Newcomer Corey Tropp scored for the second consecutive game and assisted on Antoine Laganiere’s third-period goal helping the San Diego Gulls to a 4-1 victory over the Pacific Division-leading Ontario Reign on Saturday night in Ontario.
Tropp put in his own rebound one minute, 25 seconds into the game for his second goal in eight games with Gulls and 13th this season in American Hockey League play. The Gulls increased their lead to 2-0 when Ondrej Kase intercepted a pass just outside the Ontario blue line, skated down the right wing and put a wrist shot past goaltender Peter Budaj for his sixth goal of the season 1:33 into the second period.
With both teams one player short because of coincidental minor penalties, Laganiere scored off assists by Tropp and Shea Theodore 9:37 into the third period to give the Gulls a 3-0 lead. Reign defenseman Derek Forbort spoiled Gulls goaltender Anton Khudobin’s bid for a shutout with 7:39 to play for his first goal in his 29 games this season with the Los Angeles Kings AHL affiliate.
Stefan Noesen scored an empty net goal for the Gulls (33-21-2-2) with 13 seconds remaining before a crowd at Citizens Business Bank Arena announced at 9,169. Khudobin made 22 saves, improving to 12-1-1-1 in his last 16 starts. Budaj made 24 saves as Ontario dropped to 37-15-4-1. Seven of the Reign’s 20 regulation and overtime losses have come to the Gulls.
The Gulls killed both of Ontario’s power-play opportunities, but were scoreless in their three power-play opportunities. The victory, combined with the Texas Stars 6-5 overtime loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins, moved the Gulls back into second place in the seven-team Pacific Division, .005 ahead of the Stars. Because teams play different amount of games, the AHL standings are based on points percentage.
The Gulls are 26-0-1-1 when scoring the first goal and 27-0-0 when leading after two periods. Tropp was acquired in a Feb. 29 trade by the Anaheim Ducks, the Gulls NHL parent team, from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for right wing Tim Jackman and a seventh-round choice in the 2017 NHL draft and was assigned to the Gulls.
Tropp had 11 goals and 17 assists in 51 games this season for the Albany Devils, the New Jersey Devils AHL affiliate, before the trade. The Gulls will resume play next Saturday, playing at San Jose. Their next game at Valley View Casino Center will be April 2, also against San Jose.
— City News Service
