The San Diego Gulls will try to end a season-long four-game losing streak Saturday when they play the Milwaukee Admirals, winners of eight straight, one short of the team record.
The Gulls cut an early three-goal deficit to one, then allowed two power-play goals in a 44-second span of the third period in a 7-4 loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday night.
A power-play goal by Brandon Montour and Brian McGrattan’s even-strength goal cut Grand Rapids’ lead to 5-4 with 12 minutes, nine seconds to play.
Gulls defenseman Shane O’Brien was penalized for tripping and unsportsmanlike conduct with 4:54 remaining. Tomas Jurco scored power-play goals at 17:03 and 17:46 of the third period to complete a hat trick, all on the power play, sealing the victory for the Griffins (4-8-0-1).
Grand Rapids, the Detroit Red Wings’ American Hockey League affiliate, took a 3-0 lead 8:24 into the game on power-play goals by Ryan Sproul and Jurco and an even-strength goal by Mitch Callahan, who deflected in a shot by Sproul.
Max Friberg scored the Gulls’ first goal on a power play at 13:06 of the first period, but the Griffins regained a three-goal lead on Andreas Athanasiou’s goal at 17:21 of the period.
Gulls center Joseph Cramarossa trickled a loose puck rebound past Grand Rapids goaltender Jared Coreau for the lone goal of the second period.
Eric Tangradi put the Griffins up by three again with a goal 1:12 into the third period.
Coreau stopped 31 of 35 shots before a crowd announced at 8,240 at Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena in the Gulls’ first game outside of California.
Goaltender John Gibson stopped 33 of 40 shots for the Gulls(9-5-0-1), the Anaheim Ducks’ AHL affiliate.
The Griffins scored on four of nine power-play opportunities, while the Gulls were two of five.
Gulls defenseman Stu Bickel and Grand Rapids left wing Anthony Mantha engaged in the game’s only fight at 11:48 of the third period with the Griffins leading 5-4.
The Gulls defeated Grand Rapids, 4-2, in their season opener Oct. 10.
Tonight’s game at Milwaukee’s BMO Harris Bradley Center concludes the Admirals’ fourth annual “Salute to Seinfeld Weekend.” Phil Morris, who played flamboyant attorney Jackie Chiles on five episodes of the classic NBC comedy, will sign autographs for fans.
The “Salute to Seinfeld Weekend” began Friday with Brian George signing autographs. George portrayed immigrant Babu Bhatt, best remembered for his description of Jerry Seinfeld as a “very, very bad man.”
— City News Service
