LIVE: Gulls Fall To Condors 5-1
Dec 17, 2021By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls fell to the Bakersfield Condors 5-1 in tonight's matchup at Pechanga Arena San Diego.
The San Diego Gulls continued to struggle to find offense, falling SCORE to the Bakersfield Condors tonight at Pechanga Arena San Diego. The Gulls scored just once in back-to-back losses, nearing the halfway mark of a team-record seven-game homestand with one win in three home contests.
Raphael Lavoie and Devin Brosseau posted career nights to lead a shorthanded Bakersfield to the win. Lavoie collected 2-3=5 points – a career-high for points in a game – while Brosseau picked up a career-high 2-2=4 points in the victory. Goaltender Ilya Konovalov stopped 20-of-21 shots for his third win of the season.
Sean Josling scored San Diego’s goal, the first of his American Hockey League career. Lukas Dostal, returned by the Anaheim Ducks before the game, made 27 saves in the loss.
THIRD PERIOD RECAP
Lavoie scored his second goal of the game, restoring the Condors three-goal lead at 8:17 of the final frame. The center quickly swept a loose puck on net, sending his shot off the glove of Dostal and into the back of the net for his second goal of the season.
Bakersfield's penalty kill, the third-ranked road unit entering tonight's game, snuffed out a San Diego comeback bid midway through the period. With Brad Malone serving two penalties - one for tripping and one for roughing - the Condors kept the Gulls off the board and without a high-danger scoring chance. The power play ended when Hunter Drew received a cross-checking penalty with just over a minute left in his team's man advantage.
Philip Broberg capitalized on the momentum, scoring with 5:15 left in regulation.
Skating 4-on-4, Lavoie fed a pass to Brosseau, who moved into the Gulls defensive zone on a 2-on-1 rush. He cut to the faceoff circle and fed a pass to Broberg, who tipped his attempt past a lunging Dostal for his first goal of the season.
Lavoie continued his dominant night, with the secondary assist marking his fifth point of the night (2-3=5). Brosseau, who entered the game with six career AHL points, collected his fourth (2-2=4) on the tally.
Brosseau collected his second goal of the game just 1:24 into the middle frame to push Bakersfield's lead to two.
Lavoie pressured San Diego on the forecheck, collecting a loose puck behind the goal line and finding an open Brosseau at the front of the net. The center tapped it past Dostal for his second goal of the season and the first multi-goal game of his American Hockey League career.
Jack Badini nearly broke through for San Diego, forcing Bakersfield goalie Ilya Konovalov to make a highlight-reel stop on a 2-on-1 chance at 7:13 of the period.
Brogan Rafferty started the rush, beating two Condors to a loose puck at his blue line and quickly turning up ice. After maneuvering around a stick check at Bakersfield's blue line, the defenseman dished the puck to a streaking Badini, who one-timed a shot to the far post. A sliding Konovalov stuck out his pad and just got enough of the puck to deny the chance and freeze play.
Lavoie pushed the Condors lead to three with his first goal with just under eight minutes left in the second period.
Brosseau intercepted a clearing attempt at San Diego's blue line, feeding Lavoie on the wing. The right wing brought the puck off the side wall and wired a shot past the glove of Dostal.
Josling put San Diego on the board, scoring his first career AHL goal with 1:12 remaining in the period.
Bryce Kindopp pulled a loose puck off the side boards and moved it to Greg Printz below the goal line. He quickly played it out to the slot, where Josling ripped a one-timed shot past Konovalov for the milestone marker.
Brosseau opened the scoring with just 12.5 seconds left in the opening frame. Former Gull Adam Cracknell carried the puck deep into the San Diego zone, drawing two defenders. He spun around and found Brosseau in the slot, and the center quickly fired a shot toward the net. It deflected off the skate of a sliding Gull and past Dostal for his first goal of the season.
Dostal stopped 12 of the 13 shots he faced in the opening period. The netminder, reassigned by the Anaheim Ducks before tonight's game, entered tonight with a 5-5-0 record, a 2.83 goals-against average (GAA) and a .895 save percentage (SV%).
Konovalov stopped the five shots he faced in the opening period. He brings a 2-3-2 record into tonight's game with a 2.67 GAA and .895 SV%. In two starts against the Gulls, Konovalov is 1-0-1 with a 1.41 GAA and a.942 SV%.