Playoff Notebook: Gulls Focused On Discipline Ahead Of First Round Series

May 2, 2022

By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com

Great moments are born from great opportunity.

The words of legendary hockey coach Herb Brooks rang through THE RINKS – Poway ICE on a Monday morning as the San Diego Gulls continued their preparations for their First Round series of the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs against the rival Ontario Reign.

"Yeah, I think this is a good time for us," Gulls forward Hunter Drew said following the skate. "Like you said, everyone is coming back and everyone is starting to get healthy at the right time. I think, well not just me, we all think we can beat Ontario and we’re not scared to play them or worried about who they have. We have a good lineup and a good crew here that can go deep here."

The Gulls enter the playoffs as the Pacific Division’s seventh – and final – playoff team. The team earned its spot through a strong second-half push, breaking away from the Tucson Roadrunners and San Jose Barracuda to reach the postseason for the fifth time in the team’s seven-year history. Removing the canceled COVID-19 season, San Diego made the playoffs in five of six seasons.

Their reward – a meeting with the division’s second-ranked team, an Ontario squad that finished the regular season with 41 wins.

"Well, there’s no secret that they’re a good team, obviously," Gulls head coach Joel Bouchard said. "The thing with the AHL, the line-up will change so much that you face them through the season you look at some clips that the player they used to have or they didn’t have and now they have back from the NHL and same thing with us. So, it’s just a matter of combination of preparing yourself to do what you have to do and making sure you’re aware of a good team on the other bench and that you have to be task-oriented on what they do because they’re good."

The Reign held the upper hand in the 12-game regular-season series, winning nine meetings. This includes a perfect 6-0-0-0 record at Toyota Arena, which hosts all three First Round games. San Diego is the designated home team in Game 2. The Gulls did find success in the second half of the season, with notable performances including Olle Eriksson Ek’s first career American Hockey League shutout on Mar. 12 and a 5-1 win on Mar. 26.

Drew led the team in scoring against Ontario, recording 6-5=11 points in the season series.

"I don’t want give too much away, but they have a couple good players I think you just key in on," Drew explained. "Obviously, they’re a deep team – they’ve got four lines and three sets of d(efense) that can play. I think we’ve just got to match their speed and play into our strengths instead of theirs."

As cliché as it sounds, a key to beating the Reign is a disciplined effort. The Gulls feel they’ve played even with the Reign at even strength, but saw special teams dominate the regular-season series. Ontario posted a gaudy 11-for-42 (26.2%) power play, besting San Diego’s 4-for-38 (10.5%) effort. The Reign finished the regular season scoring on 27.5% of their man-advantage chances.

"They’ve been really good on the power play and then we had some good moments on the pk (penalty kill) and some moments where we learned the hard way that they were good," Bouchard said. "So, it’s a matter of playing physical, but staying a little bit within the rule of hockey. Playoff is a different style of hockey, though. I think we all know it’s intense, it’s physical. It’s just those undisciplined ones where, you know, emotion gets the best of you that we have to be careful (of). I’m trusting the guys and I’m believing in the process."

The Gulls received reinforcements this weekend, as the Anaheim Ducks assigned four players to the team for its postseason run. Drew returned, joined by fellow right wing Buddy Robinson and defensemen Trevor Carrick and Simon Benoit. Drew finished second on the team in goals (17) and third in points (17-21=38). 

Carrick finished second among team defensemen in goals (10), assists (20) and points (10-20=30). His three power-play goals led all San Diego blueliners. Benoit spent most of his season in the National Hockey League, recording 1-4=5 points and 22 PIM in 53 games with the Ducks. He returns to San Diego with 7-36=43 points with 104 PIM and plus-35 rating in 160 games with the Gulls.

"Well, we got the chance to get a few guys back from the NHL which is always nice, so it’s just a touch back on what is very important in the playoffs, but versus Ontario too," Bouchard explained. "You’re right – there’s a focus on a few areas on the game where we need to make sure we’re really good at it and good teams are going to throw something at you and we’ve got to be ready for anything. Although they’re a good team, we don’t have to be on our heels by any means. 

"We’re going to be on our toes and play, so there was a combination of both today. Like you said, the guys I think are anxious. Playoffs are fun - that’s what you get to play for and at the end of the day, we didn’t really get playoffs the last few years because of COVID with most of the players and the staff. It’s fun to see it again."

DREW REFLECTS ON NHL EXPERIENCE

Drew returned to San Diego after achieving an incredible professional milestone, skating in his first (and second) NHL games last week.

As the Ducks season neared its end, the defenseman-turned-forward earned an opportunity with the big club. He made his debut against the San Jose Sharks on Apr. 26, a 5-2 win for the Ducks. He also skated in the team’s final regular season game, a 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Apr. 29. He went scoreless in those two games but recorded his first professional fight, a spirited bout with Jonah Gadjovich.

Drew recounted receiving the life-changing call after today’s practice.

"I was actually sleeping, to be honest," he said with a laugh. "The power was out here in Poway, so I went back to bed for a bit. Checked my phone; it was (Anaheim Ducks Assistant General Manager) Jeff Solomon who said, ‘Please call me.’ Obviously, I called him and got the news. I was pretty excited."

The Kingston, Ontario native immediately called his parents to share the good news.

"They gave up everything to get me in a position to be here today, in every aspect," Drew said. "I think I definitely owed them the first call, and I wouldn’t be here without them. I’m happy we all kind of found out together."

His parents didn’t make the trip to San Jose but did meet the team in Dallas. With his dad’s love for the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys, the right wing joked he probably circled that date long before they knew Drew would join the Ducks.

The opportunity is one Drew earned through his play this season. From a summer transition from the blue line to the forward group to becoming a consistent offensive weapon, Drew steadily climbed the ladder to reach his goal – a chance to play for the team that drafted him in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Draft.

"It’s huge for me, confidence wise," he said. "Not just to be able to come in next year and know I can play in the NHL. I feel like I can get out there and make a difference. Now it’s playoffs down here in the American League, and Trev (Trevor Carrick) and I were talking driving back and forth from Anaheim, and he said sometimes playoffs can make a guy’s career. You win, have a good series and a good run, and it can give you so much more opportunity in your career.

"Obviously, you play the game to be a champion. Everybody wants to win. Anytime you can put yourself in a position to win and get confidence from something like that is huge."