, thanks to a slick passing sequence that started with Jackson Hallum threading the puck through the slot to Tanner Laczynski, who set up Hemmerling in front of the net. Hemmerling made no mistake, knotting the game at one apiece.
“Just another great play by [Laczynski],” Hemmerling said. “Hallum, nice pass through the slot there, just kind of laid it in there for [Laczynski] to do his thing…and [Laczynski] was able to find me.”
That goal gave the Silver Knights some momentum-but it didn’t last.
Firebirds Regain Control
The game took a chippy turn midway through the second, and the Firebirds seized the moment. Morrison, who had already picked up an assist, took over offensively.
First, he converted on the power play to give Coachella Valley a 2-1 lead. Just over two minutes later, he struck again, extending the Firebirds’ lead to 3-1 and putting Henderson on the ropes.
From there, Coachella Valley tightened up defensively, and with under a minute left in regulation, it looked like the Silver Knights were headed for a quiet finish.
Enter Raphael Lavoie
But Raphael Lavoie had other plans.
With 36 seconds left, Lavoie muscled his way to the front of the net and found the back of it, pulling Henderson within one. Then, in a blink, he did it again-tying the game with 16 seconds left and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Two goals in 20 seconds. Just like that, overtime.
“I thought [Lavoie] was good at the end there,” said Craig. “I think he’s working his way back still. It’s tough to come back after sitting out and playing three in four, but to his credit, he dug in at the end there and got us two big goals.”
Overtime Heartbreak
The comeback effort was gutsy, but it wasn’t enough. A penalty in overtime gave the Firebirds a golden opportunity, and Ty Nelson capitalized, sealing the win for Coachella Valley.
Still, there’s no denying the fight the Silver Knights showed down the stretch. They clawed back from the brink and nearly stole one. And now, with the All-Star break looming, the team gets a chance to regroup.
“We’ll catch our breath, for sure,” Craig said. “We played a lot of hockey in three days-some even more because of the penalties tonight… we’ll get away from it for a few days. Obviously, we’re excited about [Laczynski] representing us at the All-Star Game, but we got a push to make here in the final 29 games.”
The Silver Knights may not have come away with the win, but their late-game firepower showed they’re not going quietly. With a playoff push still in play, Saturday’s effort might be the kind of rallying point this team needs.