LIVE: Shorthanded Gulls Take Down Heat
Jan 19, 2022By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls put forth an incredible effort, taking down the Pacific Division-leading Stockton Heat 3-2 in tonight's game at Stockton Arena.
Lucas Elvenes led the way, collecting a career-tying three assists to spark the San Diego offense. Brent Gates Jr., Axel Andersson and Greg Printz scored to give the Gulls a three-game win streak.
Francis Marotte won a third consecutive start, stopping 28 of 30 shots.
Justin Kirkland scored both goals for Stockton, who suffered a second consecutive loss to the Gulls. Goaltender Adam Werner made 28 saves.
Third Period Recap
Printz put the Gulls ahead by two with 2:26 left in regulation.
Elvenes started the rush, chipping the puck to a streaking Jack Badini. The center split the Stockton defense and released a shot in tight that Werner turned aside. He couldn't control the rebound, and Printz cashed in, slapping the puck past the goaltender for his second goal of the season.
Elvenes tied a career-high with his third assist. Acquired off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights just over a week ago, the center has four points (1-3=4) in four games with the Gulls.
Kirkland scored to pull the Heat wthin one with 25 seconds left in regulation, but it wouldn't be enough, as the Gulls would shut down Stockton the rest of the way.
The Heat's goal scorer mixed it up at the end of the game, cross-checking Nikolas Brouillard multiple times before the San Diego defenseman dropped the gloves. The two tussled before the refs broke it up, leading to plenty of barking from the Stockton side as the teams left the ice at the end of the game.
Second Period Recap
Andersson, making his return to the lineup, put the Gulls ahead with 2:03 left in the middle frame.
After breaking up a Stockton chance in their own zone, San Diego rushed up the ice, with Brayden Tracey leading the charge. The forward sent a bouncing puck to Elvenes, who tapped it out of the air and down to the ice. He controlled just long enough to send a short pass to Andersson, who found himself at the side of the net with no one in sight. The defenseman didn't miss, slamming the puck past an unsuspecting Werner for his second goal of the season.
Andersson, who missed 18 games with an injury, has three points (2-1=3) in his last three games.
Elvenes has three points (1-2=3) in four games with the Gulls.
First Period Recap
Gates Jr. opened the scoring at 6:48 of the opening frame.
The Grand Rapids, MI native took a pass from Elvenes and found room along the wing, driving hard to the front of the net before beating Werner for his second goal of the season.
Since signing a standard player contract on Dec. 30, Gates Jr. has five points (2-3=5) in six games with the Gulls.
Kirkland evened the score, one-timing a shot past the blocker of Marotte for his eighth goal of the season with 6:09 left in the period.
Marotte is starting his fifth consecutive game for the Gulls. The Quebec native won his last two starts, posting a 2.51 goals-against average (GAA) and .928 save percentage (SV%). Marotte enters tonight with a 2-1-1-0 record, leading San Diego to points in three of his four starts.
Werner is 6-3-1 with a 2.89 GAA and .890 SV% in 10 games this season. He's 1-1-0 against the Gulls this season, allowing four goals on 25 shots in a 4-1 loss on January 7.
The Gulls will start the second period with 1:41 left on a power-play chance, their first of the game.