With time running out in the playoff race the San Diego Gulls headed to Bakersfield to try get back in the win column after two disappointing losses at home.
Jacob Perreault was returned to the line-up after sitting the last two as a healthy scratch and reunited with Brayden Tracey on the third line. Ben King dropped to the fourth line while Travis Howe was scratched to make room.
Tomas Suchanek was given his second straight start with Stalock backing up once again.
Nick Wolff and Calle Clang were announced as the healthy scratched with Luka Profaca noted as being out with an illness and Jaxsen Wiebe the only injury. Strangely Travis Howe was not listed as either scratched or injured.
First Period:
Starting the first frame well the Gulls drew a penalty as Colton White was hooked going to retrieve a puck in his own zone. On the resulting Power Play the Gulls wasted no time to get set off the draw with the first unit and instantly went to back to basics with a no thrills strategy. Cycling around the zone Olen Zellweger drew the Condors slightly out of formation before handing off to Chase De Leo who used a defenders as a screen to place a low shot on net that was stopped but allowed Pavol Regenda to punch in the rebound right away. 1-0 Gulls.
Following up on the goal with an added jump – San Diego pushed the Condors for another and were awarded another Power Play when Colton White once again was felled by a Bakersfield player.
It took just seconds for the Gulls to convert on their second opportunity, once again the first unit getting it done as Olen Zellweger walked the line, looked for an opening and sent a low shot on net that Andrew Agozzino fished out and hammered at until it eventually went in. 2-0 Gulls.
Pressing the attack further San Diego tried to add to their lead but the Condors settled things down and slowly started to switch momentum, Tyson Hinds setting the Gulls back as he was called for cross checking.
Bakersfield made the Gulls recently unbreakable penalty kill unit look somewhat ordinary as they beat Suchanek via much the same play the Gulls scored their first two goals on. Finding a rebound in front and sliding it in. 2-1 Gulls.
With under four minutes left in the period another penalty – this time to Robert Hagg for an elbow gave the Condors another Power Play and again they made the Gulls penalty kill look less than average. Spreading them thin and slicing the box in two for back to back cross-ice one-timers, the second of which beat Suchanek. 2-2 tie game.
With just twenty five seconds left in the period Pavol Regenda was called for slashing to make it three straight Power Plays awarded to the Condors and despite keeping Bakersfield out of their own zone for most of the remaining seconds in the period while down a man, an unlucky bounce in the neutral zone allowed Lane Pederson to skate in on a partial break and his buzzer beating shot made it 3-2 with less than three seconds left. 3-2 Condors.
San Diego giving up three straight Power Play goals to go down 3-2 after twenty minutes and wondering what happened to their once great penalty killing prowess. Shots were 21-8 Bakersfield on the period with the shot map showing it was all Condors for the majority of the time.
Second Period: Bakersfield Condors 3 – San Diego Gulls 2
The second period had a different story to tell from the first – as teams once again exchanged penalties but this time neither converted as the Gulls killed theirs via a Condors infraction midway through and Bakersfield in turn kept San Diego from tying it up on the man advantage despite some great chances created.
Play was back and forth with minimal to no stoppages for the remainder of the period. San Diego were given another chance with the man advantage but could not seem to get a good look on Condors goaltender Olivier Rodrigue.
With 2:51 left in the period they were given one more chance with the man advantage as Nathan Gaucher had his stick slashed out of his hands by Raphael Lavoie. This time hitting pay dirt as Glenn Gawdin was perfectly set up in the bumper area by Chase De Leo at the left wall. 3-3 tie game.
On the very next shift Judd Caulfield was called for the exact same penalty – against the previous guilty party of Raphael Lavoie (who I felt added a tad more dramatic flair than was required to earn the call) and the Gulls headed right back to the penalty kill with less than two minutes left in the period.
Managing to keep Bakersfield from getting set for much of the time the Gulls were able to kill off the remaining time in the period to head to the second intermission tied up at three. Shots were 16-13 in favour of San Diego on the frame to bring things to a more respectable 34-25 overall. The shot map showing the Gulls having better volume of chances but teams even in high danger opportunities.
Third Period: San Diego Gulls 3 – Bakersfield Condors 3
Killing the remaining time in the penalty to Caulfield the Gulls went to the attack and came frustratingly close on a three on two play but Pavol Regenda elected to back-pass as he skated backward in the low slot. His pass was picked off.
Bakersfield took play the other way and Tomas Suchanek was called upon to make some super human stops as he stretched across to deny Drake Cagiulla on the doorstep.
Time passed by the midway point of the period but the score remained deadlocked as both teams continued to exchange chances at five on five.
Brayden Tracey sent a perfect area pass on his backhand for a streaking Nathan Gaucher but the Gulls first year center was denied on his forehand to backhand move. Following the play with added pressure across multiple lines San Diego were given a Power Play with just over two minutes left in the period when the Condors cleared the puck over the glass from their own zone.
Getting set in the Bakersfield zone with both units the Gulls couldn’t generate enough movement to get a decent enough look on Rodrigue during the two minute sequence. Their best chance coming in the dying seconds of the minor as the second unit and Brayden Tracey stationed at the side of the net whacked at a rebound that Rodrigue stubbornly covered.
Time expired on the period and we headed to overtime.
Overtime
The Gulls haven’t been that great in overtime this season and once again their record went against them as the Condors intercepted and pounced on a Chase De Leo 50/50 pass near the offensive blue line to go in on a two on one.
Carter Savoie looking off the pass and wiring a shot that beat Suchanek to give them the win.
Post Game Notes:
Penalty Kill Pressured
The Gulls penalty kill got lit up for three goals and from what I saw it wasn’t exactly a problem with the systems. Either the Condors did their homework or the Gulls didn’t, I am leaning more towards the later. Bakersfield had the San Diego forwards scrambling and way out of formation as they aggressively chased down puck carriers along the perimeter. This allowed for huge openings and cross-ice passes that beat Suchanek twice off one-timers. It felt like Bakersfield have watched a lot of tape on Suchanek and know that his aggressive play can be his downfall, beating him with those box breaking passes by getting the shot away before he could get set. With all of that said I am not entirely sure what I would have done – the Condors have too many weapons to allow players to skate around the perimeter unchaperoned, doing so would allow them to find another roving player at the back door, something else I noticed Bakersfield seemed to be attempting to do a lot.
The Power Play Makes Up For It
Where the penalty kill struggled the Power Play made up for it. Looking incredibly deadly yet simple as they worked the Condors zone with minimal movement and a clear meat and potatoes basic strategy of getting pucks on net to create rebounds in front. The book on Rodrigue must be a lack of rebound control particularly through traffic – and that strategy definitely worked tonight.
More Help Coming?
The Ducks have been up and down with injuries all season but they have also had players returning from injury way ahead of schedule. They are almost back to full health meaning they will soon need to make room on their roster. Somebody will need to be placed on waivers and if they clear they can be assigned to the Gulls. Who will it be?
Standings Update
The loss doesn’t hurt the Gulls points percentage too much but it does hurt in the standings with Bakersfield being one of those teams in a playoff position they are trying to chase down. The point earned gives San Diego 44, seven behind Henderson with five games in hand and eight behind Ontario who occupy the final playoff spot at present. Conveniently the Gulls face the Reign next – but at home. Can they break the curse of Pechanga Arena?
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