The San Diego Gulls rallied from four two-goal deficits, including three in the third period, to force overtime, but were shut out in the shootout in a 7-6 loss to the Ontario Reign on Saturday in Ontario.
Joseph Blandisi scored the tying goal for the Gulls with six minutes, four seconds to play on a back-door feed from Kalle Kossila. The Gulls cut the deficit to 6-5 1:00 earlier on Troy Terry’s goal.
Neither team scored during the five-minute overtime, which is normally played with three skaters per team, two less than usual.
The Gulls had a power-play for the final 1:53 of overtime after Ontario defenseman Kale Clague was called for holding, giving them an extra skater.
The Gulls led in shots in overtime, 2-1, before a crowd at Citizens Business Bank Arena announced at 7,693.
The Gulls shot first in the shootout. Chase De Leo failed to score on their first shot. Sheldon Rempal scored what proved to be the shootout’s only goal on the Reign’s first shot.
Neither team scored in the second round. The shootout ended when Troy Terry failed to score for the Gulls in the third round.
“That’s about as gritty and hard as we’ve played this year,” Gulls coach Dallas Eakins said. “Adversity is always good for anyone and we definitely experienced it tonight.
“It was such a great response on the bench the whole night. You can go and do a lot of team bonding things away from the ice, but that was about as good as an exercise right there tonight for team bonding.”
The loss ended the third attempt this season by the Gulls (11-11-1-3) to extend a winning streak to four games.
However, the standings point for the shootout loss extended their standings point streak to five games with two regulation victories, a shootout victory and two shootout losses.
The Gulls are winless in five consecutive road games with three regulation losses and two shootout losses.
The six goals allowed matched a season high with two losses to Tucson and a 6-5 loss to Stockton Nov. 23 and came in goaltender Jeff Glass’ debut with the Gulls.
Glass was playing because Jared Coreau is headed to Switzerland to play for Canada in the 92nd Spengler Cup, the world’s oldest club hockey tournament, according to organizers.
The 33-year-old Glass was acquired by the Gulls Dec. 10 from the Toronto Marlies, the Toronto Maple Leafs AHL affiliate, in exchange for future considerations.
Glass has played 15 NHL games, all with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2017-18 season, with a 3-7-3 record and 3.36 goals against average.
A second Gull is also part of Canada’s roster for the Spengler Cup, forward Adam Cracknell.
The six goals tied a season-high for the Gulls, accomplished three other times.
Reign center Philippe Maillet completed his second three-goal hat trick in seven games with a power-play goal with 11:22 left that gave Ontario a 6-4 lead.
Maillet also scored the game’s opening goal, 7:38 into the first period, and the first goal of the third period, that put the Reign ahead, 4-2, 0:22 into the period.
Kossila scored twice. His shorthanded goal 7:40 into the third period cut the deficit to 5-4, nine seconds after Matt Moulson’s power-play goal for Ontario on a five-on-three advantage as the Gulls were shorthanded because of Matt Berry’s match penalty for a check to the head and a delay of game penalty.
Kossila also scored the Gulls first goal, 12:47 into the first period, tying the score, 1-1. He also assisted on Andy Welinski’s power-play goal 4:47 into the third period that cut the deficit to 4-3.
The Reign (10-11-3-2) took their first two-goal lead on goals by Sam Herr and Matt Roy at 4:55 and 6:02 of the second period. Gulls center Sam Carrick scored his 15th goal, most among Pacific Division players, 7:39 into the second period on the power play.
The Gulls took a season-high 46 shots, outshooting Ontario, 46-33, including a 21-9 advantage in the first period. The 21 shots were a season-high for the Gulls for one period.
Glass made 26 saves. Jack Campbell made 40 in his first game with the Reign since Feb. 17. He was assigned to Ontario Wednesday by its NHL parent club, the Los Angeles Kings, on a conditioning assignment.
Campbell most recently played for the Kings on Nov. 10 when he suffered a knee injury in a game against the Calgary Flames.
The Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks American Hockey League affiliate, scored on two-of-four power-play opportunities, the Reign two-of-five.
There were three fights, matching the amount in the Gulls 5-3 victory over Ontario Friday night at Pechanga Arena San Diego.
Gulls right wing Deven Sideroff and Reign center Drake Rymsha engaged in the game’s first fight, 2:40 into the first period, with both players receiving five-minute major penalties.
The fight was Sideroff’s first and penalty his second in 20 games with the Gulls this season.
Gulls left wing Luke Gazdic and defenseman Keaton Thompson were involved in their second fights in two games.
Gazdic drew a five-minute major for fighting, and two-minute minor and 10-minute misconduct for instigating for his fight with Ontario left wing Jamie Devane with 2:47 left in the second period. Devane received a five-minute major for fighting and a two-minute minor for instigating.
Thompson and Reign center Brett Sutter drew five-minute major penalties for their roles in a melee that involved all 10 skaters that also resulted in Gulls left wing Ben Thomson and Ontario teammates Kurtis MacDermid and Zack Mitchell receiving 10-minute misconduct penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The Gulls will resume play Thursday night by playing host to Bakersfield Condors, the Edmonton Oilers AHL affiliate, at Pechanga Arena San Diego.
— City News Service