Gulls Aim For Pacific Division Semifinals Sweep Against Condors
May 23, 2021The San Diego Gulls and Bakersfield Condors play Game 2 of the Pacific Division Semifinals tonight at Mechanics Bank Arena (5 p.m., TV: CW San Diego, Radio: Gulls Audio Network). The Gulls enter tonight’s Game 2 with a chance to eliminate the Condors. San Diego has posted a 4-2 all-time record with a chance to clinch a series.
The Gulls defeated the Condors 5-3 in Game 1 on Friday night at Mechanics Bank Arena to take a 1-0 series lead in their best-of-three semifinal. They scored three goals on the man advantage to mark eight power-play goals in their last five playoff games against the Condors (8-21, 38.1%). San Diego’s three power-play goals matched its postseason high, previously set Apr. 29, 2016 vs. TEX (3-7).
“It’s something we’ve been working on for the last week or so that we had in practice,” said Sam Carrick regarding the power play. “Things seemed to click early on. It always helps when on that first power play, you get a goal there and get that confidence rolling. The good thing for us is we were able to stick with it. Got a couple there and it obviously helped us win the game.”
Carrick, responsible for two of the three power-play goals, became the first Gull to score multiple power-play goals in a playoff game. Carrick also extended his lead in Gulls all-time postseason points (13-11=24) and goals. His 2-1=3 point night tied the club record for most points in a single playoff game (previously set 12 times; last: Andy Welinski, Game 6 of Second Round, May 13, 2019 vs. BAK).
Also tying that record was Trevor Zegras (1-2=3) and Andrew Agozzino (1-2=3). Zegras tied the Gulls playoff record for most assists by a rookie in a single game (previously set five times; last: Kiefer Sherwood, Game 2 of WCF, May 18, 2019 @ CHI). Agozzino matched his postseason career high (Apr. 20, 2019 with Colorado vs. Bakersfield; 3-0=3) in his Gulls playoff debut.
“There’s some good chemistry out there,” said head coach Kevin Dineen. “You take Jamie [Drysdale] and his poise at the top of the unit. You have the ability to pass the puck like Z [Trevor Zegras] does, and boy, Vinni Lettieri has an NHL shot. When he gets open over there, he’s going to rip it. We’ve seen it a number of times this year. There’s some good pieces to that, and you never leave out your net-front guy because Andrew Agozzino does a nice job in front, not only on the screens, but he takes up some air out there, meaning he ties up their defensemen and frees up our skill on the outside.”
San Diego enters tonight's contest with a 3-4 record in the second game of a postseason series and won their last two Game 2 matchups. This record includes the second contest of their 2019 matchup against Bakersfield, which San Diego won 5-1 in Bakersfield.
As good as the Gulls were on the power play, they also allowed two goals on Bakersfield man advantages. A key to tonight’s game will be staying out of the penalty box.
“We have to get away from taking untimely penalties,” added Dineen. “I think those offensive-zone penalties hurt you and they’re preventable. Those are areas when you’re playing a team like this, that has the ability to generate offense, specifically on the special teams, you have to take care of business there.”
Bakersfield will look to rebound in what could be the last game of their season. Seth Griffith (1-2=3) and Max Gildon (0-3=3) are each coming off three-point efforts, but Cooper Marody was held scoreless.
Marody recently captured the Willie Marshall Award as the AHL’s leading goal scorer in 2020-21 after tying for third in overall scoring with 21-15=36 points in 39 games. Originally selected by Philadelphia in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL Draft, Marody was an AHL All-Star as a rookie in 2018-19 and has registered 46 goals and 74 assists for 120 points in 130 career AHL contests with the Condors.