2023-2024 Game 33: San Diego Gulls vs Iowa Wild

After a too-close 4-3 shootout victory over the Wild the night before, the San Diego Gulls hoped to settle down and close out the weekend with a sweep on Country Night.

Lines and pairings were exactly the same as the night before with Suchanek given the night off and Calle Clang given the start.

Jacob Perreault, Drew Helleson, Sasha Pastujov remained on the injured list with Ben King noted as just out for the weekend due to some facial surgery work. Suchanek and the recalled-for-cover Anthony Constantini were the healthy scratches.

First Period:

It was another slightly slower start for the Gulls, with the Wild playing havoc with their breakout and preventing them from getting any further than the neutral zone for the first few minutes.

However – it did not take long for San Diego to find themselves and by the midway point they quickly held a 6-3 lead in shots but which really felt like 10-3 with the amount of chances they had, including a Power Play that featured both units and spent almost the entire time in the Iowa zone.

What looked like another Power Play to be awarded to San Diego as a three on one break at the Iowa blue line was disrupted was actually shown to be a Chase De Leo slashing penalty on replay and the Gulls set about killing the minor – which they did, thanks to some good work down low.

Another penalty to Nikita Nesterenko allowed the Wild to spend the final minute of the period in the San Diego zone and generate some incredibly close calls on Clang but the Gulls escaped the period with the scoreless draw with another minute left on the penalty kill to start the second.

Shots were 11-8 for the Gulls after the first twenty with the shot map showing that once again things were very even through the initial stages with the Gulls having the edge in chances in front.

Second Period: San Diego Gulls 0 – Iowa Wild 0

Starting the period with a minute left to kill in the Nesterenko minor the Gulls were forced on the back-foot but able to erase the minor; however some overzealous work by Nick Wolff down low just after the penalty had expired put them right back on the penalty kill.

A much more convincing display of defensive hockey killed this minor with much more ease than the first and as the Gulls returned to five on five they tried to get things going once again in the Iowa zone.

Just when it felt like the Gulls may not get another Power Play again and with their constant need to send out their penalty killing units disrupting lines so much that Jaxen Wiebe was seeing consistent time centering Nesterenko and Tracey – the Officials finally called Caeden Bankier for an egregious trip as he brought down Pavol Regenda after the big Slovak stole a puck from him on the nearside boards.

Once again the Wild kept things tight and collapsed down low around their goaltender to prevent the Gulls from creating any chances in close.

The period expiring still scoreless but the Gulls holding a 20-17 shot lead and even 9-9 on the frame. The shot map showing an almost equal picture of how tight things were with the Wild having the edge in chances due to their extended time with the man advantage.

Third Period: San Diego Gulls 0 – Iowa Wild 0

Just as would be the story of this game – the Gulls were forced to go down a man once again as Nathan Gaucher was called for holding on a play that was close to a slew foot and drew the ire of every Wild player on the ice at the time.

With how much experience the Gulls now had being a man down it seemed only fitting that they would finally break through while short as Glen Gawdin pounced on a loose puck to head up ice on a two on one break. Looking off Judd Caulfield to wire a shot that beat McIntyre top corner. 1-0 Gulls.

However the Wild would respond right away on a weird play that started with Brayden Tracey chasing down a dump in and inadvertently running into the goaltender McIntyre as he casually strolled out of his crease and (on replay) appeared to initiate the check. With the delayed call and Tracey without a stick the Gulls were helpless to prevent the game tying goal as it bounced in off multiple bodies in front. 1-1 tie game.

McIntyre would again be on the receiving end of some unwanted attention as Chase De Leo went to follow up his own shot on net and found himself deposited into the Iowa net with Simon Johansson taking liberties on his neck while he was down to start another net-front scrum. After the dust settled play returned at four on four but neither team found enough time and space to generate a real chance even with the extra ice allowed during the two minute sequence.

Once again regulation was not enough and this one headed to overtime

Overtime

The Gulls were strangely not conservative at all to start the three on three – going balls to the wall all out on offence and seeing chances created by Zellweger and Agozzino in the first minute. Their lack of patience with the puck cost them as the Wild – once they got possession, crossed them up on defence and generated a high danger chance that beat Clang high blocker side. Wild win 2-1.

Post Game Notes:

Lopina lifted and Wiebe given more responsibility

Josh Lopina has found himself on the wing in the last few games alongside Nathan Gaucher and Brayden Tracey, while Jaxsen Wiebe has taken his spot centering the fourth line. He appears to have been promoted to a scoring line due to his career year so far in goals (8), assists (6) and points (14). With the amount of penalty killing the Gulls did in this game I did find it interesting to note that when play did revert to five on five – the line of Tracey, Wiebe and Nesterenko would often be the first one out as those non-penalty killing players were given some ice time after sitting. Has Wiebe now become another go-to face-off guy? Watch this space.

Zellweger Shows More Spark

Zellweger showed some more instances of what he can do at points in this game; two memorable plays to me were as follows:

1. The Gulls were under pressure in their zone, Zellweger grabbed a loose puck from near the front of their net, took it behind, made as if to pass off to his defensive partner behind the net before spinning off a check and immediately heading up ice with enough acceleration to lose another opponent. He then sent a perfect pass into space that likely would have created an odd-man rush in the NHL but was too much for the Gulls forward he was attempting to connect with who did not read just how much speed Zellweger already had on the play and was thus a step behind.
   
2. Every zone entry he made he was always looking to connect with a team-mate on the right side but one instance stood out where he sent a perfect saucer pass across to Nesterenko and through at least one possibly two Iowa Wild sticks. On that same play I thought the better option might have been the open man trailing but I can see why he went for the Nesterenko option and it takes massive confidence to swing that kind of pass.

Ducks Pain Gulls Gain

I’ll admit I haven’t paid that much attention to the Ducks this season – or the last for that matter – but as I understand it they were initially doing well but have since fallen on hard times due to some incredibly bad luck with injuries that have somehow not affected the Gulls so much (although that might chance with the most recent injury to Brett Leason). If the Ducks continue to drop further and further out of the playoff picture and into the basement it not only means higher draft picks in a draft in which they currently own a first, two seconds and three third round selections but also means the Gulls can receive those players that are waiver exempt at seasons end. That list includes: Mason McTavish, Jackson LaCombe, Lukas Dostal, Leo Carlsson and Pavel Mintyukov. Can you imagine what kind of firepower that would give the Gulls? Once again – just as in seasons past – the Gulls just need to stay afloat long enough to stay close to or get into a playoff spot. Something they are currently doing with this three game point streak.

Standings Update

The OT loss gives the Gulls another point so officially puts them ahead of San Jose by one point who at the time of writing this are down 3-0 to Bakersfield. Assuming the Condors do win – they move four points ahead and tie the Eagles for the final playoff spot. The Gulls next head to Abbotsford to face a historically tough opponent that they have only managed to beat twice out of thirteen meetings but who currently sit two points back of Coachella for fifth in the division but at the time of writing this are up 3-1 over Tucson.