The San Diego Gulls lost to the Bakersfield Condors Saturday evening for the second consecutive day, but were still assured of a berth in the American Hockey League’s 16-team Calder Cup playoffs.
The Gulls were assured of the playoff berth when the Stockton Heat lost in a shootout to the Texas Stars, 5-4, in Cedar Park, Texas which ended when the Gulls were in the first period of a 3-1 loss at Valley View Casino Center.
This is the first time the Gulls have lost consecutive games since a seven-game losing streak from Dec. 10-27. They are 27-6-1-1 since then and 38- 17-3-2. They are in second place in the Pacific Division with 81 points, three fewer than the division-leading San Jose Barracuda, which has played one less game.
The Gulls have eight games left in the regular season. The Barracuda, the San Jose Sharks NHL affiliate, have nine.
The loss ended the Gulls seven-game home winning streak, their longest in their two seasons in the AHL.
Nic Kerdiles deflected a shot by Keaton Thompson past Bakersfield goaltender Jonas Gustavsson six minutes, 52 seconds into the third period for the Gulls lone goal before a crowd announced at 12,449.
The Condors regained a two-goal lead on Joey LaLeggia’s power-play goal with 1:52 left, completing his third two-goal game of the season.
Bakersfield opened the scoring 16:02 into the first period when Anton Lander put a wrist shot over rookie goaltender Kevin Boyle’s shoulder for a short-handed goal.
The Condors (30-23-5-1) increased their lead to 2-0 8:50 into the second period when LaLeggia put in the rebound of a shot by Greg Chase for a power- play goal.
The Gulls were scoreless on their two power-play opportunities, both in the first period. Bakersfield scored on two of its five.
Boyle stopped 26 of 29 shots. Gustavsson made 44 saves, the most in his 16 games with the Condors this season. He has also played in seven games this season with Bakersfield’s NHL parent team, the Edmonton Oilers.
The Gulls were 5-0-0-0 against the Condors before Friday night’s 5-1 loss at Bakersfield.
The Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks AHL affiliate, will begin a three-game road trip Friday at Tucson, the Arizona Coyotes AHL affiliate. Their next game at Valley View Casino Center will be on April 7 against the Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings AHL affiliate.
— City News Service
