2020-2021 Game 8: San Diego Gulls vs Colorado Eagles

Coming home from their brief road-trip the Gulls looked to bounce back from a loss that featured little to no energy.

Milano drew back in but the forwards remained largely the same – except for Hunter Drew replacing Keegan Kanzig on the fourth line in what I guess was deemed a pseudo-enforcer role. Strangely Brendan Guhle was paired with Jamie Drysdale to start – with Keegan Lowe being paired with Simon Benoit.

Anthony Stolarz got the start and Eriksson-Ek saw his first season action on the bench.

Lines were as follows:

Milano – S Carrick – Zegras

Lettieri – Agozzino – Poturalski

Dostie – Groulx – Kindopp

Tracey – Morand – Drew

Guhle – Drysdale

T Carrick – Curran

Lowe – Benoit

Stolarz

Eriksson-Ek

If you expected the Gulls to have a bounce-back game well they delivered on that and then some. Scoring just thirty seconds in as Vinni Lettieri stripped the puck from an Eagles defender and went in alone on a breakaway to beat Eagles goaltender Trent Miner on the Gulls first shot of the game.

San Diego not only continued their momentum, they made it look like the beginnings of a World Junior blowout as they steamrolled their way around the Colorado zone with ease. Kodie Curran scoring three minutes later as he took a pass from Alex Dostie in the slot and hammered a shot past Miner to make it 2-0.

But much like a cresting wave or perhaps a better example in the circumstances – a rolling Avalanche, the Gulls did not and seemingly could not stop their roll. Trevor Zegras finishing off a very pretty passing play around the Eagles zone with an equally impressive puck-juggle on his stick to eventually pot it in the Eagles net from mid-air. 3-0 Gulls. All within the first five minutes of play and through the first six San Diego shots on net.

Then…. that Avalanche got a bit out of control and the Officials stepped in as the Gulls were found guilty of being a bit too over excited with their new found seemingly unstoppable play. First Brendan Guhle got pinged for roughing as he took shots at Eagles pest Ryan Wagner after the whistle. Then Morand was called for attempting to strip Eagles defender Greg Pateryn as he came around their net but was deemed to have gotten his stick up too high for a hook. Then on the ensuing five on three, Trevor Carrick continued his streak of taking stupid penalties at the worst of times by airmailing the puck over the glass.

Colorado got one back on the extended five on three as they were able to setup and spread the Gulls trio of defenders, eventually getting one by Stolarz on a cross crease one-timer for Shane Bowers.

However San Diego calmed down and were able to kill the remaining penalties thanks to some strong work from Vinni Lettieri and Brendan Guhle.

The Gulls going right back to attacking the Colorado net and regaining their three goal lead through some great forecheck and puck movement as Antoine Morand won a puck battle down low and got a pass to Trevor Carrick at the point. The elder Carrick brothers point shot generating a rebound that Andrew Poturalski jumped on to make it 4-1 Gulls.

Despite having Hunter Drew in the line-up – Andrew Agozzino took it upon himself to drop the gloves and absolutely smoked Jerry D’Amigo at center-ice toward the end of the period.

San Diego heading to the first period intermission ahead 4-1 and shots 14-10.

The Eagles made sure to exert themselves to start the middle frame in an effort to prevent any further San Diego breakouts but the Gulls found space to start getting things moving again and do that they did.

Vinni Lettieri finishing off a perfect two on one pass from Andrew Agozzino as the two veteran speedsters blew in on an odd man rush. 5-1 Gulls.

The next ten minutes were a mix of a neutral zone battle for supremacy and beer-league-esque back-and-forth rush for rush high octane affair until Trevor Zegras got his second of the night as he snuck in to the left side of the net and finished off a pass from Sonny Milano in the slot. Jamie Drysdale starting the play with a shot from the point that bounced off the boards to Milano. 6-1 Gulls.

San Diego had an additional opportunity to further pad their lead when Shane Bowers was called for hooking on Hunter Drew but Jamie Drysdale didn’t protect the puck as he walked the blue-line and allowed Keifer Sherwood to get too close – the former Gull easily stripping the puck from the rookie and heading in alone on Stolarz to make it 6-2 shorthanded.

The Gulls up 6-2 after forty minutes and leading by the one shot – 27-26.

Brayden Tracey started things off in the third by drawing a call as he was sprung on a partial break but was hauled down from behind and the Gulls set to work on the Power Play. Neither unit could get completely setup and the minor penalty was erased by the visitors in a clinical display of holding the blue-line.

But the Gulls would not be denied as Jamie Drysdale netted his third goal of the season sending a perfect wrist shot that the Eagles goaltender could not track through traffic. 7-2 Gulls.

Then things threatened to get out of control again as the Gulls got caught with too many men high and the Eagles broke away on a two on zero breakaway, easily finishing the play to bring the score to 7-3 but the fireworks started after the play as Keifer Sherwood immediately went after Vinni Lettieri seemingly for a transgression against him on a play earlier up the ice.

Sherwood remained hot for the rest of the game and the Gulls seemed content to play out the remaining five minutes, giving additional ice time to the likes of Kindopp and Tracey as valuable experience.
San Diego skating away with the bounce back 7-3 win.

Post Game Notes:

Deuces Are Wild

Four Gulls players had two point nights, including Zegras and Lettieri with their two goals as well as Jamie Drysdale (one goal, one assist) and Antoine Morand (two assists).

High Octane Offense

The Lettieri – Agozzino – Poturalski line has really been clicking lately and their speed is off the charts. It shouldn’t be surprising given the resumes of all three players but the fact they have developed chemistry so quickly is very impressive. Carrick and Zegras continue to work well together also but have been missing De Leo over the last two games. Milano looked good but won’t be with the Gulls much longer and if De Leo remains on recall I would like to see Dineen try Perreault there again.

Drysdale Drysdale Drysdale

Jamie Drysdale now leads all defencemen in scoring with eight points in eight games. Perhaps even more impressive is he is third in league scoring among skates, behind only Zegras and Seth Jarvis.