Gulls Punch Playoff Ticket, Fall To Reign
Apr 16, 2022By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls are back in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The team punched its postseason ticket tonight following a 5-2 loss to the rival Ontario Reign at Pechanga Arena San Diego. The Tucson Roadrunners regulation loss to the Colorado Eagles – they allowed the game-winning goal with just 4.5 seconds left – gives San Diego its fourth Calder Cup Playoff appearance in the last seven years.
If you remove the canceled COVID-19 season and last year’s division playoff format, San Diego is an almost annual postseason participant, qualifying for the Calder Cup Playoffs in four of those five seasons.
"We went from far behind if you look at where we were as a team on February ninth when we challenged the player," Gulls head coach Joel Bouchard said. "So, I think it’s a bit of getting what we deserve a little bit. Although the last five game hasn’t been what we want on the scoreboard. I don’t think it was five losses in the performance. I think we just are out of sync a little bit. We did change the lineup. We’re going to have some body back. We’re going to change the dynamic a little bit, but I think the last two weeks have been demanding. It’s good that we go through that adversity. But we have to gel together and go back at it."
The Gulls failed to beat the rival Reign – a potential first-round matchup – for a third straight game, as Ontario swept a three-game set and close the season series with nine wins in the 12 regular-season meetings. Nelson Nogier led the offensive charge, collecting his first multi-point performance (1-1=2) with the Reign. Martin Frk, Samuel Helenius, Brett Sutter and Austin Wagner (ENG) chipped in offensively as the Reign locked themselves into no worse than second-place seed in the Pacific Division.
Ontario netminder Matthew Villalta once again stood tall, stopping 29-of-31 shots for his 27th win of the season.
Trevor Carrick and Greg Printz scored for the Gulls, who saw their losing streak hit five games. Goaltender Olle Eriksson Ek stopped 16-of-20 shots in the loss.
The Gulls jumped out to an early lead, using an effective forecheck to pressure the Reign into several early turnovers.
Carrick converted off one of those errors, scoring the game’s first goal at 4:43 of the first period. T.J. Tynan’s blind backhand pass went through the slot and found an open Carrick at the low point. The Gulls defenseman wasted no time firing a shot on net, sending it through the moving screen of Buddy Robinson and past Villalta for his 10th goal of the season.
It marks the third time in his career Carrick recorded double-digit goals. He's also reached the 30-point plateau (10-20=30) for the fifth time.
Ontario would respond 30 seconds later, converting on a Gulls turnover to even the score at one. Cameron Gaunce blocked a clearing attempt at the blue line, feeding Sutter with a cross-ice pass. The Reign’s captain sent the puck to the far post, beating a sliding Eriksson Ek for the game-tying tally.
Helenius put Ontario ahead later in the period, finishing off a 3-on-2 rush to collect his first AHL goal with 7:11 remaining in the period.
Nogier extended Ontario's lead, scoring his fourth goal of the season – and the eventual game-winning tally - with 2:21 remaining in the middle frame. Akil Thomas fed the defenseman, who joined the rush late, as he came over the blue line. The Saskatoon native wound up and fired a shot past Eriksson Ek to get his first tally with the Reign.
Printz would respond 44 seconds later, bringing San Diego within one.
Josh Lopina collected a loose puck in near the corner, spinning and firing a pass to Printz. The left wing measured Villalta, floating a shot from the side wall to beat the Reign netminder for his ninth goal of the season.
The tally broke an 11-game goal drought for Printz, who sits just one goal shy of becoming San Diego's 12th double-digit goal scorer.
In a carbon copy of their previous two meetings, the Reign withstood a third-period push and scored the dagger, with Frk providing the key insurance marker as the game ticked under seven minutes remaining in regulation. A thorn in San Diego’s side throughout the season, the Reign’s leading goal scorer converted on a rush chance, firing a hard wrist shot past the blocker of Eriksson Ek to double Ontario’s lead.
The tally marks his 10th goal in 10 games against the Gulls this season.
Riding shotgun on the goal was Tynan, who ends the season series leading all skaters with 2-18=20 points.
"It’s never one thing," Bouchard said about the loss to the Reign. "I think that what we did really well when we beat them, we’re not doing as well, but to be honest they were good games. I think they were good games. The first two against them, the scoring chances was pretty even, but they got good players so they’re waiting for breakdowns and they have shooting ability. So it’s testing us a little bit, which is good. Let’s see how we react."
Wagner would seal San Diego’s fate with an empty-net tally, skating around Nikolas Brouillard and avoiding a Bryce KIndopp check to hit the open cage.
With their spot secured, the Gulls will turn their sights on moving up in the division standings. The team travels to Henderson on Tuesday for an incredibly important meeting with the Silver Knights, who sit nine points ahead. San Diego has two games in hand on their division foe.
"I think it’s good we went through this this week," Bouchard said. "It’s good. So let’s see how we can regroup. Like I said, work on our game. We have a lot of time. It doesn’t look like much, but six games and we’re not far off. Look at tonight. And we have to go through that adversity. I think the guys need that break tomorrow and we’ll go back next week."