Perreault's Highlight-Reel Tally Not Enough In Loss To Bakersfield
Nov 13, 2021By Paige Burnell/SanDiegoGulls.com
A two-goal performance from Jacob Perreault - highlighted by an incredible Michigan goal - couldn't help San Diego hold off the Bakersfield Condors in a 4-2 loss tonight at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, CA.
WATCH: Perreault Pulls Off The Michigan | GameCenter
Former Gull Adam Cracknell scored the game-winning goal in the third period for the Condors, who swept a home-and-home series with San Diego. Seth Griffith led the Condors with two points (0-2=2), tying Springfield's Scott Perunovich for the American Hockey League lead with a 12-game point streak. Cooper Marody, Graham McPhee and Luke Esposito scored to support Olivier Rodrigue's 23-save effort.
"Well, first time we played three games this week," Gulls head coach Joel Bouchard said. "First two periods were quite good, actually. I’m quite happy with them. We have a young team, let’s face it. We have a lot of young guys and a couple guys that are working on their game…So it’s that chemistry that I know everybody wants things quick, but we’ll be back in that situation and we’ll be better. We’ll work at it.
"I’m disappointed, obviously, for the players. I’m not happy about it. Happy we were 2-1 up on a good team after two periods. We carried a lot of the play, but it was too much for our young guys. We could tell. We were overwhelmed about winning and winning is hard. It’s tough."
Perreault's two-goal effort paced all San Diego skaters. He extended his career-best point streak to seven games in the loss. At 19 years, six months and two days of age, Perreault’s string of points is the longest streak put together by a San Diego Gull under twenty years of age and is the fourth-longest active point streak in the AHL.
"Yeah, I’m feeling really good," Perreault said. "I think the coaching staff have just been doing a really good job of pushing us in practices and just like getting us in shape for games and playing the right way. I think it’s really helped me so far in the season and I feel like since game one to this game, I’m just improving every game and that’s just really something I want going through the season."
Anaheim's first-round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft opened the scoring at 8:08 of the first period, netting his first goal of the night with a sweeping shot past a prone Rodrigue. Danny O’Regan and Nikolas Brouillard both picked up helpers on the play, with Brouillard tallying his fifth point - and fourth assist - in his last five games.
Cooper Marody would respond, tying the game with an unassisted goal at 13:21 of the first frame. It's the second time in as many games Marody scored against the Gulls.
Perreault's highlight-reel Michigan goal came just 1:28 into the middle frame.
The Montreal, Quebec native picked up the puck with the blade of his stick and carried it around the net. He then threw he puck over the left shoulder of Condors Rodrigue to get his third power play goal in four games.
"Honestly, I didn’t even think about doing the Michigan until last year," he explained. "Playing as the youngest (on the) team, it kind of showed me some and kind of gave me the confidence to do them in a game. That kind of led to the game and when I got the puck behind the net, I tried to fake a pass going one way and I kind of had the idea I was going to do a lacrosse goal so I just tried to buy it some more time and when I saw there was an opening, I just went for it and got the best of it."
Perreault continues to lead his team in goals (6), assists (7) and points (13).
"I’m happy about the goal but I’m more happy the way he reacted after," Bouchard said. "He didn’t get over-excited about it. (He) kept playing the right way, so that’s what’s fun. He’s a talented young guy, but at the end of the day he went back to playing the way that has given him success."
McPhee evened the score at two at 2:29 of the third period, wth Cracknell netting the game-winning tally with 8:31 remaining in regulation.
Luke Esposito scored the insurance goal for the Condors, an empty-net marker with just 19 seconds left.
"They played a good third period, but I think we just didn’t get the best end of the stick here," Perreault said. "We had our chances, but we couldn’t bear down and they got their chances and beared down. Dos (Dostal) was really good in net for us so there’s nothing you can really do about it besides go in practice and work as hard as you can here for the next game."