Gulls Ride Special Teams To Game 1 Win
May 21, 2021The San Diego Gulls opened the 2020-21 Pacific Division Playoffs with a 5-3 win over the Bakersfield Condors tonight at Mechanics Bank Arena. The Gulls lead the best-of-three semifinals series 1-0, heading into Sunday’s matchup in Bakersfield.
With the win, the Gulls improved to 5-2 all-time in the playoffs against Bakersfield, outscoring their Pacific Division rival 29-19 over that span.
San Diego’s power play led the way, scoring three times on the American Hockey League’s top penalty killing unit. The Gulls have scored eight power-play goals in their last five playoff games against Bakersfield (8-21, 38.1%) dating back to the 2019 playoffs where the Gulls defeated the Condors in six games.
"It’s something we’ve been working on for the last week or so that we had in practice," Cam Carrick said. "Things seemed to click early on. It always helps when on that first power play, you get a goal there and get that confidence rolling. The good thing for us is we were able to stick with it. Got a couple there and it obviously helped us win the game."
Andrew Agozzino (1-2=3), Carrick (2-1=3) and Trevor Zegras (1-2=3) each recorded three points, each matching the club record for points in a playoff game. Jamie Drysdale (0-2=2) and Vinni Lettieri (1-1=2) also notched multi-point performances in the win.
"There’s some good chemistry out there," Gulls head coach Kevin Dineen said. "You take Jamie [Drysdale] and his poise at the top of the unit. You have the ability to pass the puck like Z [Trevor Zegras] does, and boy, Vinni Lettieri has an NHL shot. When he gets open over there, he’s going to rip it. We’ve seen it a number of times this year. There’s some good pieces to that, and you never leave out your net-front guy because Andrew Agozzino does a nice job in front, not only on the screens, but he takes up some air out there, meaning he ties up their defensemen and frees up our skill on the outside."
Bakersfield nearly took an early lead in the first period, but two spectacular saves by rookie netminder Lukas Dostal kept the score level.
The first came just under eight minutes after the opening puck drop. The Condors’ dynamic offensive duo of Tyler Benson and Cooper Marody, who tied for second in the AHL in scoring, attacked the Gulls net on a two-on-one rush. Marody net Benson with backdoor pass, but Dostal quickly lunged across his crease, denying the shot with his glove hand.
Dostal went back to work as the period neared the halfway mark. Former Gull Adam Cracknell dug a loose puck out to the slot, where Ostap Safin sent a quick backhand pass to a streaking Max Gildon. The defenseman didn't elevate his shot, and Dostal took full advantage, sliding cross-crease to make the phenomenal pad save.
"He was lights out that first period," Dineen said. "We gave up some quality opportunities against a really offensively-talented team – he settled the ship right down and we found our footing. We came up the day of the game and that was our preference, just to come up here on a business trip. It took us a little bit to get going but (Dostal) was right on from the drop of the puck to the final whistle."
"This kid’s a stud," Carrick added. "He’s going to have a long career. He’s so young, what is he 20 years old? He’s come in like he’s a veteran goalie. Some of the saves he makes, how calm, cool and collected he looks in net, our team feeds off of it. He’s making the easy saves but he’s also making the hard saves. He obviously gives our team a huge boost. Like I said before, I think this kid’s got a super bright future. He’s in good hands here."
Dostal stopped 39-of-42 shots to earn his first win in his first AHL postseason appearance.
San Diego’s captain opened the scoring with a power-play goal late in the opening frame.
With Vincent Desharnais sitting in the penalty box for hooking, the Gulls controlled the puck along the right wing wall. Lettieri directed a pass into the middle of the ice for Agozzino, who immediately tapped it to the point for Jamie Drysdale. The rookie defenseman wasted no time, firing a shot from the point that Carrick tipped home to give San Diego the lead with 4:36 remaining in the first period.
With the primary assist, Drysdale became the youngest player in Gulls history to record a postseason point (19 years, 1 month, 13 days).
Carrick struck again early in the second period to double San Diego’s lead.
The Gulls worked the puck around the perimeter of the offensive zone, with Zegras collecting the puck just inside the blue line before spotting Lettieri in the right faceoff circle. The pass drew all the attention of the Bakersfield defense and Lettieri took advantage, setting up Carrick on the backdoor for a tap-in goal. San Diego’s second power goal extended the lead just 3:10 into the middle frame.
Carrick became the Gull in club history to score two power-play goals in a playoff game.
Afforded a third power play opportunity late in the second period, the Gulls once again capitalized on the man advantage.
Drysdale held the puck along the blue line, faking a shot to freeze the Bakersfield defense. The first-year Gull elected to pass instead, feeding Lettieri for a one-timer that the winger blasted past Stuart Skinner, putting San Diego ahead 3-0 with 1:17 left in the period.
"We were chatting after day one of the NHL playoffs and we had a nice discussion," Dineen said. "Really instead of about our series, just about the games the night before and where the special teams really made a difference. We had a good day of practice yesterday on our power play and you put a little extra emphasis on it because obviously, a game like tonight, the special teams, specifically our power play makes a huge difference. There was some good chemistry out there from guys that haven’t played together in a while and that was a big part of our victory tonight."
The Condors got on the board as Brad Malone’s centering pass bounced off Simon Benoit’s stick and past Dostal, cutting the lead to 3-1 with 10:26 remaining in regulation.
A minute later, another bad bounce for San Diego led to a Bakersfield goal. With Keegan Lowe in the penalty box for kneeing, Seth Griffith’s shot caromed off the post, then Dostal’s pad and over the line, pulling the Condors within one with 9:34 to play in the third period.
"We have to get away from taking untimely penalties," Dineen explained. "I think those offensive-zone penalties hurt you and they’re preventable. Those are areas when you’re playing a team like this, that has the ability to generate offense, specifically on the special teams, you have to take care of business there."
With the Condors hunting for the game’s tying goal, Zegras and Agozzino teamed up for a big insurance goal. Zegras pressured Kevin Gravel on the forecheck, ripping the puck away from the big defenseman before setting up Agozzino, who beat Skinner with a quick shot from the slot. The goal restored San Diego’s two-goal cushion with 5:02 left in regulation.
Bakersfield again pulled within a goal as Seth Griffith set up Tyler Benson with a perfect backdoor pass, narrowing San Diego’s lead to 4-3 with 2:31 left on the clock.
Zegras capped the scoring with an empty-net goal, marking his first career AHL postseason goal, at the 19:56 mark of the third period.
San Diego will look to sweep the series on Sunday in Bakersfield at 5 p.m. PT. Fans can watch the action locally on The CW San Diego and listen on the Gulls Audio Network.