PREVIEW: Gulls Aim To Leave Calgary With A Win
Dec 11, 2022By Brett Pickler/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls finish a series of four consecutive games against the Calgary Wranglers today at the Scotiabank Saddledome (12 p.m. PT; TV: AHL TV, RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).
The Gulls look to leave Calgary with a win and break their seven-game losing streak. However, the Wranglers are proving to be a tough opponent, outscoring the Gulls 16-3 in their three matchups this season.
Calgary is showcasing consistent scoring throughout all four lines, but the highlight of the series so far is the play of goaltender Dustin Wolf. He has consecutive shutouts (SO) against San Diego, moving him into first place in the American Hockey League (AHL) with three on the season. Wolf is also first in the AHL in wins (13) and fourth in goals against average (GAA) at 2.30.
San Diego will need their scorers to step up and challenge the Calgary netminder. Left wing Rocco Grimaldi leads the Gulls with 10 goals this season and is the only player on the roster in double-digits. However, left wing Pavol Regenda, recently returned to the team after being reassigned from the Anaheim Ducks, has 2-2=4 points in five AHL games this season, proving he has a knack for finding ways to get on the scoresheet.
"I keep going back to it 5-on-5," head coach Roy Sommer said. "We got to get some, some scoring from somebody and just, again, starts are a big part of it."
Last game saw a new line formed for San Diego. The trio of Jacob Perreault, Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Brayden Tracey created chances in the offensive zone and on the power play. The young prospects showed promise as a line and could continue to generate more opportunities as they get more comfortable with each other.
On offensive chances created by the Brayden Tracey, Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Jacob Perreault line in the last game, Sommer said, "they created some scoring chances. I thought they were up on in the play. We've just got to find a way to finish. Hit a couple of posts again tonight and the old saying, the harder you work, the luckier you are and we’ve just got to stay with it."
One of the positives from the loss on Friday was the play of the penalty kill. San Diego returned to their usual form, going perfect while playing down a man. They killed all five of the Wranglers’ opportunities, including a 5-on-3 that lasted over a minute. This proves that San Diego has the capabilities to shutdown one of the best offenses in the league. The Gulls can use the play of the penalty kill to motivate them heading into today’s matinee.