PREVIEW: Gulls Look To Continue Strong Start To 2023
Jan 7, 2023By Brett Pickler/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls are set to finish their four-game season series with the Milwaukee Admirals tonight at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena (4 p.m. PT; TV: AHL TV, RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).
The Gulls are looking to achieve their first three-game win streak of the season. San Diego is showing confidence lately picking up wins in four of their last five games. Meanwhile, the Admirals are looking to avoid dropping their third straight game.
Goaltender Lukas Dostal is leading the way for the Gulls. He made his mark on the team’ American Hockey League history by becoming the first goalie to record consecutive shutouts. Last game, he recorded his third shutout of the season with a 40 save effort. This moves him into second in the league for this category. Since being reassigned by the Anaheim Ducks, he is 2-0-0 and now sits in fourth place among active AHL goalies with a .925 save percentage (SV%).
"I've been with this guy for three years now, and he's been like that for three years," forward Bo Groulx said about playing with Dostal. "I don't expect nothing less than this guy. We're probably taking it for granted a little bit - he's probably the best goalie in the league. We're really lucky to have him. When he's playing like that for us, it gives us a big confidence boost and a big chance to win some games."
Defensively, the Gull are holding strong despite facing high-level offensives. Milwaukee enters the game third in the Central Division with 107 goals scored. Their offense is deep with 12 players reaching double digits in points. Right wing Phil Tomasino is one of the players leading the offense. In 23 games this season, he tallied 8-10=18 with six points in his last five games. He is especially dangerous on the power play recording 2-5=7 points on the man advantage. Another threat on special teams for Milwaukee is defenseman Jordan Gross. He leads the Admirals with six power-play assists (PPA) and is also their leading scorer among defensemen.
"They got rolling around in there a little bit in the d(efensive) zone," head coach Roy Sommer said regarding Milwaukee's offensive firepower. "I think we can do a better job of killing plays, not allowing them to roll around like they were doing. I think the start - they're gonna be coming the first five, 10 minutes. We gotta be ready for that. If we can survive that, I like our chances."
However, the Gulls are showing their potential with puck. In their last five games, San Diego has combined for 20 goals. One player responsible for this offensive surge is left wing Brayden Tracey. Over his last five games, he registered 2-3=5 points. This stretch helped moved him into fourth in points on the team with 8-10=18. His increase in scoring coincides with being paired with right wing Rocco Grimaldi. During the same stretch, Grimaldi produced 1-5=6 points. By pairing this duo together, it has created more open ice for the Gulls as teams respect Grimaldi’s ability to score. This creates more room for Tracey as Grimaldi has the playmaking ability to find the open winger while being defended tightly.
San Diego is starting 2023 on the front foot. The team is showing increased confidence and it can be seen in every zone. The Gulls will look to split the season series with Admirals after dropping two games in the beginning of the season at home.