Game 25: San Diego Gulls vs Stockton Heat

After suffering a disheartening 4-2 loss the night prior the Gulls looked to rebound against a team that seemingly had their number this season. However; they would have to do that without Daniel Sprong as it was announced he had been recalled to Anaheim earlier in the day. In response San Diego signed former Dallas second round pick Brett Pollock to a Professional Tryout and slotted him into the line-up with Jack Kopacka and Deven Sideroff. Kevin Boyle got the start in the back to back.

Even with the odds against them the Gulls came out with jump and were rewarded when Jack Kopacka beat out an icing and kept play alive by dishing it to Pollock. The newcomer fired a shot on net and followed that up by crashing it to find a rebound, as he did so the puck bounced back to Kopacka on the left side and he fired it by Jon Gillies for the games opening score. 1-0 Gulls.

Feeding off the crowd and the goal the Gulls kept up their relentless forecheck and continued to harry the Heat, stifling the neutral zone and causing turnovers.

Once again it was Kopacka at the center of things as he received a pass entering the Stockton zone from Pollock, he had the time and space to execute a multitude of options but instead he slowed it down and found Chris Wideman coming late. His perfect pass allowing the veteran defender to step into a bomb of a shot that went right through Gillies for the 2-0 lead.

The Heat’s tough guy, Alex Gallant immediately challenged Tropp to a rematch of fight that the Gulls veteran had won in a quick and convincing fashion earlier in the period but his attempt to get his team fired up didn’t seem to take as the Gulls continued to control possession. The period ended with San Diego up 2-0 and leading in shots 13-6 with the shot map showing how much they dominated the first twenty.

San Diego started the second just has they finished the first. It almost felt like they had gone up into an extra gear that had yet to be seen from them this season. Alex Dostie had a chance early as he shook loose from his check and found space but his pass into the crease went by untouched.

Stockton managed to mount a push and drew a penalty as they caused some havoc in the San Diego zone, forcing Alex Broadhurst to take a holding call. The potent heat power play had trouble finding a lane as the Gulls penalty killers were quick to cut down on space as the puck was moved around. Boyle was asked to make some big stops including one just after the penalty had expired, the New Jersey native looking his usual calm and collected self as he stopped a Froese redirect from a shot-pass.

The Kopacka line made another push in the Stockton zone but were unable to convert this time as San Diego continued to play their adversity overcoming inspired hockey.

Stockton managed to get one back as they got a face-off in the San Diego zone and fired a point shot through traffic that beat Boyle but hit the post, unfortunately the New Jersey native was unable to track it there-after and it bounced by him with help from the back-checking Jani Hakanpaa in an unfortunate turn of events. 2-1 Gulls.

Heat Captain Byron Froese was called for interference in the final minute of the second period as he appeared to intentionally lay an open ice hit on Alex Broadhurst who was without the puck and did not see him coming. The Gulls veteran appeared shaken up but was able to get to the Gulls bench under his own power. The San Diego Power Play spent the remainder of the period getting set but were unable to get any shots through onto Gillies and teams skated to the second intermission with shots still in favor of the Gulls 19-16 but the shot map indicating that the Heat had the one extra high danger chance and made it count.

A disappointing and familiar trend continued to start the third period as the Heat were able to get the game-tying goal. A bad defensive breakdown and unlucky bounce found Matthew Phillips alone in the low slot and he easily went around the flailing Boyle to slide it home. 2-2 tie game.

Stockton continued the pressure and forced the Gulls to take a penalty as they were again unable to regain the puck in their zone.

San Diego were able to kill the first penalty but when Alex Dostie was called for hooking after he lost his man in the Gulls zone, it was one penalty too many as Austin Czarnik received a pass near the blue line and entered the zone on the far side with speed, firing a hard wrist shot at the top of the circles that beat Boyle to make it 3-2.

Just as it felt like it would be a repeat of the night before Jack Kopacka brought Pechanga arena to their feet once again as he fired a shot by Gillies on the Power Play. The second year pro was fastidious in waiting for the right moment to fire the shot with likely the entire arena screaming at him to shoot.

With Stockton attempting to answer in the Gulls zone, Antoine Morand was called for tripping as he was deemed to have gotten his stick in the legs of his man. But the Gulls were able to survive the remaining minute and fifty eight seconds of the period while being a man down as teams headed to the extra session.

The overtime period didn’t take long to open up and once it did, the back and forth play was constant for nearly all five minutes of the action. As would be expected – Jack Kopacka had all of the Gulls best chances, the first of which he unselfishly made the pass to Justin Kloos on a play in which he probably have taken the shot. The teams remained tied to end the additional period and we headed to our third shootout in five games.

Broadhurst went first for the Gulls and was stopped as he came in too tight.

Kirkland went first for the Heat but his shot was high and wide.

Kloos got the Gulls on the board with his signature move of heading in with speed and then slowing up and measuring a shot that Gillies could not track.

Boyle made a huge stop on Czarnik next as the NHL vet cut across from left to right.

Then Jack Kopacka was given the opportunity to win it and win it he did, skating in and finding the perfect angle to wire a hard wrist shot by Gillies low blocker-side to give the Gulls the win.

Post Game Notes:

King Kopacka It is at this point that I would like to note that I did make the call earlier this season that I foresaw Jack Kopacka having a breakout year. I was very surprised and disappointed to see him sent to Tulsa a few weeks ago but it turns out that was the right move as he has been steadily getting better in each game since coming back up. Today the Gulls needed someone to step up and today Jack was that someone. His three point night moved him up to 6th on the team in scoring with 11 points in 20 games.

Poignant Pollock The newcomer quickly made himself known and didnt appear out of place on a line with Jack Kopacka. If anything you could be mistaken for thinking the two had already been playing together for months. His two assists gave him third star of the game and I liked his speed. It seems fitting that he was paired with Kopacka given that he plays a similar sneaky-fast-for-his-size style of game.

No first rounders no problem With the recall of Lundestrom and Jones the Gulls have no former first round picks in their line-up and will likely continue to play with this selection of players against Pacific Division rivals featuring at least one or two former first rounders. If the Gulls can continue to put together strong team efforts like tonight, they stand a good chance of overcoming the odds.