Preview: Gulls Set For Clash Against Rockford IceHogs
Dec 20, 2023By Morgan Korovec/SanDiegoGulls.com
This week, the rink is expected to get rowdy as the San Diego Gulls gear up for a renewed rivalry with the Rockford IceHogs.
Tonight, Pechanga Arena San Diego is set for an intense showdown as the Gulls host the IceHogs on home ice (7 p.m. PST) for the first time since the 2016-17 season. The teams opened their four-game regular-season series together in early December, with San Diego taking the first two contests at BMO Center in Rockford.
For San Diego, one of those wins made franchise history for matching their record for largest margin of victory, 7-0 over the IceHogs, on Dec. 8 at Rockford.
"We know we've got a great opponent," head coach Matt McIlvane said. "Those scores weren't necessarily indicative totally at the game.
"I think for us our focus can't be on Rockford. It's got to be ‘okay, how do we game plan for them?’ How can we maximize our strategy? But let's get back to playing the way that we want to play."
San Diego’s consecutive streak of success they picked up while on the road was broken following their home game Saturday night, with the team finding themselves unable to generate enough momentum to grasp the lead.
"I think overall we just didn't compete," defenseman Colton White said. "I think on the road we competed a lot. We were fast to pucks, fast to close in our own zone and spend more time in the zone, which led to a lot of offense. And then I think on Saturday night there, we were a little slow in the first period, but we did find our game eventually. It just comes to battling and competing."
For two Gulls, the contest extended their point streaks to three games. Nathan Gaucher and Judd Caulfield both picked up assists in the game, giving them each their 10th point (5-5=10).
Gulls goaltender Tomas Suchanek stopped 32-of-34 shots in his sixth game of the season.
In the third period of the contest, Brayden Tracey scored an exciting one for San Diego, netting his fifth goal and 10th point of the season (5-5=10).
Looking ahead to a brand-new week and fresh set of contests, the Gulls are fueled to faceoff against the IceHogs, while introducing to them what Pechanga Arena San Diego is all about.
For the IceHogs in their most recent matchup, the team also found themselves getting pucks in the net during the final period of play, recording two third-period goals that pushed their game into overtime. They fell just short 4-3 in their OT loss to the Chicago Wolves.
Tonight, as San Diego readies to host Rockford at home in closing out their regular-season series together, the team will look to reproduce the magic they brought to the ice in previous performances with the IceHogs, putting pressure on the opponent while maintaining focus on their own play.
The Gulls will look to bring the heat and hog the on-ice victory in a final round with the IceHogs again at home on Friday, Dec. 22 (Pechanga Arena San Diego 7 p.m. PST).