PREVIEW: Gulls, Roadrunners Meet On Fan Appreciation Night
Apr 22, 2022By Paige Burnell/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls are guaranteed a seventh-place finish in the Pacific Division standings, but the team won’t rest on that added certainty tonight against the Tucson Roadrunners (7 p.m. PT; TV: AHL TV; RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).
The Gulls 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs position solidified following their 5-4 overtime loss to the Abbotsford Canucks on Apr. 20. San Diego is on a seven-game winless streak following a tough stretch, but the team is using these close setbacks as lessons to prepare for the postseason.
"We gave a good effort (against Abbotsford), especially after traveling all night and you know, a short rest," Gulls assistant coach Dan Jacob said. "Fell short - some mental mistakes, some stuff we definitely need to clean up before the playoffs start.
"It’s not really frustrating, it’s actually a good thing that it’s happening now."
All-time, the Gulls are 28-22-2-1 against the Roadrunners, with a 15-10-1-1 record at home. San Diego is 3-2-0-0 against Tucson this season, gaining the edge in the series with a 4-3 win on Mar. 23.
"They bring intensity, they play hard," Jacob said. "They come hard, they’re a physical team they can skate so it’s going to be a good matchup."
Alex Limoges netted his first American Hockey League career hat trick in that win and leads the Gulls with 5-0=5 goals in five games against Tucson this season. Jacob Perreault posted a multi-assist effort with helpers on two of Limoges’ goals (0-2=2) and leads the team with 1-6=7 points against the Roadrunners this season.
A key to continuing their offensive success against the Roadrunners – San Diego scored 22 goals in the five meetings this season – is converting on their chances.
"It’s just executing I think," Gulls left wing Blake McLaughlin said. "We’re getting our opportunities, we’re playing well defensively, we’re getting up and down the ice, but I think it’s just our execution when we’re getting grade-As. I think we’ve just got to bear down in front of the net and start putting some pucks in."
A major source of the Gulls recent scoring is the team’s power play, which produced three goals in two games (3/8, 37.5%). Center Lucas Elvenes and defenseman Nikolas Brouillard both scored a power-play goal in Wednesday’s loss and the team will need scoring from both ends of the ice to combat Tucson.
Over his last two games, Elvenes has1-3=4 points while Brouillard revived his own scoring on the man advantage, breaking an eight-game scoreless streak with a 1-1=2 power-play points in two games. He leads the Gulls in assists (26) and points (39), while his 13 goals this season tie him for the most among AHL blueliners.
The Gulls need their power play to keep producing, especially while the team works to shut down the effective transition game of a speedy Roadrunners team.
"They’re a fast-paced team so we’re just kind of making sure we’re above them in our forecheck and we’re tracking back off of just transition hockey," McLaughlin said. "So just got to try to beat them off the ice quick and make sure we’re above pucks."
Tucson entered Friday with back-to-back losses and is officially eliminated from postseason play.
San Diego will have to keep an especially close eye on Hudson Fasching, who leads the Roadrunners against the Gulls this season with 5-3=8 points in five games. The right wing also boasts a 3-2=5 point performance against the Gulls in their Oct. 30 matchup, which tied him for the most points by a San Diego opponent (last: Apr. 9, 2021 @ TUC – Kevin Roy, 0-5=5 points).
Matais Maccelli ranks first among AHL rookies with 41 assists this season, while leading his team in assists and scoring with 14-41=55 points.
Tucson is still without its leading goal-scorer, Michael Carcone, who the Arizona Coyotes recalled on Mar. 21. In his absence, Ben McCartney’s 18 goals top the Roadrunners, and the left wing has four goals in his last three games.