2023-2024 Game 72: San Diego Gulls at Coachella Valley Firebirds

In the final game of the season after surrendering a three goal lead to go down 5-4 in overtime the night before the San Diego Gulls aimed to finish the year on a high as they faced the Firebirds one last time.

Pavol Regenda, Robert Hagg, Nick Wolff and Brayden Tracey were absent and possibly suffering form various physical ailments suffered in the previous loss the night before. Coach McIlvane moved Myatovic up the line-up to join Gaucher and Pastujov. Colton White made a very late season return from injury while Luca Profaca also saw one last game after a recall from Tulsa.

It was only fitting that Tomas Suchanek was given the last start in net with Calle Clang backing him up.

First Period:

Once again the Gulls came out firing, putting the Firebirds under pressure and forcing back to back icing calls. Judd Caulfield justified his elevation to the top line by blocking out the sun in front of veteran goaltender Chris Driedger and Andrew Agozzino surprised everybody by wiring a perfect shot from the half wall to give San Diego a one goal lead less than four minutes into the period. 1-0 Gulls.

Agozzino continued his torrid scoring pace to finish the season (not happy with setting the Gulls newest single scoring record) as he swept in a puck at the back door on a rush that was started by a perfect break-out from in their own end that began with Trevor Carrick and Drew Helleson combining to hit Nikita Nesterenko in open ice. Drew Helleson then joined the play to draw in coverage and left Agozzino to sneak in undetected. 2-0 Gulls.

Coachella Valley attempted an immediate response but Suchanek stayed strong while also seeing back to back high danger chances sail wide. Countering the attack the Gulls kept up the pressure at the other end as the ice started to open up.

Judd Caulfield once again proving to be an integral part of the San Diego offense as he stripped the puck from a Firebird in the Gulls zone and then immediately sent a high back hand pass into space. Nikita Nesterenko then flew in to collect and out-skate his would be defenders to go in alone on Driedger. The former Minnesota draft pick pulling a quick in-and-out move to deposit both himself and the puck into the net. 3-0 Gulls.

A penalty to Ben King for tripping saw the Gulls need to buckle down on the defense as they dangerous Coachell Valley Power Play took to the ice but again Judd Caulfield continued his excellent game by causing havoc on the forecheck and when he was not on the ice Tomas Suchanek did the rest.

The continued momentum earned from the man advantage saw the Firebirds go right back to the Power Play as Nathan Gaucher was forced to trip Jani Nyman on route to the net but Tyson Hinds was interfered with on the following face-off to create a full two minute four on four sequence.

Coachella Valley had the better of the chances during that span but the Gulls managed to escape to the first intermission with the three goal lead despite trailing in shots 10-6.

Second Period: San Diego Gulls 3 – Coachella Valley Firebirds 0

In contrast to the previous game the Gulls opted to swap the frame in which they would take their foot off the gas and began the second period under siege.

On one sequence which seemed to last three to four minutes, Travis Howe sacrificed his body three times to prevent Firebirds chances to get through to Suchanek. When Howe was unable to get in front of a shot, Suchanek was making highlight reel skate to skate saves. The Gulls defence unable to keep up with the Firebirds swarm attack and relentless puck battles.

Penalties were exchanged but still the score remained at 3-0 as time closed to the final few minutes of the period.

Finishing the period on a rare non-OT three on three the Gulls successfully kept the home team scoreless against mammoth odds as the shot map show below can only attest. Shots were 18-3 for Coachella Valley on the period and 28-9 overall.

Third Period: San Diego Gulls 3 – Coachella Valley Firebirds 0

Knowing they needed to reset and get back on the attack if they wanted to maintain their lead the Gulls tried but could not contain Coachella Valley as they finally got one by Tomas Suchanek after he made a huge diving stop but left an easy rebound with no help nearby to clear it. Andrew Poturalski haunting his former team. 3-1 Gulls.

The Firebirds made it 3-2 less than two minutes later as they pounced on a clearly out of sorts Gulls defense as Suchanek went to play a puck but inadvertently turned it over to a forechecker who eventually slid the puck into the net after the comedy of errors. 3-2 Gulls.

A much needed Timeout called by Coach Matt McIlvane settled things down somewhat but the Firebirds still maintained control and possession for much of the next few minutes of play including a Power Play opportunity that was thankfully nullified late in the sequence as Andrew Agozzino drew a call during a two on one break.

The resulting Power Play was not to be celebrated as the Firebirds pounced on an opportunity shorthanded. A two on one break that was stopped by Suchanek but could not get to the loose puck as John Hayden followed up on the play. 3-3 tie game with under eight minutes left. De Ja Vu.

Some rare attack in the Coachella Valley zone from the Gaucher line saw momentum shift for a microscopic inch of time before the home team went right back to pressing the Gulls and Tomas Suchanek who had to literally stand on his head to force the overtime session. The Czech story of the Gulls season seeing 43 shots through regulation with the three on three session to come.

Overtime

Expectations would dictate that the overtime session would go much like regulation with Coachella Valley continuing to dominate play but San Diego flipped the script and generated more than a few chances of their own while essentially splitting possession 50/50 on the five minute frame.

Shootout

In the shootout the Firebirds elected to shoot first, sending out veteran and former Duck Devon Shore but his slow left to right move was tracked and stopped by Suchanek.

Ben King went next for the Gulls and in the final game of the season the former WHL leading goal scorer opted for a between the legs move that would have looked oh so pretty if he had managed to finish it.

Logan Morrison similarly came in slow on Suchanek – likely the book being to outwait the young netminder – but his right to left shift and shot was sent wide.

Usually Mr Money – Nikita Nesterenko changed up his routine and went slow, supplying quick hands as he drew in on Driedger but his attempted back hand tuck in move was stopped.

Noted shit-head Max McCormick came in with speed then slowed up to shoot but his shot rang off the post.

Leaving Sasha Pastujov with the game on his stick. The Ducks promising sniper ignoring the boo’s of the home crowd as he skated in with moderate speed, shifting and drawing Driedger to his left before switching to his backhand and sending it high over his shoulder.

San Diego taking the final game of the season 4-3 in the shootout.

Post Game Notes:

Suchanek, Agozzino, Caulfield, Howe, Helleson Stand Outs

Judd Caulfield had another one of those games. He was a factor in two of the three Gulls goals in the first while also proving a force on the penalty kill at the other end. Travis Howe and Drew Helleson made big blocks when the San Diego defense could not contain the Firebirds swam attack while Tomas Suchanek – what can you say, the kid does not give up ever. Ever.

Final Thoughts On This Season

As mentioned on the broadcast, this was a much better Gulls season. They finished with 26 wins, six more than last season and 63 points, 20 more than last season. They finished 16 points out of a playoff spot in a much more intense and improved Pacific Division. Were the Gulls to have finished with 63 points last season they would have only been six points shy of the final playoff spot. They are a young team – the fourth youngest in the league, playing under a brand new coach and brand new systems for the fourth time in as many years. Next season they will still be young, but they will have the same coach and the same systems with – hopefully – mostly the same roster minus some graduations and plus some newcomers from Junior. Things can only get better from here. The natural progression of things means that some of the other teams in the Pacific should hopefully get weaker as their star players graduate with lesser talent filling in the spaces left behind due to their parent clubs drafting lower and less frequently in an effort to stay contenders. Have heart and look ahead to next season, it will be better.

Coming Up

As mentioned on Twitter (I refuse to call it the low-brow adult entertainment sounding name) I plan on doing the usual end of season grades – this year Ill add notes on what Id like to see each player improve on for next season. I will also do the usual player movements article as well as the upcoming draft recap. I also hope to redo the hottest NHL coaches and make it an annual thing – sorry no AHL coaches, they are all too young for me to really give an unbiased and fair opinion on, unless I threw their faces into an aging software thing hmmmm now there is an idea…

I also hope to do a one page in-depth article on the incoming prospects next season and what to expect from them.