Game 14: San Diego Gulls vs Ontario Reign

With news earlier in the day that Steven Ruggiero had been recalled from Tulsa it was revealed at game-time that Ryan Johnston appeared to be out with an injury. Coach Kevin Dineen kept forward lines the same while inserting Ruggiero on the third pairing.

The Reign played a lot better to start than they did the night before, getting some good looks on Stolarz while San Diego countered with some high danger opportunities on Peterson. Justin Kloos came close to depositing a loose puck from behind the goal-line but Peterson was able to reach back and block his attempt with his stick. Alex Dostie and Antoine Morand had an opportunity on a two on one break but Dostie was too unselfish in trying to get the pass way and ran out of room.

The Reign appeared to be embracing their “Evil Empire” moniker for Star Wars night as they played physical at every chance, wearing down the Gulls defense and forcing turnovers. Isac Lundestrom had to end a shift early as he appeared to catch a blow up high after a hard hit in the San Diego defensive zone but he would come back in a later shift.

Just as it seemed the Reigns game plan was working, Daniel Sprong broke things wide open as he jumped on a loose puck with speed and circled the Ontario zone, generating a chance that Pietela followed up on but Peterson was able to make the stop. Sprong none-the-less drew a penalty on the play to send the Gulls to their first power play of the game.

San Diego had some good chances during the man-advantage but came up short – Daniel Sprong having the last opportunity as the penalty was expiring and a seemingly open net to shoot at but Peterson was able to make a desperation pad save to keep it scoreless.

Sheldon Rempal endeared himself to the Pechanga faithful by making a nuisance of himself on the face-off on back to back shifts against first Blake Pietela and secondly Max Comtois. The later of which engaged with him off the face-off and the two wingers were sent to the box for roughing with less than twenty seconds left in the period. Teams headed to the first intermission with no love lost and no score on the board, San Diego leading in shots 12-8. The shot-map indicating the Reign garnering their closest chances on net from turnovers down low.

San Diego came out flying to start the second and it took Chase De Leo all of 36 seconds to open the scoring.

The Reign responded by reverting back to the tight checking style game they exhibited during the opening twenty minutes. Getting some time in the San Diego zone and drawing a slashing call on Kiefer Sherwood as the Gulls attempted to get back control of the puck.

Some good defensive structure prevented the Reign from getting set for any dangerous amount of time and with twenty seconds left in the penalty Max Comtois sent a clearance into open ice where a streaking Justin Kloos collected it and sped in alone on Peterson. His slicing forehand to backhand move beating the Reign goal-tender to make it 2-0 and the Gulls league leading seventh shorthanded goal.

Daniel Sprong drew his second call of the night when he was hooked attempting to get to a loose puck in the neutral zone and the Gulls set to work on the Power Play.

Getting set in the Ontario zone the first unit patiently passed the puck around – culminating the play in a Daniel Sprong one-timer from the Ovechkin-office, generating a rebound that De Leo couldn’t get full-wood on and Peterson was able to make the stop. The puck was retrieved and sent back to Sprong again for another one-timer but this time the Reign were able to collect and clear the rebound.

San Diego rode momentum from the Power Play and kept play in the Reign zone for much of the next ten minutes until Blake Pietela was called for tripping with just under four minutes left in the middle frame. Once again the Gulls proved dangerous on the penalty kill, as Max Comtois was denied twice on the break. The second of which he was given a hooking minor when he attempted to get to a rebound. To make matters worse, Chris Wideman was assessed a dubious slashing call during the five on three to put the Gulls down two men for just under two minutes. Some strong play from the three man unit in conjunction with some huge saves from Stolarz kept the score at 2-0 as time wound down. Teams headed to the second intermission with the Gulls still leading in shots 28-23. The Reign picking up more high danger chances owing to the extended two man advantage.

The Gulls killed the minor with ease to start the final period and had yet another shorthanded chance on a two on one break with Hakanpaa and Kloos but the big Finnish defender was stopped. San Diego followed that up with some good chances on Peterson, Isac Lundestrom showing signs of why he was selected in the first round last year when he sliced through three Reign defenders to get his own chance on net. Sprong and Pietela followed that up by hacking away for a rebound but the young Iowa native kept the puck covered.

San Diego had a five on three of their own when Mikey Essyimont retaliated to a hard Max Comtois hit but the Gulls could not convert with the abbreviated two man advantage. The Reign killed the additional minor and then followed that up with their first of the game as Kale Clague fired a hard point shot that made its way through traffic and by Stolarz to make it 2-1 with just over seven minutes remaining in the game.

Keifer Sherwood drew a call on the shift immediately after the tally to put the Gulls back on the Power Play. The Reign were able to kill the minor but Daniel Sprong once again took things into his own hands as he made an outside-inside move with speed on the Ontario defense, driving the net and having the puck slide off his stick and into the Reign net as it bounced off a defender to restore the Gulls two goal lead.

The Reign pulled Peterson with three minutes left and Keifer Sherwood chased down a puck and went in on the empty net, depositing it in with speed but also losing his balance and colliding into the right post with his knee. He limped off the ice under support from Simon Benoit in a moment that was cause for concern for Gulls and Ducks fans alike.

With Peterson back in his net the Gulls kept up the pressure and added insult to injury when a loose puck found Hunter Drew in the high slot, the rookie defender sending a patented hard wrist shot by Peterson to make it 5-1 with less than thirty seconds to play. Celebrating the goal by spinning the blade of his stick around like a gun before slamming it into an imaginary holster. The mock-celebration was apparently to colorful and imaginative for some of the more mentally challenged Reign players as a skirmish broke out on the next shift – the game ending with Rempal and Doty trying to fight anyone on the Gulls bench that was willing.

San Diego skated away with the 5-1 victory to get back to .500 after dropping their first six of the season.

Post Game Notes:

Ruggiero relaxed: Steven Ruggiero did not look out of place in his first game in the AHL. It probably helped a lot that he was paired with the veteran Chris Wideman but he made quick, smart plays and was strong in front of Stolarz when needed.

Sprong splendid again: Daniel Sprong bounced back from his potentially-shortened by injury night in the pervious game by showing why he is a game-breaking talent. When the Gulls were in need of a spark – he provided it. Now that he has the goal-less streak monkey off his back, here is hoping he really gets going.

Wideman stays hot: With an additional two points, Chris Wideman now has 9 points in his last four games. He is now tied for the lead in scoring among AHL defencemen with 14 points in 13 games.

Climbing the ladder: With the win the Gulls now have 14 points and are one point back from Bakersfield, just two behind Colorado. With wins in their next two games they could tied Ontario for third place in the division (should the Reign remain idle).