Gulls Bi-Weekly Report 3

By Thomas Harrington 

The San Diego Gulls struggled over the past two weeks and fell almost to the bottom of the Pacific Division standings. They only picked up one win in six games. The season is still early, but things aren’t looking good for San Diego’s playoff chances right now.

Barracuda Blank Gulls

The Gulls started things off with a trip to San Jose to face the Barracuda. Neither team scored in the first, and San Jose finally opened the scoring midway through the second period. In the third, the Barracuda scored twice and won the game 3-0. Lukas Dostal made 39 saves on 42 shots. The Gulls only had 21 shots on goal, with six of them coming from Benoit-Olivier Groulx.

Gulls Even Split Against Griffins

San Diego then returned home for four straight games, with the first two against the Grand Rapids Griffins. The first game was a high scoring affair as Grand Rapids scored three goals in the first period before Jacob Perreault made it 3-1. Early in the second the Griffins made it 4-1, but Perreault scored his second of the game, and Danny O’Regan then made it a one-goal game. Grand Rapids scored before the period was over to make it 5-3. In the third, Rocco Grimaldi and Brayden Tracey both scored to tie the game at 5-5, but Grand Rapids scored with less than two minutes remaining and won 6-5.

The next night, the Gulls were looking for revenge and got it. The Griffins opened the scoring in the first period, but Glenn Gawdin and Tracey both scored to make it 2-1 before the opening period was over. In the second, Gawdin scored his second of the game to make it 3-1. In the third, Drew Helleson scored his second career goal and Gawdin scored into the empty net to give him the hat trick. Dimitry Osipov then scored his first goal for San Diego, and the Gulls won 6-1.

Gulls Drop Two Remaining Home Games

After scoring 11 goals in two games, San Diego’s offense dried up over the next two. Tucson was the next team to visit. They scored twice in the first, but neither team scored in the second. Groulx scored late in the third to make it a one-goal game, but the Roadrunners scored into the empty net and won 3-1.

Coachella Valley then came to San Diego, and O’Regan opened the scoring early in the first. But the Firebirds scored twice late in the period, including a shorthanded goal, to take a 2-1 lead. Neither team scored in the second period, but Coachella Valley scored twice in the third and won 4-1.

Gulls Rally Comes Up Short Against Silver Knights

For their final game, the Gulls traveled to Henderson to take on the Silver Knights. Henderson scored three goals in the first period, but Grimaldi scored late to make it 3-1 before the period was over. In the second, Grimaldi scored the only goal to make it a one-goal game. But Henderson scored twice in the final few minutes of the game, including one into an empty net, and won 5-2.

Final Thoughts

The Gulls will play five games over the next two weeks. They’ll start out by hosting Colorado for a game, and then they’ll have four straight games against the Calgary Wranglers. The first two games San Diego will host, and then the Gulls will travel to Calgary for the next two games.

As Anaheim continues to deal with injuries, a number of San Diego players have already been back and forth between the two teams. Players who haven’t been called up to Anaheim yet who may get a look include Groulx, Tracey, and Perreault. Also, if John Gibson misses any time, Dostal could quickly make his way to Anaheim, as he’s arguably been San Diego’s best player this season.

The Gulls have 54 games left this season, which is enough time to turn things around, but they need to start putting together some lengthy win streaks soon. They currently sit six games below the .500 mark, so they’ve got a lot of ground to make up. One bright spot for the team has been their penalty kill, as it’s in the top five. If the Gulls are able to turn this season around, the penalty kill will need to continue to be one of their strengths.

Listen to our show by clicking below or visit us at Podomatic, Rumble, Spreaker, or YouTube.

Support us by becoming a DucksNPucks patron! Members can win game tickets, Ducks gear, and more!

Want to start your sports media career? Then Join The Puck Network!

DucksNPucks is part of The Puck Network, which covers the entire NHL. There are openings to cover your favorite team(s) and earn school credits! If you are interested, then apply by filling out the form here: Join Our Team. What are you waiting for? Start your sports media career TODAY!

November 28th, 2022