2023-2024 Game 19: San Diego Gulls at Chicago Wolves

After beating the Wolves in somewhat convincing fashion the night before, the San Diego Gulls looked to keep the party going in Chi-town.

Coach McIlvane opted to go with the exact same lines, pairings and gave Calle Clang the back to back start.

Nick Wollf, Sasha Pastujov and Alex Stalock remained the healthy scratches.

First Period:

Perhaps the early game-time played a part but the Gulls looked slow and sluggish to start and the Wolves pounced early, jumping to a 2-0 lead through the first nine minutes via Josh Melnick and Cole Schnieder. 2-0 Wolves.

San Diego slowly began to wake up and started to create some good chances on the Wolves net via the fourth line that was followed up by a nice break by Nikita Nesterenko but his in and out moved clipped the Wolves defender with a hick stick on the driveby and sent the Gulls to the penalty kill.

Both teams traded Power Play chances in the final five minutes of the period but it remained 2-0 as the horn sounded. The Gulls starting slow and paying for it by falling behind by two heading into the first intermission, shots were an even 9-9 after twenty minutes with the shot map showing the four chance too many allowed in front but that as the period went on, San Diego started to find themselves.

Second Period: Chicago Wolves 2 – San Diego Gulls 0

Chicago started the second as they had the first – keeping the Gulls on their heels and giving them no space to work while also punishing them physically at any and all opportunities.

But the Gulls fought back and turned the tide with some spirited shifts from the fourth line, the Gaucher line and finally the first line who eventually broke through on a Chase De Leo shot from the slot set up by Jacob Perreault. 2-1 Wolves.

San Diego kept up the momentum and tied it up minutes later on a beautiful passing play from the trio of Brayden Tracey, Judd Caulfield and Nathan Gaucher. Brayden Tracey stick-handling his way by a pair of Wolves before sending a pass across the crease to Judd Caulfield who was on his backhand and a sever angle so he sent it right back across to the waiting stick of Nathan Gaugher. 2-2 tie game.

The Wolves came back with a push but the Gulls held firm in their own end, preventing the opportunities in front that they had previous let happen in the opening minutes of the game.

Despite the Gulls controlling the puck and possession for much of the next few minutes after weathering the initial storm, a bad pinch by Zellweger lead to an odd man break and Max Comtois was at the end of a two on rush with far too much time and far too much space. 3-2 Wolves.

Chicago continued to threaten after the goal and hemmed San Diego in their zone for the remaining few minutes of the period but Calle Clang was equal to any chances and the Gulls skated to the second intermission down by one but still even on shots 17-17 overall. The shot map showing a much better showing for the Gulls but things still seeming to be relatively even.

Third Period: Chicago Wolves 3 – San Diego Gulls 2

Time flew by on the final frame with the Gulls looking likely but struggling to solve Wolves goaltender Adam Scheel for a game tying goal.

Things went from bad to worse as a bad bounce on a clear saw the puck sail randomly off the stanchion and into open ice near the Gulls blue line where the Wolves were able to execute a two on one with Max Comtois on the finishing end for his second of the game. 4-2 Wolves.

The Gulls hit right back, doggedly holding the Chicago zone until a face-off win from Glen Gawdin back to Colton White allowed a point shot to be deflected by the former on net and then the rebound converted. 4-3 Wolves.

Both the pace and the physicality picked up after the goal as the Gulls pushed once again for the equaliser, coming close on what would have been a sure goal for Chase De Leo but the Wolves pushed him into their own net before he could get to a loose puck in mid-air.

Unable to convert with the man advantage the Wolves pushed the issue and frustrated the Gulls with their overly aggressive kill then turned that into a Power Play of their own as Glen Gawdin was called for tripping in the Chicago end during a puck battle. Not an ideal penalty to take down a goal down with less than three minutes remaining in the game.

As San Diego initially held possession during the kill and were able to kill the first minute or so, the Wolves eventually were able to get set in their zone and release a high and hard wrist shot from the right side that was too much for Clang, 5-3 Wolves.

Emotions boiled over as Trevor Carrick was targeted by a low-bridge hit that saw Jacob Perreault immediately jump the Wolves Cavan Fitzgerald. The resulting Power Play was not enough and the Gulls went right back to the loss column as they dropped this one 5-3.

Post Game Notes:

Hinds Poised For A Breakout

I have not talked about Hinds in a short while but have been meaning to say – he is becoming more and more confident with either jumping in on the rush or pinching in to keep the puck in the offensive zone. His skating ability is really showing through as a strength as he is never caught out by any of his low offensive forays. I wish the same could be said for…

Risk vs Reward

The Wolves third goal was a direct result of a bad Zelwegger pinch, not calling him out specifically, given the amount of times I have seen he, Trevor Carrick, Tyson Hinds, Robert Hagg, Drew Helleson and Colton White (so pretty much the entire Gulls blue line) join the rush or go deep into the offensive zone for a pinch it was bound to happen eventually but right now it feels like the risk is greatly outweighing the reward. Yes Carrick and Zellweger lead the Gulls in scoring with 16 and 14 points each but Carrick is also a team worst -8 with Zellweger a -4.

Having a defender join the rush as a fourth option is very much the way the game moves now but there needs to be a contingency plan if they get caught on the counter rush.

Well That Sucks

This loss puts the Gulls right back at the bottom of the league, in a tie with the Wolves. Denting their chances yet further of making a slow burn comeback up the ladder. The Gulls next head to Milwaukee to face an Admirals team that are 10-7-1 and have won three of their last five. Then they head to Rockford for a two game series with a team that features a two of their former team-mates in Bryce Kinopp and Logan Nijhoff.