Brouillard Sets Career High, Gulls Lose 5-4 To Canucks | San Diego Gulls

Dec 14, 2022

By Brett Pickler/SanDiegoGulls.com

The San Diego Gulls misplaced to the Abbotsford Canucks 5-4 in an exhilarating recreation at Pechanga Enviornment San Diego.

San Diego entered the night time making an attempt to knock off a powerful Abbotsford crew who gained seven out of their final 10 video games. The sport didn’t begin off within the Gulls’ favor because the Canucks scored 1:07 into the sport off a bobbled puck that popped over the top of goaltender Daniel Mannella. Canucks middle Lane Pederson snuck behind the protection to transform on the unfastened puck.

The Gulls didn’t again down; proper wing Rocco Grimaldi attacked the Canucks’ internet after receiving a move. He wristed the puck by an Abbotsford defender and beat the goalie on the blocker facet, tying the sport at 1-1 simply 22 seconds after Abbotsford’s purpose. Nonetheless, the sport didn’t keep tied because the Canucks added one other three targets within the opening interval. Their second purpose resulted from a scramble in entrance of the online, leaving a unfastened puck and an open internet for left wing Arshdeep Bains. Pederson would rating two extra instances, finishing his hat trick bid 11:39 into the sport. Mannella was relieved by Garrett Metcalf following Abbotsford’s third purpose.

Down 4-1 at this level, San Diego started to search for any method to get again into the sport. Fortunately, the Canucks took a penalty sending the Gulls to the facility play. They have been in a position to management the puck and arrange their assault. Grimaldi obtained the puck on the high of the circles and skated in the direction of the slot. He shot the puck and Gulls left wing David Cotton tipped the puck five-hole, making the sport 4-2 on his first purpose of the season.

Within the second interval, the Gulls continued their momentum. They generated alternatives within the Abbotsford finish with a powerful forecheck. The prolonged strain within the zone gave San Diego confidence and left wing Evan Weinger finally introduced the sport inside one. Following a stretch move from Drew Helleson, Weinger drove in the direction of the online, pulled the puck into the slot and fired a shot that overpowered the Canucks’ netminder, trickling in previous his glove.

“Yeah, effectively, I feel the massive factor was, , we got here out, caught with it. You realize, we obtained some huge saves,” Gulls head coach Roy Sommer stated on the groups shift in play. “You realize, Metcalf got here in there and killed off like a 5-on-3 proper off the bat. Made some level blankers, saved us within the recreation. You realize, even the purpose they scored on the 5-on-3, we put it in ourselves. It wasn’t like they obtained it. He saved us in.”

The Gulls started the third interval down by one. Battling in opposition to the clock, the Gulls wanted to create strain within the Canucks’ finish. Nonetheless, they took an early penalty, making their comeback try more durable. They managed to kill the penalty and commenced a push to tie the sport. On the 7:29 mark of the interval, middle Benoit-Olivier Groulx obtained a move in entrance of the crease after a profitable forecheck. He shortly shot the puck excessive blocker, however the goalie obtained a bit of it, sending it into the netting.

San Diego would take two extra penalties in brief succession, leading to Abbotsford’s second 5-on-3 of the sport. The Gulls managed to kill it off because of clutch saves from Metcalf. The sport returned to 5-on-5 hockey after Gulls defenseman Nikolas Brouillard sacrificed his physique to cease a shot from a wide-open internet. The Gulls instantly sprung an assault, however a counter rush by the Canucks resulted in a purpose making the sport 5-3 with 4:20 remaining within the recreation.

The Gulls would get one again on a blast from middle Justin Kirkland on the facility play with the goaltender pulled. This purpose gave Brouillard 0-4=4 factors, setting a career-high in assists and factors in a recreation. The sport would finish 5-4 with Metcalf being credited with the loss after recording 36 saves on 38 pictures.

“We will lay all of it on the market and see what is going on to occur. And I feel that is what we did,” Brouillard stated. “We got here again. Clearly, we did not have the beginning we wished. However I feel all through the entire recreation, we labored onerous and we’re on the correct path. We have not scored extra targets both. So having scored these tonight, it helps somewhat bit. However we’ll should work loads more durable and be smarter too on our choices.”