Mike Sgarbossa scored the lone shootout goal to give the San Diego Gulls a 3-2 victory over the Stockton Heat Friday in an American Hockey League game at Valley View Casino Center.
Neither team scoring during the first three rounds of the shootout, sending the shootout into sudden death.
Sgarbossa scored on the opening shot on the first round. Freddie Hamilton failed to score for the Heat on its fourth-round shot, giving the Gulls their fifth victory in six games, three in shootouts.
Stockton, the Calgary Flames AHL affiliate, tied the score with four minutes, three seconds remaining in the third period on Bill Arnold’s goal off assists by Brett Kulak and Aaron Johnson.
There was no scoring during the five-minute overtime, which is played with three skaters on each team, two fewer than normal.
Following a scoreless first period, there were three goals in an 83- second span of the second period, two on the power play and one shorthanded.
The Gulls took a 1-0 lead on Nick Ritchie’s power-play goal at 14:59 off assists by Brandon Montour and Max Friberg before a crowd announced at 7,152.
The goal was the team-leading fifth in six games for the 19-year-old Ritchie, the team’s youngest player.
The Heat tied the score 54 seconds later on Bryce Van Brabant’s shorthanded goal off Drew Shore’s assist.
The Gulls regained the lead 28 seconds later on Friberg’s power-play goal off Antoine Laganiere’s assist.
Daniel Hackett replaced John Gibson in goal for the Gulls at the start of the third period and stopped 13 of the 14 shots he faced. Gibson stopped 18 of the 19 shots he faced over the first two periods.
Jon Gillies made 26 saves for Stockton (2-2-0-1).
The Gulls killed off all seven Heat power-play chances, including one in overtime after they were penalized for having too many men on the ice.
In overtime, the non-penalized team is given an extra skater on a power play.
The Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks AHL affiliate, scored on two of their four power-play opportunities.
The two teams will play again Saturday night at Valley View Casino Center.
— City News Service