April 8, 2021
The San Diego Gulls open a back-to-back weekend series against the Roadrunners tonight in Tucson (7 p.m. PT; TV: AHL TV; RADIO: Gulls Audio Network). The Seagulls hold a 23-18-2-1 record against Tucson, including 11-9-1-0 on the road.
Tucson and San Diego shared the first four games of an eight-game season, with the Seagulls taking wins in the last two competitions. Olle Eriksson Ek’s 25-point performance gave San Diego a 2-1 win over Tucson on March 27 at FivePoint Arena.
The Seagulls’ further victory over the Roadrunners came on March 21, a 4-2 victory in Tucson, with Josh Mahura, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Sam Carrick and Andrew Poturalski showing multipoint performances.
In the games against Tucson this season Poturalski leads San Diego on points (1-3 = 4) and assists, while Sam Carrick (2-0 = 2) and Groulx (2-1 = 3) each accelerate the team in goals .
San Diego is set to bounce back after its American Hockey League-leading seven-game winning streak ended in a 2-4 loss to Ontario on Wednesday night. Despite the setback, San Diego leads the AHL in terms of goals scored (88), home wins (12) and home points (24). The seagulls rank second in the Pacific division with points (32) and point percentages (.593).
The seagulls greeted rookie striker Trevor Zegras in the line-up as he moved into the middle position. Zegras supported him on his return and ran in line with Poturalski and Chase De Leo.
“We feel good, we know each other,” said De Leo. “He’s here to learn the middle position. We had a lot of time in the D-Zone [Wednesday]but I thought we did a pretty good job of keeping them out for the most part when we were out there. Just talk to him as much as you can, open up communications and make sure we fill each other up as best we can in the D-zone. I thought he did a good job [Wednesday] and I know that it just keeps getting better. “
“There are a lot of details in the game no matter what position you play in and it’s a learning curve,” added Gull’s head coach Kevin Dineen. “You can do a lot of film, you can work a lot, but it goes out and does it. He’s been there before. He was in the wing most of the year. It was a bit of a feeling, but he certainly felt more comfortable as the game progressed. “
After conceding two goals in the first phase of their defeat to the government on Wednesday, the Seagulls are focused on a strong start against the Roadrunners.
“When we’re at our best, you’ve seen how many shots we can take, especially early on,” said De Leo. “In our first phase, we should aim to get as many shots as possible. I think the games we played in got more than 15 shots in the first phase. Then you know we’ll go and roll all four lines when we play like this. We have a great weekend with two very important games for us. “
Tucson hosts San Diego in sixth place in the Pacific Division on percent (0.405), but last in points (17). The Roadrunners are fighting on home ice this season, winning only two of ten competitions (2-8-0-0) at the Tucson Convention Center Arena. Tucson ranks 28th in the AHL in goals per game (2.61).
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