PREVIEW: Gulls, Silver Knights Open Pivotal Four-Game Series Tonight
Mar 15, 2022By Paige Burnell/SanDiegoGulls.com
There’s no love lost between the San Diego Gulls and the Henderson Silver Knights, who prepare to face off in the first of four consecutive meetings between the clubs tonight at Pechanga Arena (7 p.m. PT; TV: AHL TV; RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).
San Diego holds a 4-4-1-0 all-time record against Henderson, with a 2-1-1-0 record at home. This season, the Gulls bested the Silver Knights in all three meetings between the clubs, with the most recent wins being back-to-back victories on Feb. 25 (5-2) and Feb. 26 (4-0).
"They’re going to want revenge for sure," Gulls left wing Alex Limoges said when asked about the Silver Knights. "We beat them twice at their place and now, a couple games here so we’ve got to do exactly what we did last game and the game before that and come with the same preparation. I know they’ll be some tough games and we really need these wins."
Not only did San Diego outscore its opponent 9-2 over that weekend swing, but multiple Gulls set individual records. Netminder Lukas Dostal earned his first career American Hockey League shutout, while Jacob Larsson recorded the first multi-goal game of his AHL career (2-0=2).
Limoges led all skaters with three goals in the weekend sweep while Bryce Kindopp also posted a multi-assist effort (0-2=2) during the Saturday win.
The Gulls enter the week riding high, as the tandem of Dostal and Olle Eriksson Ek led San Diego to back-to-back shutouts for the first time in the team’s AHL history last weekend. Dostal blanked the Bakersfield Condors 3-0 on Friday, Mar. 11 for his second career shutout while Eriksson Ek kept the Ontario Reign off the scoresheet in a 4-0 win on Saturday, Mar. 12
"We just didn’t overthink things," Limoges said. "We’re all playing together and it was fun out there. At least you could see and you could feel it in the locker room and on the bench where guys are playing for each other. We’re playing desperate and blocking shots that maybe you wouldn’t have blocked before. Getting pucks out and really living to fight another day, as coach would say…You could feel it the locker room that we were coming to play tonight and it was the same thing in Bakersfield."
After showing it in spurts, last weekend demonstrated how the Gulls can control opponents when they execute their style consistently throughout the game.
"I’m expecting to be as good as we can be in our style of play, and it’s all the way you approach the way you’re going to play and your style of play that gives you success," Gulls head coach Joel Bouchard said. "Last weekend was a great example of us just establishing our style of play and making mistakes through it, but giving us a good chance to win in those games. Sometimes you’re not going to win, but at least I feel odds-wise, you’re giving yourself a better chance."
One of those Gulls who took this to heart is Benoit Olivier-Groulx, who’s relentless forecheck carried him to his first multi-goal performance of the season (2-0=2) and extended his goal steak to a career-tying three games (4-1=5).
Additionally, Kindopp registered his fourth multi-point effort of the season with 1-1=2 points, setting a new career high for points (8-14=22). Hunter Drew also recorded his seventh multi-point performance of the season (1-1=2) and enters the week in a tie for second on the club in goals (11) and points (11-15=26).
"We established our defense collectively," Bouchard said. "Then, we’ve brought some offensive concept and brought more and more and now it’s paying off for some of the guys. Like we talked earlier in the year, there was a lot of things that we needed to work on and slowly but surely, everybody collectively, but individually benefitting from those changes and those improvements."
These improvements are making an appearance at a key time, as the seventh-place Gulls look to chase down the sixth-place Silver Knights in the Pacific Division playoff race. Just eight points separate the two teams, and this four-game series could be the difference-maker in the final standings.
San Diego is devoting its focus to own its own game, but will have to shut down a Henderson team that is struggling to find its game. The Silver Knights enter tonight after snapping a six-game losing streak with a 6-1 win over the Iowa Wild on Sunday. Sven Baertschi (1-2=3), Ben Jones (2-0=2), Maxim Marushev (0-3=3) and Derrick Pouliot (0-2=2) all produced multi-point efforts in the victory.
Pavel Dorofeyev also scored in the outing (1-0=1) and continues to lead Henderson in goals (21) and points (38) while being tied with Pouliot for the lead in assists (17).
"So, Henderson is coming to town," Bouchard said. "They’re a good hockey club, they had a really good stretch this year and it’s just about us being the best we can be."