Gulls Biweekly Report 2: Gulls Earn Two Wins

Photo: San Diego Gulls

By Thomas Harrington

The San Diego Gulls are off to a terrible start this season. However, there is some good news, as San Diego is currently on a modest two-game win streak. Overall, the Gulls are 2-6 this season and are last in the AHL.

Gulls Lose Back-To-Back Games Against Ontario

The past two weeks started out with San Diego hosting Ontario. It was the Gulls’ second home game of the season, and it didn’t go well. The Reign scored less than four minutes into the game and made it 2-0 just over five minutes into the second period. Less than 20 seconds later, Simon Benoit scored to make it a 2-1 game. Less than three minutes into the third, Ontario scored to restore their two-goal lead. Halfway through the final period, Chris Wideman scored his first as a Gull to make it 3-2, but Ontario then scored three unanswered goals to win 6-2.

The next night, San Diego traveled to Ontario for a rematch with the Reign. Less than a minute into the game, Ontario made it 1-0. Halfway through the period, Wideman tied the game. In the second, Ontario made it 2-1, but Antoine Morand scored his first career professional goal to tie the game. In the third, the Reign scored the lone goal with less than five minutes to go and won the game 3-2. Unfortunately, Andrew Poturalski was injured in this game and he’ll be out eight to 12 weeks.

The Gulls Earn Their First Two Wins

After an 0-6 start to the season, San Diego desperately needed a win to start getting things back on track. The Gulls returned home to host Colorado for a pair of games. In the first one, San Diego finally got off to a good start as Sam Carrick scored his first of the season less than four minutes into the game. The Eagles tied the game, but Daniel Sprong put San Diego back on top less than 40 seconds later. Alex Dostie made it 3-1 40 seconds after that. In the second, Colorado made it 3-2, but Blake Pietila restored the two-goal lead. Late in the period, Colorado scored again to make it 4-3. Just over two minutes into the third, Colorado tied the game. Halfway through the period, Isac Lundestrom scored his first AHL regular-season goal, and the Gulls won their first game of the season 5-4.

The next night, San Diego got off to another strong start. Sprong, Brendan Guhle, and Lundestrom all scored to make it 3-0, far and away San Diego’s best period of the season. In the second, Colorado made it 3-1, but Alex Broadhurst scored a shorthanded goal to restore the three-goal lead. Chase De Leo made it 5-1 less than a minute into the third, Colorado scored one more time, and the Gulls won 5-2.

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The Gulls will play six games over the next two weeks. They’ll start off with a three-game road trip where they will travel to Bakersfield, San Jose, and Stockton. San Diego will return home to host San Jose, before heading back on the road to face Ontario. The Gulls will finish things up by returning home for a rematch with Ontario.

Josh Mahura has been San Diego’s best player this season, and he’s been rewarded with his recent callup to Anaheim. Both Guhle and Max Jones started the year in Anaheim, and I expect both to return to the NHL. Besides them, Lundestrom and Sprong both played well over the weekend and could get called up as well.

A 2-6 record is certainly a disappointment, but San Diego was much better in the previous two games than their first six. If they can keep playing like that, they should be able to get their season back on track. If not, it could be a very long season in San Diego.

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November 7th, 2019