2021-2022 Game 10: San Diego Gulls @ Bakersfield Condors

Heading into Bakersfield after a controversial and disappointing overtime loss, the Gulls looked to get more than revenge over their Pacific Division rivals.

Vincent Marleau (apparently) returned from injury and slotted back into the center position, allowing Kindopp to move back to the wing, while Josling sat out to make room. Lukas Dostal got the start on the back to back.

Axel Andersson also appeared to be a late scratch as Nathan Larose took his spot.

First Period:

With little to no flow and a lot of whistles leading to some stop-start play through the first five minutes it was hard to judge which team was doing the better of the two.

Just as it felt the Condors might continue to strangle the Gulls speed through the neutral zone, Nik Brouillard received a pass with speed as he came over the Condors blue-line that allowed the Gulls to set up in the Condors zone. Danny O’Regan then got the puck to Nik Brouillard at the left board who spotted and snuck a pass through traffic to Jacob Perreault who went around Rodrigue for the opening score and his team leading fifth goal. 1-0 Gulls.

The disjointed flow to the game continued until Brogan Rafferty was found guilty of being too soft on the puck and had his pocket picked low in the Gulls zone, Cooper Marody then quickly drew Dostal out and went around him to tie things up at one. 1-1.

Bakersfield threatened to break the game open as they rode momentum from the goal and started to stretch the ice but Dostal turned aside the sudden uptake in shots to allow San Diego to regain possession and start to transition back to the Condors zone.

In the final minute of play the Condors came with another push and Trevor Carrick was forced to stop a William Lagesson drive to the Gulls net, taking an interference penalty in the process but Seth Griffith erased the minor twenty seconds later with a cross-check. Teams headed to the first intermission locked up at one a piece and tied in shots with nine each. The shot map clearly showing that Bakersfield had the majority in high danger chances for the period.

Second Period: San Diego Gulls 1 – Bakersfield Condors 1

The Gulls started the second period at four on four then transitioned to the Power Play and as they gained and then controlled the puck in the Condors zone things seemed to go in slow motion. With Jacob Perreault all alone behind the Condors net with far too much time and space he took it upon himself to create his second highlight reel goal of the past week when he picked up the puck and deposited it into the top right corner lacrosse style, yep that’s right – the second Michigan style goal in Gulls history. 2-1 Gulls.

Time on the period ticked by in quick succession with few to little quality chances for either team until Bryce Kindopp drew a call with a drive to the Condors net. San Diego could not do much with the man advantage which was briefly interrupted by an even briefer tilt between Nik Brouillard and Condors Captain Brad Malone.

Jacob Perreault came close to getting his third as the Gulls found him in front of the Bakersfield net but he could not free himself and the puck up through a web of Condors sticks as time expired on the period and San Diego headed to the second intermission ahead by one on the board as well as in shots – 19-18. Doing a much better job of keeping the Condors to the perimeter.

Third Period: San Diego Gulls 2 – Bakersfield Condors 1

Bakersfield came out with a heavy forecheck and controlled in the Gulls zone for the first few minutes of play, quickly taking over the shot total and eventually getting an equaliser when some poor coverage and a bad rebound from Dostal ended up in the back of the San Diego net. 2-2 tie game.

Bakersfield continued to push after the goal, getting a Power Play on a “holding the stick” call attributed to Danny O’Regan, something I felt the Condors had been getting away a lot with also. San Diego were able to kill the minor but were stuck playing continual defense with the Condors locking down any clean exits and allowing no time or space.

Greg Printz put the Gulls down a man once again with an air-mail clearance attempt and the Gulls continual carefree attitude in their own zone finally came back to bite them as two attempts to clear while on the penalty kill were blocked before ending in a cross-ice pass one-timer that Dostal had no chance on. 3-2 Condors.

With Dostal pulled the Gulls tried one last ditch effort but again could not get properly set or anything going in the Bakersfield zone before a clearance was chased down then slid into the empty net by Phil Esposito to ice this one 4-2.

Post Game Notes:

Perreault Breakout Party

With not one but two highlight reel goals in the last week Jacob Perreault is gaining league-wide attention while quietly leading the Gulls in Goals, Assists and Points. If and when the Ducks eventually hit a slide or if a scoring winger goes down with injury, look for the expectation that the 2020 late first rounder should make his NHL debut. He most definitely deserves it and when it does happen I think some Ducks fans will be surprised by how much more rounded his game is then the one-dimensional “sniper with skills” he has been labelled as. Will he finally get some love from prospect evaluators not named Byron Bader?

The Better Boring Team Won

As disappointing as this weekend slate of games has been – results wise – the better albeit more boring team did win tonight’s game. Bakersfield played some straight up 90s era New Jersey Devil style trap hockey complete with stick holds and subtle interference plays that the Officials let them get away with and they executed that to perfection. San Diego ultimately had no answer for it. It sucks but that’s hockey sometimes. I can only hope that the momentum and upward trend in strong offensive play they were displaying before this weekend can be realised once more against a less stingy and boring as shit hockey club.

Somebody coming down?

Turns out Isac Lundestrom is able to play and it looks as though Jakob Silfverberg is coming back also so that means at least one forward should be coming down to the Gulls. Based on line-rushes observed by Eric Stephens it appears as though Milano and McTavish are battling for one spot on the second line while Grant and Groulx are battling for the other remaining spot on the fourth line. My money is on Groulx out of those four to be the one sent down, largely because McTavish cannot be (he must be returned to Juniors or stay in the NHL, he cannot come back to the AHL unless on an injury recovery conditioning loan such as before).