Gulls Stretch Point Streak to Four
Alex Broadhurst records multi-point game; Max Comtois extends goal streak to four games
Feb 21, 2020Nine Gulls recorded a point as San Diego secured a 4-1 victory over the Bakersfield Condors Friday night at Mechanics Bank Arena to push the club’s win streak to four straight games (3-0-1-0). San Diego has also earned points in 11 of their last 12 games (8-1-3-0), 16 of their last 18 contests (13-2-3-0) and 20 of their last 25 overall (15-5-4-1). The Gulls have won their last three matchups against the Condors, outscoring them 12-6 over that span.
San Diego negated all three of Bakersfield’s power-play chances and added a shorthanded goal in the win. The Gulls have killed 16 straight penalties dating to Feb. 9 (span of six games), the second-longest streak this season (20: Jan. 10-24; span of seven games). The team has also killed 70 of their last 79 penalties (88.6%) overall, with tonight’s shorthanded goal the 15th on the season to rank tied for second among AHL clubs.
Alex Broadhurst recorded two points, including a goal and assist, Chris Wideman tallied two helpers, Max Comtois, Antoine Morand and Blake Pietila rounded out the goal scoring as Anthony Stolarz backstopped the club with his 20th win behind a 21-save performance.
Broadhurst gave the Gulls an early lead when he scored 4:23 into the contest on a solo effort that nearly went unnoticed. Simon Benoit made a stretch pass down the ice that Broadhurst was unable to control, raced to the end boards and lifted the stick of a Condors defenseman and darted out front of goaltender Stuart Skinner on a wraparound effort and flung the puck across the goal line. In the process, the net was dislodged and the officials weren’t able to see the puck cross the line as 85 seconds of play elapsed before a whistle blew. The referees reviewed the play and the goal was given back at 15:37 and the 1:25 on the clock was removed. Benoit picked up the primary assist on the play to mark his seventh point over his last eight games (2-5=7) while Wideman picked up the first of his two assists.
The Gulls doubled their lead on a tic-tac-toe goal by Comtois, who extended his career high goal streak to four games (4-1=5) at the 10:24 mark of the opening frame. Chase De Leo picked up the puck on a broken play in the slot and passed it to Broadhurst who immediately redistributed it to the other side of the net where a wide-open Comtois was waiting for the tap in.
Just minutes after the goal, Keenan Kanzig and Anthony Peluso dropped the gloves in an extended tilt. The two were sent to the penalty box for five-minute fighting majors after the bout was broken up. Comtois was given an interference penalty with nine seconds remaining in the frame. At the end of one period, San Diego led 2-0 and 18-13 in shots.
While killing a Comtois penalty from late in the first period, Morand scored shorthanded 1:03 into the period as he and Isac Lundestrom entered the Condors zone with enough time and space for the latter to find a passing lane and for Morand to snap a shot past Skinner for his first career shorthanded goal.
Stolarz made several saves, including an incredible pad save on another tic-tac-toe chance, but the Condors finally made it on the scoreboard at the 13:27mark of the frame. Brandon Manning fired a wrist shot from the blue line that hit Beau Starrett in front of the net and deflected into the net.
Blake Pietila scored a late goal to give the Gulls a commanding 4-1 lead with 5:48 left in the contest as Sam Carrick brought the puck in for the initial chance, but Skinner couldn’t control the rebound and Pietila was the first to the puck as he chipped the second chance past the sprawling netminder. Chris Wideman picked up his second helper of the night on the play, marking his fifth assist the last four games.
With the win, Stolarz improved to 10-1-2 his last 13 starts with a 2.21 GAA and .937 SV%, and his 20th win puts him one shy of his career high set in 2015-16 with Lehigh Valley.
The Gulls will conclude their weekend set at home Saturday vs. San Jose (7:30 p.m.), the club’s final February home game prior to a club record long seven-game road trip.