In what felt like the final exam for the season both as a team and for the Center development of Trevor Zegras the Gulls faced-off against the division leading but recently slumping Henderson Silver Knights looking for vengeance of the three game sweep they suffered in Las Vegas much earlier in the season. BO Groulx was added back into the line-up and Hunter Drew was called back up to the Taxi Squad while Captain Sam Carrick was also called up to the taxi squad earlier in the week. Lukas Dostal was given the start.
The opening ten minutes was a battle for control of the neutral zone as both teams rolled all four lines while attempting to find a hole through their opponents defense. The fourth line looked much less effective than in the previous two games and it was evident that they missed Hunter Drew, while Andersson almost got caught pinching on a Henderson counter attack.
The Gulls would strike first through the Power Play as Vinni Lettieri was tripped trying to split through three defenders coming into the Henderson zone. Andrew Agozzino won the offensive zone face-off as the Gulls used the extra space allowed by the man advantage to quickly move the puck down low to the danger areas. Trevor Zegras playing the quarterback position; floated a nice pass down low to Chase De Leo who executed the “Tropp the Mic” play at the side of the net and Andrew Agozzino followed up the rebound to get the Gulls on the board first. 1-0 Gulls.
Henderson enforced a relentless forecheck that prevented San Diego from getting any clear possession for much of the next ten minutes until Henderson were called for an infraction once again when Nik Brouillard was deemed to have been hooked as he broke the puck out of the Gulls zone.
The San Diego Power Play struck once again as Josh Mahura made a great carry into the Henderson zone, left it for Andrew Agozzino who quickly got the puck back to Trevor Zegras at the point as the Silver Knights immediately rushed the talented play-maker he timed a perfect pass over to Vinni Lettieri in space. His hard shot leaving Henderson goaltender Jiri Patera no chance through traffic. 2-0 Gulls.
Henderson were given a make-up call as Trevor Carrick was found guilty of tripping down low but the Gulls did a good job of killing the start of the minor while time wound down in the period. San Diego getting off to a good start in huge part to the Power Play, heading to the first intermission ahead by two and leading in shots 12-10.
San Diego started the second with a relatively easy kill of the remainder of Trevor Carricks minor and even had an odd man chance eventuate at its conclusion but could not convert.
Henderson managed to further momentum from the carried over man advantage and drew another call as Keegan Lowe was tagged for hooking on some sustained pressure in the Gulls zone. This time the Silver Knights converted with the man advantage, taking advantage of some space down low and getting a bad angle near-side shot through Dostal courtesy of Danny O’Regan.
The Gulls were given back to back Power Plays as they regained their composure but could not continue their success with the man advantage while play resumed to a contest of neutral zone occupation.
Play began to open up in the final two minutes of the middle frame with the Gulls third and fourth lines getting some chances followed by the Silver Knights responding in kind and San Diego headed back to the penalty kill once again with Keegan Lowe once again being called for a stick infraction. Bryce Kindopp was instrumental in ensuring San Diego would survive the remainder of time in the period with the Gulls down a man and teams headed to the second intermission with the Gulls still ahead but only by one and with the slight edge in shots 24-20.
San Diego again started the period a man down but again did a good job of preventing any quality chances on Dostal. The Zegras line took back momentum as soon as the penalty expired and the man himself drew a call as he was scrum-hugged down to the ice in the Henderson zone. Andrew Agozzino had perhaps the best chance on the following man advantage but he hit the post on a one timer from the slot off of a broken play.
San Diego followed up the Power Play with consistent sustained pressure, protecting their lead with offense as they slowly but surely tilted the shot total in their favour.
Soon after Simon Benoit laid out a very audible and patented BENOITSMASH, Keegan Lowe was given his third penalty of the night for interference as he left his line to attempt an open ice hit but was deemed to have taken too long to do so. BO Groulx could have had a short handed opportunity on the following penalty kill but the Officials temporarily changed the rules to allow a Henderson player to hold his stick with no call.
The chippiness and physical play picked up and both teams exchanged penalties but the score remained the same until the final five minutes of action as Simon Benoit spotted BO Groulx ahead of the play and fired a dump-in that the rookie center got to first and tucked a nifty back-hand by Patera to make it 3-1, the first five on five goal of the night.
Henderson made the bold move of pulling their goaltender with three minutes left of action and Groulx was gifted his second of the night on an easy intercept in the neutral zone. 4-1 Gulls.
Keeping to the overall theme of the night, the Silver Knights made another push in the San Diego zone but drew a call while doing so to put an end to any momentum they were generating in the final two minutes. The Gulls comfortably ran down the clock with possession but as the final horn sounded the Silver Knights let loose their frustrations on the defacto Captain for the Gulls on the night Chase De Leo and a mini fracas broke out. Creating a basis for some great action in the rematch tomorrow as San Diego took this one 4-1.
Post Game Notes
Fun Fact
I noticed this when I checked the Henderson roster at the start of the game and it got more attention when Eliott Friedman retweeted a tweet from the Silver Knights account – but Henderson rolled with I am assuming their goal-tending coach – 48 year old Fred Brathwaite as their back-up tonight.
Special Teams Decide It
Henderson has been going through a sure-fire slump lately but they looked very dangerous in parts of the first and second period whenever they were able to get their suffocating forecheck going in the San Diego zone. It’s the exact same style they deployed in defeating the Gulls in Las Vegas. The only differences I could see this time were perhaps a lack of skill-set in their personnel this time (Dorofeyev was not playing tonight for one thing) and also the Officials making calls that they did not make in the three game set in Vegas.
No Zegras Tomorrow?
It was just announced during action of the Ducks game that Ryan Getzlaf left action due to an upper body injury so it is pretty safe to assume Trevor Zegras will get the call to be his replacement. How that looks for the Gulls given how important he and the Power Play were to them winning today – we will have to see.
San Diego Gulls 2024 Grades
Welcome to the San Diego Gulls 2023-2024 Player Grades. It has been by most accounts ̵…