PREVIEW: Gulls, Reign Meet In Another SoCal Clash At Toyota Arena
Jan 8, 2022By Paige Burnell/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls and Ontario Reign renew their longstanding rivalry tonight, as the two Pacific Division foes meet for the fifth time this season tonight at Toyota Arena (6 p.m. PT; TV: AHL TV; RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).
The Gulls returned from enhanced COVID-19 protocols and a 20-day break last night, earning an impressive 4-1 win over the division-leading Stockton Heat, their first win against the club. San Diego will look to carry the momentum from an effort that showcased its hard work on both ends of the ice into tonight’s game.
"I thought one thing we did really well was respecting the game, meaning that when there was nothing to create, we’ve made it difficult," Gulls head coach Joel Bouchard said. "When we had a chance to create offense, we did. I thought that they were rock-solid tonight. I’ve got to mention it. I think they were extraordinary, to be honest. They made some big plays with the puck, but they made some big plays defensively. So, I’m expecting our d-core to lead the way against and the forwards to keep making those good selections with the puck."
This season, the Gulls are 1-3-0-0 against their SoCal rivals and carry an overall record of 41-25-3-2 against the Reign (22-12-0-2 in Ontario). The Gulls won their most recent game against the Reign, a 3-1 victory on Saturday, Dec. 11.
To have continued success against Ontario, the Gulls will need more individual efforts like those put forth in last night’s win.
Rookie right wing Brayden Tracey collected two points (1-1=2) in his fifth multi-point effort of the season. His eight goals this season rank sixth among all first-year American Hockey League skaters, while last night’s performance helped him claim the Gulls scoring lead with 8-11=19 points. Bryce Kindopp (1-1=2) and Nikolas Brouillard (0-2=2) also posted multi-point performances.
Leading to the individual success was a commitment to the team’s gameplan.
"We just stuck to the system and just did what we had to do," Kindopp explained. "So, in the end, it gave us the result we wanted."
San Diego will also need to utilize its formidable penalty kill once again, which currently ranks seventh in the AHL (15-for-94, 84%). Over their last six games, the Gulls allowed just one power-play goal in the 21 times they’ve been shorthanded.
"When you can kill penalties like that, obviously Dostal made a lot of good saves there, our killers did a good job, Dan did a good job there of drawing up how we have to set up and we just kind of kept it to the outside and Dostal made big saves," Kindopp said. "When you kill penalties like that, it creates a lot of momentum. Then, you can build from there."
The Gulls will need to build off their penalty kill as the Reign enter the game with a 15-6-2-1 record, placing the team second in the Pacific Division. The Reign also boast the AHL’s second best power play and a 3.75 goals-per-game average, which also ranks second in the league.
Ontario is coming off a 3-2 overtime win against the Bakersfield Condors on Sunday, Jan. 2 that snapped a three-game losing streak.
Quinton Byfield scored the overtime-winner for his first goal and first point in six games played this season. Jaret Anderson-Dolan assisted on both the game-tying goal and the game-winning goal (0-2=2) and has 1-2=3 points in his last two games.
TJ Tynan was held pointless in the campaign, but is still ranked second in the AHL with 20 assists. His 5-20=25 points are second among all Reign skaters.
"They’re a really good team," Kindopp said of the Reign following last night’s game. "Get your fluid in you tonight, get sleep and then right back at it, which is nice. Maybe if guys didn’t think they played their best, they get to go back at it tomorrow. Obviously, a really good team so same mindset- stick to the system, do what you have to do and the result will take care of itself."