Taking a huge 2-1 win in a bruising match with the Colorado Eagles the San Diego Gulls headed north after a well deserved All Star break.
With Blake McLaughlin sent to Tulsa earlier in the week I had expected the return of Jacob Perreault to the line-up but as the starting lines were announced he was absent – but no longer listed as injured under the scratches. Travis Howe saw the first action he had in weeks if not months as he came onto the fourth line with Jaxsen Wiebe drawing back out. All other lines and pairings remained the same.
Tomas Suchanek was given the start with Alex Stalock backing up.
As mentioned – Jacob Perreault was no longer listed as injured but joined the healthy scratches Jaxsen Wiebe, Calle Clang, Robert Hagg and Luca Profaca.
First Period:
Looking for the elusive first ever victory over the Wranglers since the former Stockton Heat moved to Calgary things did not start out well for the Gulls as Travis Howe was a little overzealous in his return to the ice, taking a hooking penalty less than three minutes in.
Killing the minor the Gulls went right to the attack and caught the Wranglers napping in front of their own net as Chase De Leo joined a foray in front late to find and deposit a loose puck. 1-0 Gulls.
The Wranglers launched an immediate response, firing the next seven shots on the Gulls net as Andrew Agozzino was called for slashing. The Gulls once again escaped the infraction unscathed and went right back to the attack, getting another tally right in front after some more poor coverage from the Wranglers. Judd Caulfield given too much time in the crease to make it 2-0 after a great pass from Gawdin. 2-0 Gulls.
Calgary again tried to respond but Suchanek was determined to keep the crowd quiet as he turned aside a further eight shots on the frame while the Gulls played an intelligent and measured game on the road to minimize any odd man rushes or potential high danger opportunities.
The Gulls taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission but on the wrong side of the shot total that saw the Wranglers frustrated to the tune of 16-4.
The shot map showing the Gulls capitalizing on their opportunities while the Wranglers throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Suchanek and getting no show for it.
Second Period: San Diego Gulls 2 – Calgary Wranglers 0
Play was back and forth to begin the second before the Gulls were given a rare five on three man advantage after Ben Jones was given a double minor for high sticking and then Iila Solovyov was whistled for hooking just six seconds later.
A perfect zone entry and pull up allowed the Gulls to get set with time and space. Chase De Leo worked this space to his advantage as he faked attacking the net and drew two defenders to him before pulling back and then wiring a perfect pass through the wide open lane created by the move. Glenn Gawdin one-timing his pass straight into the net before veteran goaltender Oscar Dansk could get across. 3-0 Gulls.
As time approached the midway point of the second the Gulls were still looking the more well-rested team particularly as they convincingly killed yet another minor, this time to Tyson Hinds for holding.
Whether it was the NHL ice or the All Star break rest – San Diego looked a completely different team as they ran circles around the Wranglers. Josh Lopina receiving a pass from Nathan Gaucher as he drove a lane and completed a very nifty backhand move to make it 4-0 Gulls.
Pavol Regenda almost made it 5-0 minutes later once again at the end of a pretty passing play that looked so good it almost seemed like a computer simulation. The big Slovakian winger hitting the post at the last moment after a perfect pass from Tyson Hinds on a three on two rush.
Calgary tried to get on the board in the final few minutes but despite getting a couple more shots on Suchanek via some turnovers caused by mental lapses but the Czech netminder was steadfast in keeping the home team off the board. Shots were 13-12 Calgary on the period with the Gulls taking a 4-0 lead into the third period despite being out shot 29-16.
Third Period: San Diego Gulls 4 – Calgary Wranglers 0
It was all Calgary for the first eight and a half minutes of play as they buzzed the San Diego zone, winning puck battles but still struggling to get anything in close on Suchanek. Killing yet another minor – this time to Lopina, the Gulls were given some reprieve soon after erasing the penalty as Olen Zellweger was tripped coming out of his own zone.
It would be that one and the same Olen Zellweger who then asked the question. Why bother to get set on the Power Play when you can simply rush it yourself? As he took the puck from his own end, surprised the Calgary blue line by electing to not drop the puck in neutral zone and taking it in himself with speed, splitting the defense to squeeze through and head to the net before sliding a pass across to Chase De Leo at the left side post. 5-0 Gulls.
Another minor to the Gulls was again inconsequential as Suchanek looked completely locked in throughout the entire two minute sequence and as San Diego killed off the infraction once again, they headed back to the Power Play on a slashing call.
Playing conservatively with the man advantage the Gulls elected to further run the clock and kept things close to further frustrate Calgary in the final few minutes. San Diego skating away with the 5-0 victory and Tomas Suchaneks second AHL shutout.
Post Game Notes:
Gulls Still Peaking?
Was this the Gulls best game of the season so far? It sure looked like it. It feels like I have said that a lot recently and they are only getting better each time I say it. I haven’t seen passing like that at all this season, every rush, every breakout, near flawless. The only issues that remained were turnovers in the defensive zone after a physical and intensive fore-check which has been the Gulls archilles heel all season but that’s all. Not to take away from the performance but the Gulls also cashed in on some great timing in terms of the Wranglers losing four regular players to call-up including star goaltender Dustin Wolf. They still had their top five scorers so it wasn’t a complete gutting but it wasn’t even close out there – San Diego made them look like a squad that were still learning systems and each-other. I’d expect the Wranglers to look completely different tomorrow but then again – perhaps San Diego have finally gelled and are just now starting that unstoppable roll toward the playoffs.
Injury Update
As mentioned, it sounds like Perreault is ready to return but it was also noted that Brayden Tracey appeared to be missing since midway through the second period. I did not see what happened. The injury luck for those two continues to hamper their development.
Specials Teams and Standings Update
The Gulls recent run of success can also be partially contributed to their special teams. They are now 6th in the division on the PP, 14th in the league with a 18.2% and 6th in the division on the PK, 17th in the league with an 81.9% kill rate. The win puts them just five points behind Henderson and Bakersfield who play later today against Ontario and San Jose respectively. You can expect Bakersfield to likely take that one and the other is a toss up given the Reign are currently on a 4 game slide. San Diego is now just seven points behind them. It is shaping up to be an absolute dog fight for those final few playoff spots in the Pacific with the inevitable trade deadline changes playing a big part of in the coming weeks. Hold onto your butts!
Mentions
What more can you say about Olen Zellweger? It took him – like the rest of the team – a bit to get settled but he has been coming on and as expected since his return from the NHL he has looked even faster, more determined as well as willing and able to try things he would not have had the confidence to try before. That end to end rush and setup for De Leo on the fifth goal was pure poetry and a prime example of how he can take over a game by himself, something we knew he could do – it was just a matter of time. He is sixth in assists in rookie scoring and third in rookie scoring by defenders.
The Captain is leading the way also – Chase De Leo now has seven points in his last three games and is almost back to being a point per game player with 22 points in 24 games.
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