PREVIEW: Gulls, Heat Renew Rivalry In San Diego's First Game Of 2022
Jan 7, 2022By Paige Burnell/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls are ready to start 2022 the right way as they search for with a win against the Stockton Heat in their first game since Dec. 18, 2021 (7 p.m., PT; TV: AHL TV; RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).
Six Gulls games were postponed from Dec. 22 to Jan. 4 due to COVID-19 protocols affecting San Diego (and tonight’s opponent), but the break enabled the team to separate from their current three-game losing streak and initiate a fresh start.
"The guys have been supported by the staff and the Gulls to stay fit and stay healthy, to be in shape, it’s been a little chaotic, but that being said, it gave us, the coaching staff, time to reevaluate things in some ways and prepare players in another way with zoom calls…you always have to find a way to get the positive of the situation," Gulls head coach Joel Bouchard said. "The positive we got is that when got on the ice with the player, we maximized that time."
San Diego is 0-3-0-0 against Stockton this season and carries a 19-24-4-3 record overall (11-10-2-1 at home) against the club.
As the season progresses, the Gulls continue to improve their play against the Heat as their last loss was a one-goal game (3-2 on Dec. 4) while the Heat won the other two by much wider margins (4-1 on Dec. 3 and 6-2 on Oct. 22).
"Everybody understands where we’re at and we’re going to go that way for the rest of the season," Bouchard said. "One day at a time."
This improvement is in part due to the Gulls improved defensive play, especially when it comes to the club’s penalty kill. Entering tonight, it ranks fifth in the American Hockey League at 89.1% at home and sits in the AHL’s top ten overall.
Additionally, the Gulls only allowed one goal on the man-advantage over 16 opportunities in their last five games.
"We felt very comfortable, we had a five-game winning streak, we were surprising teams, we went from struggling defensively to being really good defensively in our league," Bouchard said. "So, there’s a big jump in our game so I’m not going to let last week affect everything we did. We were climbing with a very young lineup and a lot of movement."
On an individual level, the Gulls who have performed best against the Heat this season are defenseman Brogan Rafferty with 1-1=2 points and forward Bryce Kindopp with 0-2=2 points. Additionally, another ten players on the Gulls stamped their names on the scoresheet against Stockton.
For the Gulls to continue their upward trend of play against Stockton, the team will need widespread offense and a well-rounded defensive effort to stymie the weapons the Heat have operating on both ends of the ice.
"We’ve got to rebuild back with the guys," Bouchard said. "I can be pushing the guys when we’re right there and now, I’ve got to be pushing them a little bit differently, obviously. We’re going to get back to the swings of things here, but the players’ attitudes have been great. They’ve been working hard and everything that happened so let’s see how we do."
Stockton enters this game in third place in the AHL with a with 20-4-2-1 record. They also boast the league’s best overall penalty kill at 90.3% and its second-best penalty kill on the road.
The team’s most recent victory came on Wednesday, Jan. 5, a 5-2 victory over the Tucson Roadrunners that saw multi-point efforts from both Glenn Gawdin (1-1=2) and Walker Duehr (0-2=2).
Additionally, the Gulls will face rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf, who earned standings points for his team in 17 of his last 18 games and has only one loss in regulation this season (15-1-2-0).
The recipient of the AHL’s Goaltender of the Month Award in December also currently ranks second among league netminders with a .940 save percentage and third with a 1.81 goals against average.
However, the Gulls are focused on their own performance and bringing the most optimal version its game to the ice no matter the circumstances.
"We’re doing the best we can and the players have been doing really good and I really mean that," Bouchard said. "I don’t just say it because it’s my job to tell you the guys have been great. No, they have. If they’re not great, they’re going to know, not good enough, they’re going to know if we’re not good enough. The guys have been really engaged through the process of missing a lot of days or not being able to skate as much or, like you said, enough physical contact. As a coaching standpoint, we’re hitting the mark when we can."