Game 23: San Diego Gulls vs San Jose Barracuda – Dec 15

Fresh off of getting a point in Bakersfield there was a general sense of being on the right track heading into this home tilt with the Pacific Division leading Barracuda. Interestingly Eakins juggled lines and started a line featuring Max Jones, Sam Carrick and Deven Sideroff.

The move didn’t immediately pay dividends as Carricks over enthusiasm to get to the net lead to an offensive zone holding penalty. The Barracuda power play looked fairly tame at first with the Gulls enjoying a couple of chances, but a San Jose rush into the San Diego zone lead to a cross ice pass that was finished with expert precision to take the early lead.

Kale Kossila was called out by BJ on the broadcast and it was shown in the replay that he did not work hard enough to tie up his man in front.

With eleven minutes left, Troy Terry put on a show deeking his way into shooting position in the slot and then shifting again to catch the goaltender out but could not get a backhander high enough.

Three minutes later the Gulls got caught on a 3 on 1 and San Jose punished their mistake, Keaton Thompson blew a tire too deep in the offensive zone which lead to the odd man rush. 2-0 ugly fish,

With six minutes remaining in the opening frame a concentrated effort in the offensive zone by Jones, Carrick and Terry resulted in a much deserved Jones score – bearing down to put in a loose rebound from a scramble in front.

Max Jones continued his dominance entering the second, chaperoning the puck around the offensive zone and making a deft toe drag to get into a shooting position by the left hash marks but was stopped. The play was only one of many elite level moves he has made lately, and more and more he is showing the promise for big things.

Just two minutes later, after a concentrated team effort to disallow any shot to get to Boyle, the Gulls forced a turnover via Lundestrom and the puck bounced free to an open Jones who wristed a perfect top corner shot for the tie and his second of the game.

As a nasty element of chippiness emerged, Max Jones briefly left the game when it initially appeared he was spared off the face off – but from the replay it was an extremely dirty hook to the nether regions. Well I guess it WAS ‘nutcracker night’

San Diego came agonizingly close when Giovani Fiore had a wide open net to shoot at but hit the post on a net front scramble. Two minutes later, the Barracuda took the lead on a cycle in the Gulls’ zone, firing a point shot that got past Boyle.

Max Jones again took the game into his hands by running around the San Jose zone like a wrecking ball, eventually drawing a kneeing penalty when one of Barracuda found it the only way they would be able to stop him. Sam Carrick deftly redirected a hard Troy Terry pass from the right side in the slot past Bibeau to knot things up at three with just under ten minutes left.

Max Jones drew yet another penalty as he was hauled down on a semi breakaway but the Gulls were unable to convert with the man advantage. They came very close on what appeared to be a set play off a face off win, Adam Cracknell had a shooting lane but faked the shot and passed to an open Simon Benoit who had snuck into scoring position but the San Jose net-minder made a desperation save. San Diego held momentum and all of the chances for the remainder of the period but could not get one past the stubborn Bibeau.

The overtime saw opportunities for both sides but both net-minders stood tall and for the second straight game the Gulls went to a shootout.

San Jose scored with their first shooter, but Max Jones answered right back with a perfect move. San Jose missed with their second shooter, while Terry could not convert either. It made it to the 5th round before Adam Cracknell played the hero with a series of stop start moves before easily taking it wide and around the sprawled Bibeau.

Gulls win 4-3 to finally snap the skid.