Gulls Earn Crucial Point In Overtime Loss To Wild
Apr 1, 2022By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls fell to the Iowa Wild 2-1 in overtime tonight at Pechanga Arena San Diego. Despite the loss, the Gulls remained in sixth place in the Pacific Division standings, ahead of the Henderson Silver Knights based on their head-to-head record.
"There was some positive and you know, all of a sudden you give fuel to the other team, maybe we had a few turnovers," Gulls head coach Joel Bouchard said. "We talked how well we were down the stretch with all those wins with turnovers. I don’t think we were as good and as clean in the third today. That being said, we’ve got to go back tomorrow. Everything you live in a season is a growing for your team personally, individually and as a coach too.
"I think we’ve kind of got maybe a lesson that was there for us to learn and we’ve learned it. I don’t think guys didn’t care; I don’t think it was none of that. I think we came hard out of the block. I think we played a good first. We had some good moments, just think in the third it wasn’t as clean as we usually do it and we’ve got to go back tomorrow."
Brendan Guhle scored the lone goal for San Diego, who received a stellar 34-save effort from Lukas Dostal in the loss.
Calen Addison and Connor Dewar each recorded 1-1=2 points as Iowa won for just the third time in its last 10 games. Zane McIntyre stayed perfect against San Diego this season, stopping 29 shots for his third win over the Gulls.
Despite not facing each other for six-plus weeks, the teams established a heavy, physical game right from the opening puck drop. Determined to exert their will, the Wild led with body checks at every opportunity, slowing the Gulls.
San Diego would break through at 6:26 of the opening frame, converting a neutral-zone turnover into the game’s first goal. Guhle picked up his third of the year, tucking a McIntyre rebound chance past the Wild netminder.
"Josh (Josh Lopina) gave it to me in our neutral zone and skated in," Guhle said. "Kinda spotted for Buddy (Buddy Robinson), and he made a nice pick up. I went to the net and landed right on my stick, and I just got it up just to make sure. Yeah, that was pretty much it. It worked out well."
Lopina, making his American Hockey League debut, collected the primary assist for his first professional point.
"I think he did really well," Bouchard said of the rookie’s first professional game. "He had a few scoring chances, he had a really good scoring chance in the second, was good in the third. I think he was good in the faceoff circle. He did really good."
Dostal would keep the Gulls in front, turning away a Brandon Baddock breakaway chance in the middle frame.
The left wing found himself behind the Gulls defense and broke in on Dostal, hitting the hash marks before firing a quick wrister on net. The San Diego goaltender gloved it aside, sending the attempt harmlessly to the corner.
Dostal has allowed two or fewer goals in each of his last five starts, while posting a 4-0-1 record with one shutout, a 1.00 goals-against average (GAA) and a .966 save percentage (SV%).
"Dos was solid," Bouchard said. "I mean he gave us a chance. You have to look at every position is trying their best and when it’s not good enough, sometimes the goalie is going to bail you out, sometimes the forwards are going to bail you out and I think, right now, we have to just make sure as much as we can, and we’re not going to be perfect, to just lineup up every position as good as we can."
The physicality only picked up from there, as both teams remained determined to hit anyone with the puck.
"Yeah, its real fine line," Guhle said when asked about the physical play and avoiding taking penalties. "Especially, like, we know what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to get us to go four-on-four. They’re trying to open up the ice a little bit. We just got to stay out of that and manage game five-on-five and go from there."
The strategy paid off for Iowa late in regulation, as Dewer tied the game with his seventh goal of the season.
With McIntyre on the bench for the extra attacker, Iowa collected a loose puck in the offensive zone. Marco Rossi worked it to Addison at the point, who continued the puck to the open Dewar at the top of the faceoff circle. His one-timed shot snuck through net-front traffic and past Dostal to even the score with 1:20 left in the game.
The Wild fed off the momentum, controlling play in overtime before Addison put home the game-winning goal.
Dewar carried the puck down the wing, firing a wrist shot past Dostal but off the post. Addison followed up, barely beating a Lucas Elvenes stick check to slide home the puck for his sixth goal of the season.
The two teams will close a four-game regular-season series tomorrow at Pechanga Arena San Diego.
"We gotta keep our composure," Guhle said. "We can’t be taking the extra twos or retaliating. We know they’re going to be coming and flying around, so we just gotta be aware of that. You know, use it to our advantage. Make plays, spot the puck and get past them, like you know they’re flying around. I think if we can just stay out of the box a little bit that will help us a lot."