Game 17: San Diego Gulls @ Ontario Reign

Coming off the overtime loss to the Barracuda, Coach Dineen tweaked the line-ups slightly and reunited some more familiar trios. Blake Pietila was put back with Sprong and Broadhurst, while Dostie was elevated to the top line with Carrick and De Leo. Tropp was taken back out of the line-up while Gazdic slotted in to provide both deterrent and energy. Kevin Boyle was given a rare start.

San Diego enjoyed the majority of offensive play to start and converted that initial pressure into a Power Play opportunity when Mikey Eyssimont was called for slashing. The Reign penalty kill disrupted several attempts for the Gulls to get set and the lone dangerous chance came from Daniel Sprong as he came back with speed on a two on one after Ontario shot wide on a shorthanded chance.

A few minutes later Isac Lundestrom had a nice individual play as he made one of his smooth, slash skating moves through the neutral zone – taking a chance in on the Ontario net on his own but he was stopped. He went down hard against the boards after the opportunity but was able to continue.

The Gulls received their second Power Play opportunity of the period when Bouma was called for tripping as he took out Hunter Drews legs out behind the San Diego net. Although they managed to get set this time, it was a case of close but no cigar as you could tell the Gulls unit were attempting to find space to setup the left side one-timer but could not get traffic in front of Peterson in time on each chance. The second year pro making the stop every time and keeping the Gulls 0-2 with the man advantage.

Ontario hit back with some opportunities of their own to close out the period, forcing Kevin Boyle to look sharp as he came in clutch to keep it scoreless and both teams headed to the first intermission scoreless. San Diego generating 14 shots to the Reigns 6 and the Shot Map indicating the Reign only seeing the two high danger chances on the period.

San Diego came out with jump to start the second, keeping the Reign hemmed in their zone for the first minute and a half of play until a point shot from Drew was elegantly redirected by Dostie by Peterson has he cruised by the front of the Ontario net. 1-0 Gulls.

The Reign fought back and got the equalizer when Lance Bouma was left alone in the slot owing to Hunter Drew being hurt behind the play. The veteran forward sending a shot over the surprised Kevin Boyle to make it 1-1. Ontario attempted to continue momentum, earning a Power Play in the process but although they got set twice and came very close in the dying seconds – Josh Mahura saving a sure goal as Boyle lay prone in the crease – the Gulls were able to escape the minor unharmed.

The Gulls returned the favor with some sustained pressure of their own before drawing a penalty with a minute and a half left in the middle frame. San Diego did manage to get set for the first minute of the man advantage but were too cautious with getting shots on net and the period ended tied once again, this time 1-1 heading into the second intermission, the Gulls getting just the one more shot in the period as they lead 7-6 but still held a 21-12 advantage overall. The Shot Map again indicating they had the better of the chances but that the Reign were slowly creeping back in with some opportunities of their own.

A bizarre series of penalties to start the second period resulted in a Gulls four on three Power Play for a minute and half but again they came up blank to go 0-5 for the game. The Sprong line carried forward momentum and came close after the penalties had expired but Peterson again frustrated their attack.

The Reign got a call of their own as Broadhurst was called for slashing after the five minute mark and on the very next face-off Chase De Leo drew a call right back as he was held by the Reign Captain Sutter.

Some nice passing on the four on four ended in a rush that Peterson again came up big to stop but Max Comtois was interfered with away from the play and the Gulls went back to the Power-play.

Once again San Diego could not convert with the man advantage and the Reign followed that up with consecutive shifts in the Gulls zone. Ontario seemed to completely shift momentum from that point onward as the Gulls looked either tired, not enthused or just completely out of sorts.

With three minutes left in the game Daniel Sprong put perhaps the exclamation point on his and the Gulls overall lackluster effort for the final six or so minutes of the game as he got too cute with the puck in the defensive zone and coughed it up near the hash-marks. The resulting skirmish ended with Jani Hakanpaa taking a penalty for holding to prevent a scoring chance and put the Gulls down a man with three minutes left in the game.

San Diego managed to kill the penalty thanks in part to Scott Moldenhauer covering the short side and saving a sure-goal, followed by Kevin Boyle snagging a redirect with his glove moments later but just as Hakanpaa exited the box a Reign cross-ice pass connected and Martin Frk fired a shot by Boyle to make it 2-1 Reign with a minute and twenty seconds left.

San Diego made a light-hearted effort to get the game-tying score with Boyle pulled for the extra attacked but ultimately failed, dropping their third straight. Shots were 29-26 for the Gulls at the final horn, Ontario out shooting the visitors 14 to 8 in the final period.

Post Game Notes:

Miss You: The Gulls are now 0-3 without Keifer Sherwood and its becoming more and more evident how much they miss the Ohio native. His speed, tenacity and energy is always something that can be relied upon whenever the San Diego unit begins to go flat, like they have in parts of the last three games.

Where For Art Thou Goals?: Since their 5-1 win over the Reign on the 16th the Gulls have scored just four goals in three games. The scoring has dried up and its worrying that overall team confidence may be going back the way things were to start the season. They need to start playing simple and get back to basics and fast.

Power What?: 0-7 tonight and 0-12 in the last three games with the man advantage is … well its awful. The last power play goal was scored in that 5-1 over the Reign. Also the last Gulls win. I am sensing a pattern here…