Gulls Look for Third Straight in San Jose
Apr 7, 2026
By Ashley Rubin/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls are searching for their third straight win with a matchup against the San Jose Barracuda today at Tech CU Arena (1 p.m. PDT; TV: AHLTV on FloHockey; Radio: Gulls Audio Network).
San Diego and San Jose will meet up for the final time in the regular season tonight. The Gulls have gone 2-3-1-1 against Barracuda this season, dropping their past two contests at Tech CU Arena. Today’s game also marks the Gulls fifth day game of the season. The team has struggled in day games so far going 0-4-0-0 but look to improve and take a win today.
"San Jose, they've got a really nice blend on their team of highly competitive group," head coach Matt McIlvane said. "They're defending well as a unit, all the way throughout the season, and they've got some high-end skill as well. So, they're a well-structured team. They've had solid goaltending as well. So, they're a big challenge, but it's a challenge that we're really excited about."
San Jose has successfully clinched a playoff spot, as they stand in fourth place in the division with a 39-23-3-3 record and 82 points. They are coming off a loss to the Colorado Eagles and have gone 4-6-0-0 in their past 10 contests. The Gulls are coming off two important wins, giving them momentum they need towards their playoff spot. The team stands with a 31-23-8-4 record with 74 points and last took a 6-3 victory over the Bakersfield Condors on Friday.
Friday’s game saw San Diego turn it around and respond to Bakersfield’s first two goals with five in the second period. The five goals mark the most the Gulls have put up in a single period this season. Special teams played an important role in the win with Ryan Carpenter and Justin Bailey finding the back of the net on the powerplay, Bailey netting one shorthanded, and the Gulls going 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
"Usually starts with your goalie on the PK, Calle [Clang] was great," Carpenter said. "You got guys blocking shots and breaking up plays and just bought in and communicating. So, we feel like the power play has been confident even on nights we haven't scored. It's nice to get rewarded tonight."
The success came from a full team effort as Cal Burke, Sasha Pastujov, and Matthew Phillips also found the back of the net. Calle Clang was great between the pipes, stopping 23-of-26 shots. Roger McQueen tallied his first AHL career point in his AHL debut with an assist. Assists were tallied by Sam Colangelo, Nico Myatovic, Stian Solberg, and Tyson Hinds. Hinds was recalled by the Anaheim Ducks the next day, making his NHL debut in the Ducks’ Saturday night contest.
"I know that the biggest thing about this team is how close we are," Bailey said. "We have a lot of guys returning from last year. Our team is very, very close, and that closest of our team is kind of what drives us. So, I know we'll spend some time together tonight, tomorrow, and then get ready and prepared to go into San Jose and get another two points."
Following today’s contest, the Gulls will get back at it with the Condors as they compete in a back-to-back series starting Friday, Apr. 10 at Dignity Health Arena (7 p.m. PDT).