LIVE: Gulls Fall To Barracuda 4-1
Dec 18, 2021By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls dropped a third consecutive game, falling to the San Jose Barracuda 4-1 tonight at Pechanga Arena San Diego.
Evander Kane led a third-period comeback for the Barracuda, collecting 1-1=2 points to extend his scoring streak to four straight games. Scott Reedy and Jaycob Megna collected shorthanded tallies while Patrick Holaway scored his first American Hockey League goal to power San Jose’s victory.
Benoit-Olivier Groulx scored San Diego’s lone goal, a power-play tally late in the second period. Olle Eriksson Ek suffered his first career loss against the Barracuda, stopping 28 shots.
THIRD PERIOD RECAP
Holaway collected his first AHL goal, tying the game at one at 4:08 of the final frame. The right wing found a loose puck in the slot, firing it through a mass of bodies and past a screened Eriksson Ek for his milestone marker.
Kane broke the tie, jumping on a loose puck in the slot and firing it through the pads of Eriksson Ek at 9:40 of the period.
Reedy extended the Barracuda lead with a shorthanded goal at 7:26 of the period. The Gulls just started a power play chance when Artemi Kniazev carried the puck into the San Diego defensive zone. He found Kane in the slot, who sent a low, hard shot on Eriksson Ek. The Gulls goaltender made the initial save, but Reedy battled at the front of the net and slammed home the rebound for his 13th goal of the season.
Reedy leads all American Hockey League rookies in goals and is third among first-year skaters with 13-9=22 points.
Kane has his second multi-point performance of the season and extended his point streak to four games (2-6=8).
Megna sealed the win, scoring a shorthanded empty-net goal with 46.4 seconds left in regulation.
SECOND PERIOD RECAP
Groulx broke a scoreless tie with 2:13 remaining in the middle frame.
With San Diego on the power play, Danny O'Regan fed a curling Vinni Lettieri with a hard pass at center ice. He moved over San Jose's blue line with Groulx in tow, feeding the center with a pass to the left. Groulx let go a wrist shot wired to the top of the net for his first goal of the season.
San Diego, celebrating its Teddy Bear Toss night, flooded the ice with stuffed animals following the score. The teams went to the locker room, and will play out the final minutes of the second period before switching sides and starting the third period.
FIRST PERIOD RECAP
The two goaltenders took center stage early in regulation, with Eriksson Ek and Alexei Melnichuk turning away dangerous chances in the opening frame.
Melnichuk would start, turning away Vinni Lettieri and Buddy Robinson on back-to-back shorthanded chances for the Gulls.
Eriksson Ek would match his counterpart, making two saves just past the six-minute mark to keep San Jose off the board. His first came on Holaway, denying the defenseman with a poke check. The puck laid in the slot, where Jeffrey Viel tried to whack it past the Swedish netminder. Eriksson Ek met his chance,deflecting the puck up and over the net.
Melnichuk would once again stand tall, denying the recently-reassigned Buddy Robinson on a penalty shot attempt with 8:42 left in the opening frame.
In the 13th penalty shot in franchise history, Robinson broke in from center ice and swung wide, cutting back to the front and pulling the puck from his backhand to his forehand. Melnichuk slid his pads across the crease and kicked away the bid. The attempt marked the first penalty shot for San Diego since Bryce Kindopp's successful attempt against Justus Annunen on May 15, 2021.
Overall, the Gulls are 4-for-13 (30.8%) in penalty shots.
Eriksson Ek has helped San Diego to standings points in five of his last seven starts (4-2-1) with a 1.98 goals against average and a .930 save percentage. Since Nov. 5, Eriksson Ek ranks sixth in goals-against average (1.98) and eighth in save percentage (.930) among AHL goaltending leaders (min. 300 minutes played).
In five career starts against San Jose, Eriksson Ek has posted a 5-0-0 record with a 1.99 GAA and .939 SV%.
Melnichuk brings a 4-5-1 record into tonight's game, with a 3.77 GAA and .856 SV%.