Rookie defenseman Keaton Thompson scored with 20 seconds left as the San Diego Gulls avoided being shut out on Teddy Bear Toss Night in a 3-1 loss to the Stockton Heat Saturday at Valley View Casino Center.
Fans were encouraged to bring a new, wrapped teddy bear to the game and toss it on the ice after the Gulls scored their first goal. With the Gulls being shut out, the teddy bear toss was held during the third period’s second media timeout with 9:26 left.
There were 16,520 stuffed animals tossed to the ice, topping last season’s 15,174, according to Steve Brown, the Gulls communications manager
The bears and other stuffed animals tossed will be donated to the San Diego Regional Law Enforcement Teddy Bear Drive. The tossed animals will be given by Gull players to patients during their monthly visits to Rady Children’s Hospital.
Goaltender Jon Gillies made 48 saves, including 24 in the third period, a night after making 44 in Stockton’s 5-3 victory. The 48 saves are the most in Gillies’ 22-game professional career, all with the Heat, the Calgary Flames American Hockey League affiliate. He had set his previous high on Friday.
The Gulls (11-11-1-0) have lost five consecutive games following a stretch of nine victories in 10 games and are tied for sixth in the AHL’s eight- team Pacific Division. Stockton (16-6-1-1) has won six of seven games and leads the division.
The Gulls were scoreless in four power-play opportunities and have been held scoreless on 21 consecutive power-play opportunities over six games. The Heat opened the scoring on Morgan Klimchuk’s power-play goal 13:43 into the first period, but was scoreless in its other two power-play opportunities.
Austin Carroll capitalized on a failed Gulls clearing attempt to score an unassisted goal with 30 seconds left in the first period.
Hunter Shinkaruk put a wrist shot past Gulls goaltender Kevin Boyle at 16:42 of the second period before a crowd announced at 9,440.
Boyle (0-2-1-0) made 22 saves for the Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks AHL affiliate.
The goal was the first in Thompson’s 15 game-professional career. He has played 11 games with the Gulls and four with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL.
“We didn’t have any finish and that’s the bottom line,” Gulls coach Dallas Eakins said after his team fell to 1-6-0-0 against Stockton this season. “Their goalie played an excellent game, but we’re going to have to start finding a way to win games.”
The Gulls will resume their season-long five-game homestand Dec. 26 against the Tucson Roadrunners, the Arizona Coyotes AHL affiliate. Fans will be able to skate on the Valley View Casino Center ice following the game.
— City News Service
