2022-2023 Game 29: San Diego Gulls at Tucson Roadrunners

Looking for an elusive win and break a team-record twelve game losing streak the San Diego Gulls head coach Roy Sommer changed up the lines yet again, splitting up Tracey and Perreault while putting Brouillard back on defense.

Brent Gates Jr, Chase De Leo, Glen Gawdin, Axel Andersson, Josh Healey and Ollie Juolevi remained out injured. Josh Lopina, Blake McLaughlin and Luka Profaca were listed as healthy scratches meaning Josh Lopina may be close to returning to action.

Garret Metcalf was given the start.

First Period:

It took the first five minutes of play but as the period approached the first quarter mark the Gulls started to enjoy the majority of possession while slowly generating high danger chances through some hard physical play on the forecheck in the Tucson zone.

Ivan Prosvetov was forced to make two big stops before Rocco Grimaldi finally broke through off of a perfect pass from Brayden Tracey. The Ducks 2019 draft selection spinning at the right point and spotting the Southern California native speeding down the left wing. 1-0 Gulls.

The Gulls continued to enjoy the better of play, holding a 5-4 shot edge when Victor Soderstrom was called for slashing to send San Diego to the Power Play which was then immediately upgraded to a five on three when Cameron Hebig was called for high-sticking on the offensive zone face-off.

Despite holding the zone for the majority of the two man advantage the Gulls could not convert – using the same unit of MDZ, Brouillard, Tracey, Groulx and Grimaldi for the entire two minutes.

Jacob Perreault appeared to take it personally that he was left off the Power Play as he immediately burst into the Roadrunners zone with speed, executing his patented spin move before firing a pass to the right wing which was deftly touched to Colton White coming down the slot. 2-0 Gulls.

The Roadrunners struck back right away as the Gulls penalty kill continued to struggle. With Hunter Drew in the box for a retaliation slash for a heavy hit laid on Hora the Roadrunners were allowed too much time and space to wire a shot that Metcalf could not track through traffic. 2-1 Gulls.

Jacob Perreault took an ill advised slashing call moments after the goal to give the Roadrunners to tie things up after just scoring with the man advantage.

Thankfully the San Diego Gulls were able to kill the minor and take the narrow one goal lead to the first intermission. Shots were 11-10 for the Gulls with both teams able to generate chances right in front of their respective nets.

Second Period: San Diego Gulls 2 – Tucson Roadrunners 1

San Diego elected to play with fire as they started the second, taking a third straight penalty as Hunter Drew was called for hooking just over three minutes in.

The Gulls were able to kill the minor but the added momentum allowed the Roadrunners to continue to press and they tied things up a few minutes later as a tired San Diego line were unable to win puck battles in their zone. A pass to the slot was all the Roadrunners needed. 2-2 tie game.

Resident agitator Devante Stephens was dinged for roughing seconds after the goal as he came up high on Rocco Grimaldi to send the Gulls to the Power Play.

San Diego were unable to convert but kept momentum going with Brayden Tracey and Rocco Grimaldi almost connecting on a chance with the veteran intercepting a pass in the Tuscon zone and out-waiting a sliding defender to send it to Tracey but the puck bounced over his stick before he could connect at the far post.

A Gulls Power Play just after the mid way point finally ended in a goal as Drew Helleson found himself with time and space to come in on goal from the left point, wiring a low shot-pass that Pavol Regenda redirected in for a 3-2 Gulls lead. Great heads up play from the Ducks defensive prospect.

Once again the Gulls played with fire, gifting the Roadrunners a Power Play with seven minutes left in the frame after Travis Howe was called for roughing but a much more aggressive San Diego penalty kill ensured they protected their lead.

Hunter Drew was found guilty of slashing again with just under two minutes left in the middle frame to give the Gulls yet more adversity.

Once more the Gulls aggressive penalty kill proved the difference as they frustrated and prevented the Roadrunners from gaining the zone or getting set, standing up at their blue line and disrupting zone entries. Rocco Grimaldi and BO Groulx almost combined for a nice short handed goal as the final seconds in the period ticked off but Groulxs near side chance was denied on a brilliant save from Prosvetov.

The Gulls taking the one goal lead into the second intermission but trailing in shots 21-15.

Third Period: San Diego Gulls 3 – Tucson Roadrunners 2

Holding a one goal lead heading into the final frame and venturing into unfamiliar territory the Gulls added to their lead at the midway point after some great fore-checking from BO Groulx lead to a turnover down low and a quick pass in front to Regenda who made no mistake. 4-2 Gulls.

Minutes later they added to it when newcomer Frank Hora wired a perfect wrist shot from the very top of the right circle after a Gulls face-off win in the Tuscon zone. The 26 year old scoring his first as a Gull and first ever AHL goal. 5-2 Gulls.

Tucson were either feeling themselves or just had that little respect for the Gulls ability to hold a lead (which is probably fair) and pulled Prosvetov with six minutes remaining. It was all Roadrunners but San Diego were able to finally ice things via a Cotton empty net goal and held on for the win to break the twelve game losing streak and bring home a win for Christmas.

Post Game Notes:

Thoughts on the new guys
My apologies, its been a hot minute since I covered a game. It is also the first time I have been able to get a look at the new signings and acquisitions. Cotton appears to fit the meat and potatoes – no flash just north-south style game that Sommer seems to prefer. Howe I didn’t see enough of but he sounds fun from all reports I have heard – a real agitator and energy guy. Zilch mentioned he deliberately did his pre-game stretch at the red-line, straddling it and trying to draw the ire of any Roadrunners who might take offense. From what I did notice from him, he likes to lay the body at any opportunity. Of the three – Frank Hora stood out the most to me; I didn’t expect the kind of confidence in his play from an ECHL tryout. He has had stints in the AHL for both the Crunch and the Checkers last season with some games for Cleveland and Lehigh Valley earlier, I will keep an eye on him.

The Rocco + Tracey Combo
Apparently this has been a recently ongoing thing but the chemistry going between Grimaldi and Tracey was nice to see. I still wish Perreault and Tracey could be permanently line-mates but if this gets the Gulls some desperately needed offense then I am all for it.

Whats next

Can the Gulls keep this play up? Maybe. Can they keep winning? Probably not unless they get some more help back from the massive injury list as well as one of their usual goal-tending tandem. The Roadrunners are a team that the Gulls are suited to match-up with. They don’t have a hell of a lot of speed as compared to the Condors, Wranglers or Reign. It does feel like the Gulls are finally buying into the style that Sommer has been implementing – it does tend to take until the midpoint of the season for a new team and coach to properly jell but the Gulls have had the sever misfortune of losing almost half their roster along the way.

One more thing. It is more than a little bit concerning that Blake McLaughlin has fallen back and is seemingly permanently in the dog box now