2022-2023 Game 9: San Diego Gulls vs Milwaukee Admirals

Looking to get back in the win column after dropping a disappointing goal tending duel in Bakersfield. San Diego came home to face a Milwaukee team that had just been assigned veteran scorer Kiefer Sherwood.

Justin Kirkland returned from injury while Captain Sam played game two of his conditioning loan. Josh Healey served game two of his four game suspension. Brent Gates Jr sat once again but also Brayden Tracey was conspicuously absent which was revealed in the scratches as an injury.

First Period:

San Diego began well, driving play, maintaining possession and basically playing keep away via the Carrick line. Coming oh so close to opening the scoring on a near side chance that was blocked out of play,

Nik Broillard took an ill advised tripping penalty in the San Diego zone and all momentum was slowly but surely turned in the other direction.

Able to kill the minor the Gulls tried to get back on the attack but could not get back possession as the Admirals got into a rhythm of entering the San Diego zone and cycling to generate a chance. The rinse, repeat process eventually paying off as Kiefer Sherwood set up Marc Del Gaizo for the opening score. 1-0 Admirals.

Attempting to re-exert their forecheck Dmirty Osipov was a tad overzealous in execution as he was called for a five minute boarding major which saw the Gulls down a man for the remainder of the period.

Managing to kill most of the major and escape to the first intermission down by one – again trailing in shots 18-5 and needing to kill another 45 seconds of the penalty to start the second period.

Second Period: Milwaukee Admirals 1 – San Diego Gulls 0

Killing the remainder of the minor the Gulls went right back on the attack – this time able to re-establish their game without taking a penalty; running the Admirals zone, setting up chances and retrieving pucks.

The Admirals fought back at the midway mark and caught the Gulls running around in their own zone as it was up to Lukas Dostal to ensure the score remained 1-0 as he faced numerous cross-crease chances.

The back and forth continued as the Gulls drew a penalty coming through the neutral zone but the whistle was inexplicably blown as they entered the the Milwaukee with speed and possession on a three on two.

The man advantage did look slightly more polished and threatening than in recent games, mostly owing to the presence of Carrick but could not convert while the Admirals took momentum back in the other direction once again – while earning their own power play after Regenda was called for holding down low.

The Gulls hit the second intermission looking much improved and carrying some small semblance of momentum still down 1-0 and behind in shots 27-12.

Third Period: Milwaukee Admirals 1 – San Diego Gulls 0

Looking somewhat disjointed and out of sync to start the third it took one mistake to make the hill that much higher to climb as Justin Kirkland fell down and could not recover the puck at the blue line, leading to a two on zero break the other way. Dostal unable to stop the low wide shot from Marcus Nurmi, 2-0 Admirals.

Matters were made worse when Rocco Grimaldi had the puck stolen as he attempted to rush the puck up ice and Dostal was once again left all alone to try stop a 2-0 back and forth passing play. 3-0 Admirals.

The Gulls did not give up and finally broke through with just over a minute left as Pavol Regenda saw that his team-mates did not appear interested in moving into open space while he held the puck at the blue line so elected to tee-up and blast a shot that beat Askarov top corner. 3-1 Admirals.

It was too little to late though as Milwaukee skated away with the 3-1 win.

Post Game Notes:

It hurts

Injuries are an excuse but at the same time Lukas Dostal is giving the Gulls a chance to win these games but is getting no help from his team. This feels like it happens at the start of every season as the group struggles to feel itself out but I just wish they would get their shit together sooner. It doesn’t help that the roster has been almost completely overhauled every year for the past three years, its no wonder there is zero to no chemistry until late in the season. All I can say is – and I know I say this every year – the next batch of kids coming through next year can and definitely should make a difference.

Regenda first look

This was my first real look at Pavol Regenda and I liked what I saw. I still don’t like that the Ducks did not give Alex Limoges a contract but Regenda is essentially a faster version. He made a couple of nice plays in the first and showed some great speed throughout the game – he looked much much better than when I first saw glimpses of him at the rookie tournament. On his goal – he essentially created something from nothing as his team mates stood around with no move to get into open space or help to create something, he tee’d up and let fly that beautiful shot that beat Askarov top corner.

Fix the third

The Gulls have been outscored eight to five in the last four games in the third period including being unable score more than one goal in the final frame in six of their nine games played so far. Is it a problem with endurance? Is it the other team just eventually getting through Dostal after he does all he can do stop the barrage of shots allowed through the first two periods? I’d lean more on the latter.