Lavoie, Brabenec Lead Henderson to 6-2 Win Over Firebirds

The Henderson Silver Knights exploded early and rode that burst to a 6-2 victory over the Coachella Valley Firebirds at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. The visitors opened a multi-goal lead, controlled large stretches of the game and held off any Firebirds rallies to close out the road win.

Raphael Lavoie and Martin Brabenec were described in the game report as leading the charge for Henderson in the 6-2 result. The original report notes the visitors “exploded early” and “opening a multi-goal lead,” identifying Lavoie and Brabenec as the primary markers of Henderson’s offensive surge in the win at Acrisure Arena (also listed in some sources as Acrisure Arena, Thousand Palms, CA).

Lavoie’s performance has been a storyline all month. In a Feb. 7 game against Coachella Valley he scored two late goals to pull the Silver Knights even and force overtime; on that occasion the coach said, “I thought [Lavoie] was good at the end there. I think he’s working his way back still,” and added, “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.” That prior burst set the table for Henderson’s emphatic showing in Palm Desert.

Henderson’s attack has had supporting contributors in recent meetings between the clubs. Ben Hemmerling scored in a Feb. 7 contest and described the sequence as, “Just another great play by [Tanner Laczynski],” adding, “[Jackson] 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.” Those passing connections and finishes were visible in Henderson’s early domination in the 6-2 game, according to the game summary.

The win shifts the recent series narrative after a pair of tight Coachella Valley victories in early February. Flashscore head-to-head entries show Jan. 11 (Henderson 2, Coachella Valley 3) and consecutive Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 results listed as 4-3 wins for the Firebirds. Coachella Valley had prevailed in multiple 4-3 encounters this month, with players such as Jani Nyman and Logan Morrison featuring in those outcomes, before Henderson flipped the script with the 6-2 road result.

Standings context from a Flashscore Pacific Division snapshot lists Coachella Valley with 59 points in 50 games and Henderson with 50 points in 47 games; the Feb. 26 win gives Henderson momentum while the Firebirds remain ahead in the standings. Official boxscore details for goal-by-goal scoring, goaltender decisions, shots and attendance were not included in the available source material and should be confirmed via the AHL or club boxscore for a complete statistical ledger and postgame quotes.