If the Gulls are going to work their way up the AHL’s Pacific Division standings after a rough start to the season, such a move will require better defense and improved goalie play.
Both components were on display Friday night at Pechanga Arena in a 3-2 shootout victory over the Bakersfield Condors.
Brayden Tracey and Trevor Carrick scored in regulation for San Diego while Jacob Perraeault netted the shootout’s lone tally as the Gulls improved to 2-4-0-0.
Goalie Olle Eriksson Ek played his best game so far this season, making 30 saves in regulation and overtime before stuffing all three Bakersfield shots in the shootout.
Some structured, feisty defense. Some excellent goalie play. Just enough offense to make it all pay off.
After a 1-4 start during which the Gulls were outscored 23-14, it was a hard-earned win and perhaps the blueprint going forward.
“To be honest, we didn’t work that much on the offense last week,” coach Joel Bouchard said before the game. “It was more about defending. When you are better defensively, you spend more time in the O-zone and you have more of a chance with scoring, it’s just logic.”
After a scoreless first period — the first time the Gulls blanked an opponent in the opening frame this season — Bakersfield got on the board at 14:28 of the second period on a power play goal by Brad Malone, who was left unmarked in the San Diego goal area.
Tracey responded with an early candidate for goal of the year and it was the result of a good defensive sequence leading directly to good offense, the kind of linked play Bouchard wants to see.
With just over two minutes remaining in the second period, Carrick won a loose puck in the Gulls’ defensive zone, skated a few strides and laced a perfect long lead up ice to an onrushing Tracey.
Tracey snagged the puck with his stick, slipped past Vincent Desharnais with a nifty curl move and snapped a shot past Illya Konovalov before crashing into the side post for his first goal of the season.
Carrick put the Gulls ahead 2-1 at 13:08 of the third period when his blast from just in front of the blue line appeared to slam into a mass of four bodies in front of the Bakersfield net — including Gulls forward Nikolas Brouillard who may or may not have gotten a stick on it — before getting past Konovalov.
Regardless, the Pechanga crowd went crazy and the Gulls were presented with a precious opportunity: lock down on defense and earn their second win of the season.
It didn’t happen. Not just yet.
After the Gulls failed to clear the puck from behind their own net, Bakersfield’s Markus Niemelainen found an empty pocket in front of Ek, gathered a and slammed a shot past Ek to tie the game at the 16:51 mark.
The Gulls return home at 7 p.m. tonight against Colorado as they continue a four-game homestand.
Carter is a freelance writer.
