PREVIEW: Gulls, Condors Renew Rivalry In Bakersfield
Feb 11, 2023By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
Fresh off a win on home ice, the San Diego Gulls aim for a sweep of a weekend back-to-back series when they face the rival Bakersfield Condors tonight at Mechanics Bank Arena (7 p.m. PT; TV: AHL TV; RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).
The two teams meet for the sixth time this season, with Bakersfield taking four of the five previous matchups. The Gulls earned their lone win on Jan. 25, a 5-3 victory on home ice. Benoit-Oliver Groulx posted 1-1=2 points on Jan. 27 for 3-2=5 points against the Condors this season, tying Michael Del Zotto (1-4=5) and Rocco Grimaldi (2-3=5) for the lead in point production against the club. On Jan. 25, Grimaldi tallied 2-2=4 points against Bakersfield to tie a season high for points earned in a single game, while Del Zotto recorded 1-2=3 points in the same contest. Raphael Lavoie leads Bakersfield with 2-4=6 points against San Diego this season following a three-point performance (1-2=3) on Jan. 27.
"Well, I think the big thing, you know, with Bakersfield, the two games we (last) played against them, we played heavy," Gulls head coach Roy Sommer said. "And you know, that's the kind of lineup we have right now. There's kind of a heavy guy on every line. And, you know, that's kind of how we have to play offensively and in our own end, kill plays and get pucks up to our forwards."
San Diego used this heavy formula to snap a five-game losing skid last night, earning their first franchise win over the Coachella Valley Firebirds in a 2-1 overtime victory. Scoreless through the first 40 minutes, the Gulls routinely dished out big hits while keeping one of the American Hockey League’s top offenses at bay.
The two teams traded goals in the final frame – first Kole Lind on the power-play, then Pavol Regnda at even strength – before Grimaldi secured San Diego’s win 34 seconds into overtime.
"Well, I would say from a fan's perspective, probably saw the best third period of the year anyways," Sommer said. "You know, 0-0 and we've been in that same situation against that team before in Coachella twice. You know, one time that we were up 2-1 and then the other one was a 1-1 game and, you know, found a way. They scored first and, you know, next shift (Pavol) Regenda comes down, makes a great play, stays with it, gets a couple whacks at it. Finally get a 5-on-5 goal and then, you know, your hardest worker finishes it off in overtime."
Grimaldi – who leads the team with 19-24=43 points – is on the doorstep of a second consecutive 20-goal season. The right wing continues to lead San Diego in most offensive categories heading into tonight’s matchup.
"Yeah, well, I mean, I guess we had some really good looks, especially in the first period, that I was pretty upset about," Grimaldi said of last night’s performance. "Couple 2-on-1s just didn't connect. Goalie made some good saves. So, me and Bo (Groulx) were both frustrated by those. Thought we should have at least given us a lead. Once again Dos (Lukas Dostal) does his thing, keeps us in the game; we get outshot by double. Get to overtime and maybe it's just keep going overtime. Think we’re 2-0 in extra times; just gonna keep doing that."
A day after announcing a five-year extension of their lease at Mechanics Bank Arena, the Bakersfield Condors fell 3-2 in a shootout to the Ontario Reign last night on home ice. Noah Philp (1-1=2) and Seth Griffith (0-2=2) helped the Condors build a one-goal lead heading into the final period. Ontario tied the game in the third and, following a scoreless overtime, scored in the third and fourth rounds of the shootout to skate away with the extra point.
Despite the setback, the Condors recent 6-3-0-1 surge helped them climb into seventh in the division standings, one point ahead of the San Jose Barracuda. Griffith is key to the charge, as his 11-25=36 points leads the team.
To grab a second win, Grimaldi and the Gulls know a fast start in hostile territory is key.
"When we have good starts right in the game, it's like it's a battle to the end whether we come out on top or not," Grimaldi said. "And then other games, sometimes we just come out flat and it's almost like we shoot ourselves in the foot and we can't recover. So, we have to have a good start."