Anton Khudobin made 29 saves for his third victory in three games since being recalled and Chris Mueller scored the tie-breaking goal in the second period in the San Diego Gulls‘ 4-1 victory over the Ontario Reign Saturday at the Valley View Casino Center.
Mike Sgarbossa added an insurance goal six minutes, 49 seconds into the third period and Joseph Cramarossa scored an empty net goal with 1:45 left as the Gulls won their fourth consecutive game against the Reign.
Gulls left wing Nic Kerdiles opened the scoring 4:54 into the first period. Ontario tied the score at 10:03 of the first period on Justin Auger’s goal.
Goaltender Peter Budaj made 17 saves for the Pacific Division-leading Reign (16-5-2-1), the Los Angeles Kings American Hockey League affiliate. Budaj is 15-4-2, with three of his regulation losses and a shootout loss coming to the Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks AHL affiliate.
The Gulls (15-10-0-1) killed all six of Ontario’s power-play opportunities before a crowd announced at 11,078.
Defenseman Stu Bickel, who leads the Gulls with 101 penalty minutes, was involved in the game’s only fight, brawling with Reign defenseman Kurtis MacDermid. MacDermid received a match penalty for a check to the head before the fight.
The Gulls will next play at Bakersfield, the Edmonton Oilers AHL affiliate, Sunday in Bakersfield. Their next game at the Valley View Casino Center will be Jan. 8 against the Charlotte Checkers, the Carolina Hurricanes AHL affiliate.
— City News Service
