The San Diego Gulls will get their third opportunity for their first victory of the 2018-19 season Saturday evening when they face the Ontario Reign in Ontario.
The Gulls (0-2-0-0) are the lone team in the American Hockey League’s seven-team Pacific Division which has not won in the young season. Ontario, the Los Angeles Kings AHL affiliate, is 1-1-1-0, including a 5-4 overtime loss to Stockton Friday.
Jared Coreau is expected to start in goal for the Gulls as coach Dallas Eakins customarily alternates goaltenders in back-to-back games. Coreau made 38 saves in a season-opening 6-4 loss at Tucson last Saturday.
The Gulls were unable to overcome a three-goal second-period deficit in a 3-2 loss to the Roadrunners Friday night in their home opener at Valley View Casino Center.
The Gulls pulled within a goal with three minutes, 28 seconds to play when Sam Carrick deflected a shot by Mitch Hults for his third goal of the season.
Eakins pulled goaltender Kevin Boyle with 1:37 left for a sixth attacker, but the Gulls were unable to score the tying goal.
The loss was the Gulls fifth straight to Tucson over two seasons. The Gulls lost the final three games of the 2017-18 regular season to the Roadunners, when the Gulls needed one standings point in any of their final three games to be assured of a playoff berth.
Tucson (2-0-0-0), the Arizona Coyotes AHL affiliate, increased its lead to 3-0 on goals by Trevor Cheek and Trevor Murphy 1:09 apart in the second period.
The Gulls got their first goal 8:42 into the second period when Pontus Aberg took a pass from Logan Shaw and put a backhanded shot from in front of the net past Hunter Miska.
Neither Aberg nor Shaw played in the opener.
Aberg was assigned to the Gulls Tuesday by their NHL parent team, the Anaheim Ducks. The 25-year-old left wing has five goals and 13 assists in 69 NHL games with the Ducks, Edmonton Oilers and Nashville Predators.
Shaw signed with the Gulls Wednesday. The 26-year-old center has 12 goals and 19 points in 180 NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens, Ducks and Florida Panthers.
Michael Bunting put a slap shot from the left faceoff circle past Boyle 8:20 into the first period to open the scoring before a crowd announced at 12,467.
The Gulls led in shots, 44-32, including a 14-7 advantage in the second period.
Boyle (0-1-0-0) made 14 of his 29 saves in the first period. Miska (1- 0-0-0) made 16 of his 42 saves in the first period, and 13 in both the second and third periods.
Both teams were scoreless in two power-play opportunities.
“There’s a whole lot to like from my end,” Eakins said. “I think if we can play that way, minus those two mistakes, we’re going to win a lot of hockey games.”
–City News Service