San Diego Gulls Biweekly Report 2

By Thomas Harrington

The San Diego Gulls played five games over the past two weeks and lost all five. The Gulls have now lost nine games in a row and have yet to win since the second game of the season. Most of the losses have been close games, but there was one ugly game where San Diego got blown out.

The Gulls started out on the road in Charlotte, playing the Checkers. This was Tristan Luneau’s first game with the Gulls after being sent to the AHL on a conditioning assignment. Charlotte opened the scoring late in the first, but Judd Caulfield and Trevor Carrick both scored early in the second to give the Gulls the lead. The Checkers responded with a goal of their own to make it 2-2. Ben King scored late in the period to give San Diego the lead. In the third, Charlotte tied the game with seconds left in regulation and then scored the gamewinner in overtime and won 4-3.

The Gulls stayed in Charlotte to play the Checkers again. Just over a minute into the first, Nikita Nesterenko scored his first career AHL goal. The Checkers tied the game, but Pavol Regenda gave the Gulls the lead back less than two minutes later. In the second, Charlotte scored twice to take the lead, but the Gulls responded with two goals of their own, as Jacob Perreault and Josh Lopina both scored to give the Gulls the 4-3 win. Charlotte scored the only goal of the third, then got the goal in overtime again and won 5-4.

The Gulls then traveled to Coachella Valley to face the Firebirds. The Firebirds scored three straight goals in the first to take a commanding 3-0 lead, but the Gulls fought back in the second. Brayden Tracey scored his first of the season, and then Olen Zellweger scored to make it a one-goal game. Luneau picked up an assist on Zellweger’s goal, giving him his first career AHL point. Coachella Valley scored the only goal in the third and won 4-2.

San Diego then returned home to face Calgary in what has easily been their worst game of the season so far. Calgary took a 4-0 lead after 20 minutes, and made it 6-0 in the second before the Gulls got on the board, courtesy of Nathan Gaucher scoring his first career AHL goal. Perreault then made it 6-2, but Calgary scored again before the period was over. In the third, the Wranglers scored again, but Regenda scored late and the Gulls lost 8-3. The Gulls finished things off by hosting Colorado. The Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the first, but Nesterenko scored in the second. In the third, Colorado scored, but Lopina answered to make it a one-goal game again. Colorado scored two late goals, including an empty net goal, and won 5-2.

The Gulls will play five games over the next two weeks. They’ll start out with two more home games, hosting Charlotte for a pair of games. San Diego will then head to San Jose to face the Barracuda, before returning home for two more games to play Chicago twice.

No one really stood out during the past two weeks. If the Ducks do need to call anyone up from San Diego, I imagine it will be a veteran to fill a hole, similar to how both Robert Hagg and Alex Stalock have been recalled to Anaheim.

After a nice start to the season with a pair of wins, things have fallen apart for the Gulls. They’re competitive most nights, but it simply hasn’t been enough. San Diego needs to turn things around quickly if they want to get back in the race for the Calder Cup Playoffs.

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November 14th, 2023