PREVIEW: Gulls Return Home To Host Firebirds
Feb 24, 2023By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls return to Pechanga Arena San Diego, hosting the Coachella Valley Firebirds on home ice (7 p.m. PT; TV: AHL TV; RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).
The last time these two teams met in San Diego, the Gulls skated away with the franchise’s first win over the newest American Hockey League club. Kole Lind and Pavol Regenda traded third-period goals, sending the game into overtime. Rocco Grimaldi struck just 34 seconds into the extra session, securing the second overtime win of San Diego’s season.
"They're a really great team, just like everybody else," Gulls forward Bryce Kindopp said. "I think we just have to stick to our game plan. Play them hard, play them heavy. I think we'll be fine."
Grimaldi looks to continue rolling in the month of February. The Rossmoor, CA native scored eight of the Gulls’ 19 total goals this month, accounting for 44.4 % of the team’s tallies. The right wing is tied for second among league skaters in goals (25) and tied for eighth in points (25-25=50) as of Feb. 23. He leads the Gulls in both categories while sitting second in assists. Grimaldi posted six goals in three contests from Feb. 14-19, marking his highest goal total over a three-game span in his AHL career.
The return of Chase De Leo only bolstered Grimaldi’s production. The Gulls’ captain, who missed 48 games with an upper-body injury after making his season debut on Oct. 14, enters tonight riding a personal four-game point streak. He’s posted 4-1=5 points in those games and earned a point in each game since returning to the lineup on Feb. 18.
"Yeah, I mean, those two guys are awesome," Kindopp said of Grimaldi and De Leo. "They lead by example on the ice. They can be hard to keep up with at times. They kind of buzz around together, but they've been great. Obviously, you put those two together and you're gonna get something special. They've been doing a great job and I think everybody else needs to kind of follow their lead."
San Diego may also feature a new addition in tonight’s lineup. The Anaheim Ducks acquired left wing Josiah Slavin – brother of National Hockey League defenseman Jaccob Slavin, for right wing Hunter Drew. Slavin, 24 (12/31/98), has recorded one assist and four penalty minutes in 15 career NHL games with Chicago in 2021-22. The 6-3, 190-pound forward has tallied 3-8=11 points with 16 PIM in 51 contests with the Rockford IceHogs this season, Chicago’s primary development affiliate in the AHL.
Selected by Chicago in the seventh round (193rd overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft, Slavin has recorded 24-26=50 points with a +5 rating and 41 PIM in 115 career AHL games with Rockford (2021-present). Slavin set AHL career highs in points (18-14=32), goals, assists and plus/minus (+18) in 2021-22, while he also earned one assist in five Calder Cup Playoff games in 2022.
"I've been with him for a while," Kindopp said of Drew. "He's been around here his whole career. So, he's an awesome guy in the room. We're definitely gonna miss him, brings a lot of energy, makes it fun coming here, so I'm happy he's getting a chance and yeah, it's gonna be sad without him but I'm happy for him, too."
Coachella Valley struggled out of the American Hockey League’s All-Star Classic, dropping three straight games and going just 2-3-1-1 in seven contests. They sit five points of the Calgary Wranglers for the top spot in the Western Conference but hold four games-in-hand over their Pacific Division foe. Jesper Froden, who collected 6-2=8 points in six games against San Diego this season, joined the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night.
The Firebirds come to Pechanga Arena on the heels of a 6-1 win over the Ontario Reign. Lind scored twice while Alex True and Tye Kartye each chipped in 1-1=2 points. Both Cameron Hughes and former Gull Brogan Rafferty collected two assists to support Joey Daccord, who turned aside 24 shots for his sixth win of the season.