Gulls Prepare For Unique Postseason Push
May 19, 2021By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
A different tone punctuated the San Diego Gulls practice today at Great Park Ice.
With several faces returning to the fold, the team took on a focused – yet fun – mindset as it prepared for a unique playoff experience.
“It'll be fun to play some meaningful games down the stretch,” Trevor Zegras said, one of three players who joins the Gulls for the postseason. “This is, I think, as good as a team you can find at the AHL level. We've got tons of guys ready to go right now, and for the most part, we're healthy, which is important at this time of the year. I'm excited to get back out there.”
The AHL’s Pacific Division is the only one hosting a playoff tournament this season, as all seven teams get the opportunity to battle for the John D. Chick Trophy, annually awarded to the team that finishes first. Two of those clubs – the Tucson Roadrunners and Ontario Reign – saw their postseason hopes end after the first play-in round last night.
The Colorado Eagles and San Jose Barracuda will face off in the conclusion of the play-in portion of the format tonight at FivePoint Arena. The winner will head into the upcoming Pacific Division Semifinals series as the fourth seed and face the division-leading Henderson Silver Knights.
San Diego – the third seed – opens its semifinals series on Friday night against the Bakersfield Condors. Just two seasons ago, the two clubs squared off in an epic Western Conference Second Round matchup. The Gulls set the tone early, winning the fifth-longest game in AHL history with a 3-2, four-overtime victory in Game 1. They went on to win the series in six games, advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in team history.
“They've always been a pretty good team as long as I've been here,” Sam Carrick explained. “They're very well coached, they seem to always have good structure and when they're playing their best, they can be a tough team to generate offense against. They're always on top of you; they're not giving you any time and space.
“They kind of have a lot of the same guys I've seen over the last few years here, a lot of familiar faces. I'm sure they'll say the same thing about us, and it'll be a couple of hard-fought games.”
The Gulls balanced their excitement with an acknowledgment of the unusual nature of this postseason run. There’s disappointment in missing the chance to compete for a Calder Cup, but a desire to finish a promising season with a strong flourish.
“We're excited; it's still playoff hockey.” Zegras said. “I'm excited to play. I love hockey, I love the game. I'll be ready to play, and I know these guys will too, because we definitely want to win this thing.”