Gulls Looking for Pivotal Points vs. Canucks

Mar 29, 2026

By Ashley Rubin/SanDiegoGulls.com 

The San Diego Gulls are set to close out their season series with the Abbotsford Canucks today at Rogers Forum (4 p.m. PDT; TV: AHLTV on FloHockey; Radio: Gulls Audio Network).  

San Diego and Abbotsford went head-to-head last night with Abbotsford taking the win, 5-2. The game marked the seventh matchup between the teams this season and tonight will be the eighth and final. The Gulls have gone 3-4-0-0 against the Canucks so far this season and look to add another win to that record tonight. 

"We weren't pretty enough to start the game, and we can be a lot more desperate than what we showed tonight," head coach Matt McIlvane said. 

Justin Bailey and Judd Caulfield gave the Gulls a glimpse of hope as they netted goals just 85 seconds apart late in the third. Their efforts were not enough to take the win as the Canucks netted two more to secure the win.  

"Well, we gave ourselves an opportunity to be in the game down three with five minutes left and having some fight to keep pushing and get two on the board." McIlvane said. "Then their fourth goal doesn't need to happen. It's five-on-five hockey, and we don't need to be all in on those kinds of decisions. That's why we weren't really able to finish." 

Following last night's loss, the Gulls stand with a 29-22-8-4 record with 70 points. Taking two from the Canucks tonight is essential to keep the Gulls in playoff position as the Tucson Roadrunners closed the gap between the seventh and eighth place spots with a win last night. The Roadrunners are just one point short of catching up with the Gulls.  

The Gulls will next take on the Tucson Roadrunners as they return home to Pechanga Arena San Diego on Wednesday, April 1 (7 p.m. PDT).