Ondrej Kase scored the lone shootout goal after having a goal and an assist during regulation as the San Diego Gulls defeated the Bakersfield Condors 6-5 Friday at Valley View Casino Center.
Kase, a 19-year-old right wing from the Czech Republic, scored on the opening shot of the shootout of the American Hockey League game.
Goaltender John Gibson stopped all three Bakersfield shots in the shootout to give the Gulls their second victory in two games.
Kase, selected as the game’s No. 1 star, scored the final goal of the first period, which ended in a 3-3 tie, and assisted on Harry Zolnierczyk’s goal which concluded the scoring in the second period.
There was no scoring in the third period or during the five-minute overtime, which is played with three skaters on each team, two fewer than normal.
The Gulls failed to score on an overtime power-play when they were given an extra skater following Condors defenseman Darnell Nurse’s hooking penalty.
Nick Ritchie, the Gulls’ youngest player at 19, opened the scoring 23 seconds into the game. Mitch Moroz, Iiro Pakarinen and Bogdan Yakimov scored unanswered goals for Bakersfield, the Edmonton Oilers AHL affiliate.
Max Friberg scored at 18:24 of the first period, off assists by Ritchie and Mike Sgarbossa. Kase scored an unassisted goal 17 seconds later.
The Condors (1-1-1) regained the lead on a power-play goal by Matthew Ford 42 seconds into the second period and increased their lead to 5-3 on Ryan Hamilton’s goal 3:00 into the period.
Antoine Laganiere scored at 9:44 of the second period and Zolnierczyk at 15:57 for the Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks AHL affiliate.
Gibson made 34 saves, including denying Andrew Miller on a second-period penalty shot. Bakersfield goaltender Laurent Brossoit made 35 saves before a crowd announced at 8,788.
The Gulls failed to score on both their power-play opportunities, while the Condors scored on both of theirs.
A banner in the Valley View Casino Center‘s rafters honoring Willie O’Ree, who played seven seasons with the original Gulls after becoming the first black to play in the NHL, was unveiled during the first-period intermission.
The Gulls will begin a three-game road trip Wednesday at San Jose. Their next game at the Valley View Casino Center will be Oct. 30 against the Stockton Heat.
— City News Service
