After a tough emotional victory over the powerhouse Moose, San Diego dropped the next game in apathetic fashion.
It has been another week of uncertainty on the blue line as the Ducks continue to shuffle among Sustr, Mahura and Welinski; leaving the Gulls to work with what they have and attempt some semblance of defensive core.
Thoughts and Observations:
How The Pettersson Trade Affects The Gulls
With Pettersson traded to the Penguins, it means that Jacob Larsson has won the battle of the left-shooting Hampus Lindholm clones for the 3rd pairing spot on the Ducks’ blueline. It also means Josh Mahura has earned a spot as cover while Cam Fowler is out. Given Andy Welinski is still up in Anaheim also, I am assuming this means the Big Club is still deciding which of the two to give the starts to (indications from practice reports are that it is Mahura), so hopefully the Ducks send Welinski back soon and call up Sustr to sit in the press box as the spare injury cover.
Welcome Back, Megna
Megna could not have come back at a more perfect time. I can’t say for sure if the timing of his return had any effect on Murray finally pulling the trigger on the above move, but I am thankful that he waited. At least now the Gulls have AHL regulars and over-the-hill NHL veterans to work with, rather than the former with an untested ECHLer thrown in the mix.
Expect A Forward Or Two
The Pettersson trade also means an extra forward has been added to Anaheim. On the surface it looks like an obvious replacement for the oft-injured and possibly done Patrick Eaves, but it still means they will now have a healthy scratched Ben Street and now Brian Gibbons. Street was once again placed on waivers last week, so I would expect him down and he could be closely followed by potentially Kiefer Sherwood. It should also be noted that although nothing has been heard on Kevin Roy or Jack Kopacka – until something is announced we can expect either one- if not both- back at some point this season. This makes things interesting for the already deep forward ranks for the Gulls. The fourth line is always the obvious choice to start the healthy scratches, but they were by far and above the best line in the most recent loss to San Jose, and are in no way deserving of any such treatment. Eakins is going to have some tough calls on his hands in the very near future.
Meanwhile In The ECHL
Tyler Soy has gotten hot all of a sudden, and now has 11 points in 13 games. He is fifth on the Tulsa Oilers in scoring and leads the team in +/- with a +10. Amorosa and Moldenhauer have 6 points each. In Reading – Angus Redmond has had 7 starts and has a 3.37 GAA with a 0.897 Save Percentage picking up one regulation win, three regulation losses and three shoot-out losses.
Terry Leading the Way
Troy Terry now co-leads the team in scoring with 17 points and is 61st overall in the league (along with Corey Tropp). His 11-game point streak is still tops, though Cory Conacher has now tied him with an active streak. If Conacher manages to notch another point in his next contest he will overtake Terry. Troy is tied 5th overall in rookie scoring.
Standings and Special Teams Update
San Diego are unsurprisingly dead last in the Pacific in points with 18 and are tied last in points percentage with Stockton with an even .500. They along with the Condors have played the least games in the division with 18. They sit 23rd overall in the league in points percentage. On a positive note – the PowerPlay is ranked 8th at 21.5% and the Penalty Kill sits at 14th with 82.1%.
Next Up:
The Gulls return home to face the Tuscon Roadrunners yet again with the face-off tonight at 7pm Pacific Time. They then head out on the road for a two-game series in Colorado over the weekend.
San Diego Gulls 2024 Grades
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