2024-2025 Game 11: San Diego Gulls at Tucson Roadrunners

Tucson, Arizona. Riding high off of their five goal comeback win over Abbotsford the San Diego Gulls headed east to the desert to renew an old rivalry.

With a plethora of players to choose from Coach McIlvane again made an interesting choice – scratching Yegor Sidorov to make room for Travis Howe…

Coulson Pitre was rewarded with a promotion to the second line while Nikita Nesterenko moved down to the third to join up with Judd Caulfield once again.

All defensive pairings were changed up. Noah Warren drew back in and slid in on the third pair with Drew Helleson, Tristan Luneau was placed with Dillon Heatherington and Rodwin Dionicio was placed with Roland McKeown.

Calle Clang was once again given the start with Dansk backing up.

Tyson Hinds, Jan Mysak and the surprising Yegor Sidorov were the healthy scratches. Roman Kinal was announced as being assigned to Tulsa earlier in the week.

First Period:

San Diego had the Roadrunners on the back foot to start – rolling across their top two lines while creating pressure in the Tucscon zone but once the home side were able to get their top line on against the Gulls fourth line, momentum was quickly shifted.

Play was back and forth for the next few minutes as time approached the midway point. Pavol Regenda took an ill advised cross checking penalty in the Roadrunners zone and the Gulls penalty kill was immediately out of sorts with how unstructured the Roadrunners man advantage was. It seemed more reliant on rush attack than gaining the zone and getting set. Just as it seemed San Diego might have escaped the minor unharmed Artem Duda finished off a rush to make it 1-0 Tucson.

Shots slowly crept up to a comfortable 11-5 advantage with five minutes left in the period as the Gulls tried to desperately generate in the Tucson zone – each time they did they appeared to get close they would be found guilty for a minor infraction. Carson Meyer called for roughing during one such sequence but the San Diego penalty kill did a much better job of holding their blue line and were able to erase the minor.

The Gulls did manage to put together one shift of very good sustained pressure with two minutes remaining but every time they were close to the net and ready to either take the shot or make a pass – the Roadrunners quickly collapsed to shut it down. The sequence eventually finished with a one-timer on the right side with little to no traffic in front.

San Diego down by one after the first set of twenty and trailing in shots 12-8, the shot map showing the home side with the distinct advantage but San Diego able to generate near to the slot also.

Second Period: Tucson Roadrunners 1 – San Diego Gulls 0

The second period again had a great start for the Gulls and they followed that up by drawing a penalty in the first few minutes.

Much like the Tucson Power Play it looked as though the infraction may have expired but Josh Lopina delivered from the slot, swinging a one-timer from the bumper position to make it a 1-1 tie game.

Play started to pick up from both sides after the goal but it would be the Gulls who struck next as Sam Colangelo made an absolutely beautiful play to maneuver inside of his man then send a perfect backdoor pass to a streaking Jansen Harkins. 2-1 Gulls.

With their home crowd silenced the Roadrunners came with a ferocious response, exposing the Gulls and a very loose man to man defensive structure while drawing a call on Nathan Gaucher.

Killing the minor in the end thanks to some heroic efforts from Drew Helleson and Carson Meyer the Gulls were given another Power Play when Aku Raty was called for interference.

Tucson made the San Diego man advantage look embarrassing for much of the time allotment but in the final five seconds the Gulls did manage to get set and tee-up a very dangerous one-timer that was stopped.

Play became increasingly chippy and saw a four on four sequence as a result of matching roughing minors to Sam Colangelo and Max Szuber before the Roadrunners were penalized in the eight seconds of play for interference and then again at the buzzer for hooking to set up an almost full two minutes of five on three advantage to start the third.

The Gulls in the drivers seat, taking a 2-1 lead into the second intermission, outshooting the Roadrunners 12-6 on the period to make it 20-18 overall and starting the third with an almost full two minute five on three.

Note: It was noted that veteran defender Dillon Heatherington was not seen for the entire second period – presumably out with an injury sustained in the first.

Third Period: San Diego Gulls 2 – Tucson Roadrunners 1

Starting the period with a two man advantage it was the best opportunity to put a statement on the period and the game but the Gulls let is pass – by ironically doing to much of the aforementioned word.

As play started filtering back the other way the Roadrunners tied things back up at two as they exposed some poor man to man defense from the Gulls and opened a man up coming down from the left point. 2-2 tie game.

The Gulls tried to respond but things went from bad to worse as Drew Helleson was called for tripping on a confusing call that looked fifty fifty at best as he competed with a Tucson player on an icing call.

San Diego killed the minor and as Tucson continued to steadily build their momentum they did a fairly good job of getting in shooting lanes and lifting sticks but it felt like something had to give as time approached the eight minutes remaining mark.

With the Gulls already down a defender they saw Noah Warren sidelined for five minutes of play as he was goaded into a fight by Tucson tough guy and part-giant Curtis Douglas.

Just as it appeared that San Diego might be able to steal a point on the road and send this one to the three on three extra session, the Roadrunners entered the Gulls zone on the rush, pulled up and created space for the trailer. Kailer Yamamoto providing the dagger as he slammed a one-timer that was initially blocked in front but trickled by Clang. 3-2 Roadrunners with just under two minutes left.

The Roadrunners followed that up by firing a squeaker by Clang less than a forty seconds later on a play that saw all five Gulls standing stationary in confusion. 4-2 Roadrunners.

Coach McIlvane called a time-out after the goal but it was too little to late as the shell-shocked Gulls looked completely overwhelmed. Losing the puck in their own zone with their netminder pulled and allowing the fifth goal to Egor Sokolov. 5-2 Roadrunners.

The Gulls dropping their eighth loss of the season as a mental lapse saw all of their hard work undone in the final few minutes of play.

Post Game Notes:

Time To Make The Right Choices

I get that the AHL is primarily a development league and Coach McIlvane does strike me as the type to give everyone a fair shot – but this is professional hockey. You don’t scratch your young star sniper in favor of… the tough guy. Not when your team has a sub 500 record and is already in danger of missing the playoffs. It is time to start consistently playing the optimal line-up and giving guys a chance when someone gets hurt or has to take time off. As it is – it looks like he won’t have a tough choice on defense for tomorrows game…

Down A Dillon on D

With Heatherington out – you would have to think Hinds comes back in for the next game and a subsequent call-up from Tulsa will be made if it is a week to week injury. I have already plead my case for why that should be Andrew Lucas but I would not be surprised if Roman Kinal comes back up. Which would lead to a very long sigh from me.

Furthermore In Tulsa

When they do announce the recall of a defender from Tulsa – I would absolutely love if they included a forward in that. I realise there are two being scratched every night as it is but it’s past time for a shake-up and Sasha Pastujov is absolutely tearing up the E right now with 11 points in 8 games. He sits tied for 7th overall in the league in scoring and is second overall in goals with 7.