Third-Period Comeback Falls Short As Gulls Drop Final Regular-Season Meeting With Reign
May 7, 2021The San Diego Gulls rallied in the third period but could not overcome an early four-goal deficit tonight in a 7-4 loss to the Ontario Reign at FivePoint Arena. Despite the setback, San Diego earned the season series victory over its Southern California rival. The Gulls won seven of ten meetings (7-3-0-0) this season and earned standings points in 13 of their last 17 (11-4-2-0) games against the Reign.
"We don’t have to go any further other than work ethic," Gulls head coach Kevin Dineen said. "They have a hungry attitude and came in here after an emotional win at home, a comeback win and I thought they were first on pucks. I thought their rush game was a real challenge for us. I didn’t like our response and our responsibility on the defensive side of the game. Obviously, the score showed that."
Adam Johnson led the way for Ontario, posting a career-high 3-1=4 points as well as his first career American Hockey League hat trick. Arthur Kaliyev also collected three points (1-2=3) as the Reign extended their win to five games.
Andrew Poturalski and Chase De Leo each scored and collected an assist for the Gulls, who dropped their third consecutive game. Olle Eriksson Ek made 32 saves in the loss.
Samuel Fagemo opened the scoring for Ontario, converting on a 2-on-1 rush for his eighth goal of the season 9:45 into the first period. Mikey Eyssimont, who scored a natural hat trick in Ontario’s comeback win over San Diego on Wednesday, collected the primary assist.
Johnson and Kaliyev proved a lethal duo in the second period, turning a one-goal Ontario advantage into a four-goal cushion after 40 minutes.
The Reign doubled their advantage one minute into the middle frame as Kaliyev slammed home a rebound for a power-play goal.
Johnson pushed the visitors’ lead to three, beating Eriksson Ek with a wrist shot under the blocker at the 5:51 mark of the middle frame.
Poturalski put San Diego on the board with a power-play goal midway through the second period. After several scoring chances for the Gulls and sustained offensive pressure, Kodie Curran set up Poturalski in the right faceoff circle. The AHL’s leading scorer took his time, picking a corner over Matthew Villalta’s shoulder for his first power-play tally of the season.
Poturalski continues to pace the AHL in scoring (9-29=38) and assists.
Ontario reclaimed the three-goal advantage just over a minute later as Martin Frk raced down right wing and fired a wrist shot past Eriksson Ek.
Johnson added his second goal of the period with 1:05 left, snapping a loose puck by Eriksson Ek to give Ontario a 5-1 lead.
With 1-2=3 points on the night, Kaliyev matched his career high, initially set Mar. 17 against the Tucson Roadrunners.
The Gulls made a push in the final frame, looking to pull off a comeback in the final 20 minutes.
"I think we were just fed up with giving up that many chances," Alex Limoges explained. "Personally, I think we play our best when we’re playing desperate hockey and I think that’s what we saw in the third period so it was just kind of a race against the clock. Everybody was going as hard as they can, putting pucks in the net and playing how we wanted to all game."
De Leo pulled San Diego back within three early in the third period. Limoges caused a turnover by the Ontario net and De Leo found the loose puck, sliding a forehand bid past the outstretched leg of Villalta, cutting the Reign’s advantage to 5-3 at the 5:30 mark of the third period.
De Leo has scored in consecutive games (2-1=3) and owns points in 13 of his last 15 contests (7-12=19). The third-year Gull co-leads the team in goals (14) and ranks second in scoring (14-18=32) and assists.
San Diego cut the deficit to two just past the halfway mark of the period, forcing an Ontario turnover after another lengthy offensive zone shift. De Leo took the puck away along the right wing wall and quickly directed it on net. The initial bid was blocked, but Limoges followed it up, beating Villalta to the far post for a tap-in goal.
Dudas added an insurance goal shorthanded for Ontario, beating Eriksson with a wrist shot over the blocker with 6:16 to play in regulation.
The Gulls refused to go down quietly, though, as Bryce Kindopp went to the front of the net to bring San Diego back within two. Benoit-Olivier Groulx took a long shot that Kindopp between Villalta’s legs for his eighth goal of the season.
Johnson capped the scoring with an empty-net goal with 2:02 left in the third period.
The Gulls open a four-game road trip to close their regular-season schedule tomorrow when they visit the Bakersfield Condors at Mechanics Bank Arena (7 p.m. PT; TV: AHL TV: RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).