Gulls Score Late, Fall 3-1 To Roadrunners | San Diego Gulls

Nov 23, 2022

By Brett Pickler/SanDiegoGulls.com

The San Diego Gulls misplaced 3-1 in a midweek matchup towards the Tucson Roadrunners at Pechanga Area San Diego.

The Gulls entered tonight’s contest attempting to construct off their 6-1 win over the Grand Rapids Griffins. Nevertheless, luck was not on San Diego’s facet within the opening 20 minutes. They went down 2-0 to the Roadrunners from two unlucky deflections within the defensive zone. The primary purpose got here after a deflection over goaltender Lukas Dostal. Tucson’s second purpose got here from {a partially} blocked shot that knuckleballed its method into the again of the online.

“I feel they acquired two fortunate bounces at the beginning of the sport,” heart Benoit-Olivier Groulx mentioned. “It wasn’t Dostal’s fault or something. We misplaced our protection a bit bit and we failed on that. However, I feel total we had a nice recreation. I feel we acquired our possibilities.”

San Diego did get their possibilities within the first interval. Proper winger Jacob Perrault picked up a flip cross on the far blue line and attacked the online on a partial breakaway. He shot the puck across the backside of the hashmarks with the Tucson goaltender barely getting his glove there in time. Left winger Brayden Tracey created a possibility on the ability play after he made a backhand toe-drag on the high of the circle, virtually placing the puck top-shelf.

The penalty kill additionally contributed to the Gulls’ assault. After taking a penalty within the final two minutes of the interval, left winger Rocco Grimaldi blocked a shot and went down the ice to create a 2-on-1. He slid the puck to Groulx for a harmful probability from the slot.

The second interval started with the Gulls killing off the rest of their penalty. Nevertheless, the staff couldn’t construct off the early kill. Every staff took a extra conservative method on this interval. Each side performed robust impartial zone protection and restricted pictures to the perimeter of their defensive zones.

San Diego began to manage the sport after killing their third penalty. Dostal made an enormous save late within the kill, denying Roadrunner heart Jean-Sebastien Dea proper in entrance of the crease. The Gulls constructed off this, establishing themselves within the Tucson zone.

This sustained stress led to an influence play. The Gulls moved the puck with ease on the person benefit, forcing the Roadrunners to chase the puck. San Diego practically discovered the again of the online a number of instances, however the puck didn’t bounce of their favor. They continued to generate scoring possibilities after the ability play ended however conceded a hooking minor within the final minute of the interval.

Similar to they did to begin the second, the Gulls killed the penalty. Now skating at full energy, San Diego went on the assault. Gawdin discovered himself alone in entrance of the goalie after the puck bounced behind the Tucson defenders. He settled the puck and tried to fit the puck high shelf, however hit the goalie within the helmet.

There was no letting off the fuel pedal within the third for the Gulls. Needing to attain twice, San Diego hounded the Roadrunners within the offensive zone. This led to Grimaldi stealing a puck alongside the precise wing boards and firing a shot off the crossbar, practically reducing the lead in half.

Tucson began to lose their self-discipline because the interval went alongside, giving the Gulls a two-man benefit. San Diego peppered the netminder however had been unable to transform on the ability play.

Time was working out for the Gulls. They determined to tug Dostal with  3:12 left within the interval. San Diego managed the play within the offensive finish, firing pictures from each angle. After recovering a free puck, the Gulls related on two cross ice passes, with Groulx ending the play on a backdoor faucet in making it 2-1.

Groulx credited his teammates with the superb playmaking on his purpose: “I had the defenseman in entrance of me. Kirky (Gulls ahead Justin Kirkland) made a very nice cross, and OJ (Gulls defenseman Olli Juolevi) made a very nice cross earlier than that. It was it was all as much as them. They made the play, so I simply needed to faucet into the online.”

With a minute left to play within the recreation, the Gulls had been in a position to get a whistle within the offensive zone permitting them to tug the goaltender as soon as once more. They gained the draw after which instantly went to work on attempting to tie the sport. Sadly, the Roadrunners protection blocked a shot, then cleared the puck into the empty web to complete the sport 3-1.

Dostal’s play in web stored the sport shut. He made 24 out of 26 saves and helped the Gulls document their ninth recreation with an ideal penalty kill this 12 months. San Diego now sits in fifth place within the American Hockey league with an 84.8 penalty kill proportion.