Gulls Pack a Punch on Halloween, Beat the Heat 3-2

Action from the Gulls' 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone — Gulls’ Andrew O’Brien tangles with a Stockton Heat player during 3-2 victory on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Fright Night devolved into Fight Night before a Halloween crowd of 5,015 San Diego Gulls fans at Valley View Casino Center.

Gulls fans dressed up for Halloween. Photo by Chris Stone

Max Friberg scored a short-handed goal with two minutes, 25 seconds to play to break a tie to give the Gulls a 3-2 victory Saturday night over the Stockton Heat — the same score as Friday night’s contest.

One off-with-the-gloves fight and several player skirmishes heated up the ice in the second period as perhaps a fifth of the mostly adult audience came dressed for the holiday.

See: Box score of Gulls vs. Heat on Halloween

The Gulls tied the score when Nick Ritchie, their youngest player, scored a power-play goal 2:52 into the third period. Ritchie leads the Gulls with six goals in seven games.

Following a scoreless second period, the Heat regained the lead on defenseman Oliver Kylington’s power-play goal 1:19 into the third period.

Stockton, the Calgary Flames’ American Hockey League affiliate, opened the scoring 4:32 into the game on Austin Carroll’s goal. The Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks’ AHL affiliate, tied the score on Antoine Laganiere’s goal at 11:35 of the first period.

Goaltender Matt Hackett made 34 saves as the Gulls (6-1-0-0) defeated the Heat for the second consecutive night. The Gulls won 3-2 in a shootout on Friday.

Jon Gillies made 33 saves for the Heat (2-3-0-1).

The Gulls scored on one of their three power-play opportunities and killed three of Stockton’s four power-play opportunities.

The Gulls announced before the game they had recalled goaltender Ryan Faragher from the Utah Grizzlies, the Ducks’ ECHL affiliate.

John Gibson, the Gulls’ starting goaltender in five of their first six games, is day-to-day because of an upper-body injury, according to Sam Kieckhefer, the team’s communications manager.

Gibson was replaced at the start of the third period of Friday’s game.

The Gulls next game is scheduled for Tuesday at Valley View Casino Center against the San Antonio Rampage, the Colorado Avalanche’s AHL affiliate.

— City News Service contributed to this report.

Joseph Cramarossa during action from the Gulls’ 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Shane O’Brien during action from the Gulls’ 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls fans dressed up for Halloween. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls celebrate a goal during their 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Action from the Gulls’ 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Max Friberg during action from the Gulls’ 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Mike Sgarbossa during action from the Gulls’ 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Harry Zolnierczyk during action from the Gulls’ 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Max Friberg slams into the plexiglass during action from the Gulls’ 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls players return to the ice at the beginning of the second period on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Harry Zolnierczyk during action from the Gulls’ 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Matt Bailey waits for the puck to drop on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Chris Mueller tangles with a Stockton Heat opponent on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Stockton Heat goalie watches as the San Diego Gulls scores. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls fans dressed up for Halloween. Photo by Chris Stone

Action from the Gulls’ 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Andrew O’Brien tangles with a Stockton Heat player on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Action from the Gulls’ 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Nick Ritchie (left) chases the puck during action from the Gulls’ 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Andrew O’Brien tangles with a Stockton Heat player on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Nick Ritchie cheers after scoring in the third period on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Matt Bailey during action from the Gulls’ 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Andrew O’Brien tangles with a Stockton Heat player on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Action from the Gulls’ 3-2 victory over Stockton Heat on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center. Photo by Chris Stone

Gulls’ Andrew O’Brien tangles with a Stockton Heat player during 3-2 victory on Halloween night at Valley View Casino Center.

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