PREVIEW: Gulls Continue Rivalry With Reign In Ontario
Nov 12, 2022By Brett Pickler/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls head up the freeway for a battle against the Ontario Reign at Toyota Arena (3 p.m. PT; TV: AHL TV, RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).
The Gulls enter tonight’s contest looking to earn their first win of their eight-game season series against the Reign. San Diego dropped its first two games against Ontario, losing 2-1 (Oct. 21) and 5-1 (Oct . 22).
The Gulls enter the matchup with a 4-8-0-0 record that does not show the full picture of the season. All but three of San Diego’s losses have been by two goals or less, showing they have a chance to win every game.
One reason for this is their goalies. Lukas Dostal is playing at an extremely high level. Over his last five starts, he stopped 173 out of 183 shots for a .945 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.00 goals-against average. This is also a result of the growing confidence in the defensive zone and penalty kill. As of Nov. 12, the Gulls killed their opponents’ last 12 power-play chances.
"Just stick with the habits," Dostal said. "Trust the process and be patient in the right moments and I think the result is going to come."
The defense will need to remain a stronghold for the Gulls in their matchup today. Ontario sits in first place in the Pacific Division and is one of the best offensive teams in the American Hockey League, ranking second in the Pacific Division with 3.60 goals-per-game.
Forward T.J Tynan entered the weekend tied for first in the league with 1-14=15 points. He carried a four-game point streak (0-7=7) into Saturday’s contest with Bakersfield.. Additionally, on November 12, defenseman Jordan Spence had a four-game point streak, while forward Lias Andersson collected 3-2=5 points in his last four games.
"We have a tough opponent Sunday against Ontario," Gull head coach Roy Sommer said following the loss on Friday. "They skate, a high-pressure team, and we just got to come out and have a better first…The goaltender again gave us a chance to win, we just didn't give him any support."
San Diego will look to establish a consistent offensive attack to support its excellent goaltending.
The Gulls will need players such as Rocco Grimaldi, who has 4-9=13 points in his last 10 games following a four-point effort (1-3=4) on Nov. 8, and Jacob Perreault, who has 2-0=2 goals in his last three games, to continue generating chances for themselves and their linemates.
However, the Gulls will also be looking for more depth within its scoring. In their 7-0 win against the Henderson Silver Knights on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 11 different players found their way onto the scoresheet. With the full team firing on all cylinders, San Diego will make for a tough matchup for any team.