Marody scores twice, Terness shines in Firebirds' 4-1 win in San Jose

Logan Terness did more than survive his first AHL start in the spotlight. He turned it into a signal that Coachella Valley may have another playoff-usable answer in net, stopping 34 of 35 shots as the Firebirds beat San Jose 4-1 at Tech CU Arena.

The Firebirds needed that kind of stability because the Barracuda pressed hard and actually outshot Coachella Valley 35-31. San Jose generated chances all night, but Terness held the game together long enough for the visitors to cash in on a fast start and a late surge. The result gave Coachella Valley a road win built on goaltending depth, the kind of performance that matters in April when every point reshapes the Pacific Division race.

Coachella Valley struck twice in 51 seconds to seize control early. Logan Morrison opened the scoring at 5:21 of the first period, and John Hayden followed at 6:12 to make it 2-0 before the Barracuda could settle in. San Jose, which entered the night two points behind the Firebirds and in the middle of a stretch that had seen it lose four straight and eight of nine, had a chance to drag the game back when Quentin Musty scored on a five-on-three power play early in the third. Musty’s goal, his 20th of the season, cut the lead to 2-1 and briefly made the finish feel precarious.

That was when Cooper Marody took over. He restored the two-goal margin at 12:33 of the third period, then added his second of the night at 14:48 to put the result away. Marody’s goals were his 11th and 12th of the season, a timely burst that turned a tight third period into a comfortable finish. Laurent Brossoit made 27 saves on 31 shots for San Jose in the loss.

The Firebirds finished 0-for-2 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill, but the larger takeaway was the one Terness delivered. Coachella Valley had already clinched a 2026 Calder Cup Playoff berth on April 4 after an overtime win over Abbotsford, and this win pushed the club to 40-24-6-0 with a trip to San Diego to face the Gulls set for April 18. In a division race where postseason positioning still matters, the Firebirds left San Jose with more than two points. They left with a stronger read on their goaltending depth when it counts most.