In the seventh to last game of the season and mathematically eliminated from the post season the San Diego Gulls were playing for both pride and jobs in the following season with a new wave of prospects on the horizon. They were greeted by the arrivals of two new faces, one of which is set to be a key piece of their roster next season. 2022 fifth round selection Connor Hvidston joined the team on an ATO after his Junior team finished their regular season without a playoff spot and 2020 third round selection of the Penguins – Calle Clang made his North American debut after being acquired in the Rickard Rakell deal at last seasons deadline.
Groulx centered the top line with De Leo and Sikura while Gawdin was placed between Perreault and Regenda. Hvidston made his debut centering the fourth line of Cotton and Kindopp. While Brayden Tracey joined the injury list that now also featured Josiah Slavin as well as the slightly shorter list of Evan Weinger, Axel Andersson, Josh Healey as well as Hora and Howe. Olle Eriksson Ek and Dmitry Osipov were the healthy scratches.
Gage Alexander was given the start with Calle Clang backing up.
First Period:
Playing a tight defensive checking game the Gulls held Iowa to just one shot for almost the entire period while managing to break through the strict man-to-man structure the Wild also deployed to lead in shots for much of the first twenty minutes.
The Gates-Lopina-Kirkland trio stood out as the line that generated the better of chances for the frame with Lopina in particular looking like a man possessed as he gave no quarter in any and all board battles as well as laying the body at any opportunity.
However – as fate would have it – with San Diego doing so well to keep Iowa from getting a look at their net; just one defensive breakdown and a change-up shot that fooled Alexander enough to prompt an enormous rebound to squirt off his right pad and to a waiting Joe Hicketts meant the Wild would take the 1-0 lead with just under two minutes left in the frame.
The Gulls down by one entering the first intermission but ahead in shots 7-4 with the shot map showing how well San Diego had done at keeping the Wild to the perimeter.
Second Period: Iowa Wild 1 – San Diego Gulls 0
Play opened up to start the second and a push from the Wild saw them quickly even the shot total within the first five minutes before BO Groulx was called for interference in the neutral zone.
Just under a minute into the kill – Gulls Captain Chase De Leo intercepted a pass and went in alone on a breakaway, his in tight forehand to backhand move partially disrupted by a hook from Marco Rossi but the eventual shot firing high over Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt but hitting the cross bar. Officials called the hook on the play but not the goal and as Chase De Leo proceeded to still lead the first bump line they later called the puck did not cross the goal line upon further review.
As play continued into a brief minute of Power Play – the San Diego man advantage stayed hot as a Michael Del Zotto shot from the point was tipped by Glen Gawdin to get past Wallstedt. 1-1 tie game.
The Wild came back with a huge push and caught the San Diego top line standing around in their own zone after forcing a turnover with a ferocious forecheck. Alexander unable to make the stop on Nick Swaneys 14th goal of the season as he was given too much time and space in the slot to settle the puck and then wire it by desperately diving Gulls defenders. 2-1 Iowa.
Things settled down somewhat as time sped by on the period. San Diego were asked to kill another minor – this time to Pavol Regenda for cross-checking but were able to escape the infraction unscathed.
With four minutes remaining in the period the Gulls were met with some penalty trouble as both Regenda and De Leo were sent to the box within seconds of each-other on some inconsistently weak calls compared to games of recent past. Despite starting the five on three disadvantage well – with Groulx able to jump on a loose puck and carry it to the Iowa zone. Once the Wild were able to get set in the San Diego zone it was all she wrote as back to back one-timers from the right side saw them increase their lead to 4-1 within a minute.
San Diego suddenly falling behind 4-1 in a short amount of time and noticeably upset at the Officials as they exited for the second intermission. Shots were 18-13 for Iowa with the shot map showing Nic Petan doing the damage from the Michael Carcone office of the right circle.
Third Period: Iowa Wild 4 – San Diego Gulls 1
With the Gulls coming out strong to start the third it took until the four minute mark for the Wild to turn momentum back in their favour and then just seconds to add to their total as once again their defensive structure looked in disarray while the Wild were able to fire a shot that beat Alexander through traffic to spell the end of Alexanders night. 5-1 Wild.
With Clang making his debut it at least gave another reason to continue watching the action despite the forgone conclusion of yet another Gulls loss on the season.
With under seven minutes left San Diego were finally given a man advantage of their own as Sikura was pulled down trying to exit a board battle with the puck and Calle Clang skated alongside Nik Brouillard up ice as he returned to the bench for the extra attacker.
After a lengthy sequence with the extra attacker on the delayed call the Gulls could not penetrate the Iowa defensive box and had similar trouble on the resulting man advantage as the score remained 5-1 with four minutes remaining.
Time wound down on the frame with a visibly deflated San Diego Gulls team exiting the ice after their seventh straight loss.
Post Game Notes:
New Year New Coach
It was reported earlier this week in 32 Thoughts that it is rumored that Pat Verbeek has Matt McIlvane of the Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian league in his sights for the Gulls coaching post next season. I’m not sure how I feel about this. On one hand – I am happy that they are serious about finding someone to fix the clubs record this season and looking to fill the position with somebody who can hopefully make something of the burgeoning group of kids coming through. But on the other hand and as I have said several times before, having a complete overhaul of the coaching staff three straight years in a row and now a fourth – cannot be helping the current crop of players. If McIlvane is indeed named the Gulls coach for next year – he will be BO Groulxs fourth since being in San Diego in as many years.
There are also rumblings among Ducks fandom that perhaps Dallas Eakins should be demoted back to the Gulls so he can stick to what he does best – developing players – as opposed to tactics and on the fly changes. I can’t see Verbeek doing this and given he has begun a search it is fairly like he isn’t thinking this way either. McIlvane seems a bit of a long-shot given he is coming from a European league and not one of the more known ones either but perhaps this is a long-term plan to develop and groom an eventual Ducks replacement much like Bouchard was supposed to be. Meanwhile he is also likely looking for Eakins replacement – which could be any number of the ones mentioned on this list – personally I like former Duck Joe Sacco.
Debutants Assessment
The pro debut for the youngster Hvidston went as much as you would expect. He was muscled off the puck far too often but showed a lot of speed on the fore-check. Given he was only drafted last summer he is still just only 18 and weighs just 165lbs (possibly more now). He will bulk up more before he is ready to turn professional but this is a good opportunity for him to get his feet wet. I did like his foot speed and confidence with the puck.
Clang – I am more excited to see more of. He looked night and day a much much more polished and calm goaltender in net. Don’t get me wrong – Alexander has looked good but today he was definitely off and I can bet it was due to the sudden arrival of Clang. Where Alexander is a battler and uses his size and reactions to make the stop – Clang is of the European style of using as little energy as possible to make a save. Keeping form tight, always in position and tracking the puck at all times. This is encouraging in that when Dostal first made his North American debut I remember he was a little rough and raw at times with some instances of swimming but he has tightened that over the years to become the compact goaltender he is today. Clang appears to already have that part of his game nailed down. Of course this was a very small sample size – let’s see what he brings next game. For now though – it appears the Clang Dynasty has begun.
Verbeek Still Dealing
Even with the Trade Deadline now passed Pat Verbeek is not done as he sent 2020 fourth round pick Thimo Nickl to Pittsburgh for 2019 fifth round pick Judd Caulfield. Caulfield is a 6’3″ right shot winger who previously played with Trevor Zegras on the famed 2018-2019 USNTDP Junior team. He finished 10th in scoring on the team that season with 25 points in 28 games. He fits the Verbeek mold of having size and playing a heavy game as mentioned in several initial draft reviews I have read. He doesn’t appear to be a play-driver or scorer – more an energy guy whose game thrives away from the puck where he uses his frame to either cause turnovers or shut down opposing offense. From everything I have read and seen – the general consensus is he is a big kid that knows he is big and uses that size to his advantage where he can but lacks in any real flashy offensive ability. The Ducks have until August 15th to sign him or lose him as a UFA. Nickl by contrast has until next summer before his rights expire. This feels like the Penguins being unable or unwilling to sign him before his rights expired and the Ducks taking a gamble on a player with size while discarding a defensive prospect that was realistically never going to be in their plans long term – particularly with how deep they now are on the blue line.
The Gulls last game of the season is April 15th.
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