Game 43: San Diego Gulls vs Ontario Reign – Feb 6

With no changes to the line up in the forward group and the swapping of the now-healthy Larsson in for the recalled-to-the-Ducks Welinski the Gulls took to their home ice to extend their win streak.

Although San Diego had some grade A chances to start – Cal Peterson kept them out and the Reign appeared to grow more and more confident as the period went on without the Gulls able to get one by him. By the midway point they seemed like an almost completely different team from the hapless disorganised sluggish mess that the Gulls had had their way with on regular occassion this season. The additions of Grundstrom and Scherbak were an obvious play driving injection.

With the Reign able to turn the puck over in their defensive zone they caught the Gulls on a change and sent the aforementioned Grundstrom in on a breakaway that Boyle was unable to stop as he faked forehand then slotted it high backhand. 1-0 Reign.

Just as it seemed Grundstrom was going to take over the game, outmuscling Mahura for a puck and getting an opportunity – the Gulls transitioned the other way and a pretty passing play between Kloos and Sherwood ended in a game tying goal for Sherwood as he took a pass cross-ice and fired a shot low past Peterson. It was probably meant to be a pass but I think that this point the Rookie is just happy to finally have one this year with the Gulls.

San Diego continued their charge, peppering Peterson with shots until a strong drive by Matt Berry and Sam Carrick ended in another score a minute later. Great pass from Berry and even greater play to get by the noted shithead McDermid.

The Reign struck right back, gaining the Gulls zone and preventing a breakout with physical play against the Steel, Terry, Kopacka line. Capitalising with a point shot that was deflected by Boyle.

Sensing weakness the Reign went right back to it, winning the puck down low from a dump in right off the center ice faceoff and catching the Gulls napping in front of their net, grabbing a loose puck and slamming it by Boyle for the lead.

On the next shift Max Jones went into beast mode, literally throwing off defenders and hitting the post but then taking a penalty as he hooked a Reign player than managed to eventually strip him of the puck. The rookie winger showed shades of vintage young Getzlaf with that play.

The period ended 3-2 Reign in what felt like an off night for the Gulls, what with Jones hitting the post, Kossila fanning on a shot from a cross-ice pass and Terry unable to finish a side of net tap in on a late period Gulls rush – the Gulls execution was just not there.

Ontario took back momentum to start the middle frame after a failed Gulls powerplay, hitting, winning battles and causing turnovers. Terry did have a chance on the rush but was stopped by Peterson.

Noted shithead McDermid demonstrated in one play why Felix Sicard named him in his top ten AHL defenders by breaking up a Gulls 3 on 1 but also displaying why I disagree with that assessment by taking a stupid penalty for over-roughing Jones. San Diego could not convert and the chippy play quickly escalated as players from both sides felled eachother all over the ice. Eventually Sam Carrick drew another penalty when Boko Imama retaliated to one such felling.

San Diego had the run of play for much of the period but again – could not execute, while Ontario were perfectly following a gameplan of what appeared to be creating odd man rushes off of Gulls turnovers when their defense jumped into the play.

Another failed clearance led to the Riegn getting a point shot through traffic that deflected by Boyle to increase their lead to 4-2.

San Diego attempted a pushback courtesy of some exciting play from Jack Kopacka – a perfect positioned setup from Terry was denied and then a partial breakaway that he had to abort due to being outnumbered but then sent a beautiful saucer pass through traffic back to the point which the Gulls got some great pressure from. San Diego continued that momentum while noted shithead McDermid tried to headshot Jones not once but twice but the rookie was able to avoid the hit both times.

The Gulls controlled play and spent most of the first five minutes of the third period in the Ontario zone but a quick turnover and an individual effort by Grundstrom demonstrated why the Leafs might have overpaid in that trade as he made it 5-2 despite all of the Gulls best efforts. San Diego struck right back however when Kalle Kossila finished off a cross ice feed from Troy Terry to bring the Gulls back within two once again.

San Diego brought the rain (pun intended) for the final six minutes of the third, including a full two minute powerplay that Sam Steel came close to finishing a perfect one-timer on but Cal Peterson kept everything out with stellar play and highlight reel saves.

The Gulls pulled Boyle with three minutes left and threw everything at Peterson but Ontario managed to hit the empty net with forty seconds left to ice it 6-3 to cap off a wake-up call off-night for the Gulls.