LIVE: Gulls Beat Roadrunners 5-3
Apr 30, 2021The San Diego Gulls defeated the Tucson Roadrunners 5-3 in tonight's game at FivePoint Arena.
THIRD PERIOD RECAP
Jeremy Gregoire collected his third goal of the season at 10:24 of the period to cut the Gulls lead to two, swatting a loose puck in the slot past Lukas Dostal.
San Diego scored twice in the final period to push its lead to three.
Bryce Kindopp scored his second of the game, a shorthanded tally, just past the five-minute mark of the period.
Benoit-Olivier Groulx broke up a zone entry at his blue line and started an odd-man rush with Kindopp on the opposite wing. The rookie center found his first-year linemate with a pass, and Kindopp took advantage of a guessing Ivan Prosvetov, sending a shot from the side of the net past the Tucson netminder for his second goal of the game.
Groulx leads the American Hockey League in shorthanded points (2-2=4). He also collected his third assist of the game (0-3=3) and sits tied for fourth among league rookies in scoring (10-14=24).
He also leads the Gulls in scoring against Tucson with 3-6=9 points in seven games.
Hunter Drew followed up with his fifth goal of the season at 6:45 of the third period for San Diego's fifth goal of the game.
The defenseman trailed Chase De Leo, who sent a drop pass to Drew at the top of the circle. His heavy wrist shot sailed past Prosvetov and into the back of the net.
SECOND PERIOD RECAP
The trio of Kindopp, Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Alex Limoges struck twice in the middle frame to give San Diego its first lead of the game.
Limoges tied the game just 44 seconds into the middle frame.
Groulx carried the puck into the Tucson zone, finding Kindopp as he crossed over the blue line. Tucson's Dysin Mayo blocked Kindopp's shot, and the puck found its way to Limoges. The rookie center wasted no time depositing his shot past Prosvetov for his fifth goal of the season.
Kindopp finished off a crisp passing sequence just before the five-minute mark to put the Gulls ahead by one.
Groulx once again started the play, taking the puck over the blue line and feeding Limoges with a cross-ice pass. The rookie forward held the puck in the low circle, sending a pass to a streaking Kindopp as he cut toward the net. The left wing stuck out the blade of his stick and tapped the puck past Ivan Prosvetov for his sixth goal of the season and second point of the game.
Groulx leads the Gulls in scoring against Tucson, scoring 3-5=8 points in seven games. The rookie center is tied for fourth among all American Hockey League rookies in scoring (10-13=23).
FIRST PERIOD RECAP
The two teams - who combined to average 6.5 goals per game in this series - showed no signs of slowing down in the opening frame.
Tyler Steenbergen struck first, chipping a loose puck past the outstretched glove of Dostal to give Tucson the lead just 1:33 into the game.
Vinni Lettieri continued his torrid scoring stretch, evening the game with his 13th goal of the season at 4:18 of the opening frame.
Josh Mahura started the play, carrying the puck from his own end through center ice. The defenseman dished a quick pass to Andrew Agozzino, who carried it down the side wall. His cross-ice feed found its way through a mass of players cutting to the net and onto the blade of Lettieri, who wired a shot past Ivan Prosvetov for the game-tying tally.
The veteran wing extended his goal and point streaks to four games (4-1-5). He's seventh in the American Hockey League in goals despite playing in at least five fewer games than any other skater in the top 10.
With the assist, Agozzino extended his point streak to four games (3-3=6).
Michael Carcone cashed in on Tucson's third power-play opportunity of the period, putting the Roadrunners ahead 2-1 at the 13:35 mark of the first.
Carcone continues to torment San Diego, collecting his seventh goal in seven games against the Gulls.