Rookie Troy Terry scored one minute, 24 seconds into overtime after assisting on the tying goal to give the San Diego Gulls a 3- 2 victory over the Bakersfield Condors on Saturday evening in Bakersfield.
Defenseman Trevor Murphy scored the tying goal on the power play with 3:13 left in regulation in his debut with the Gulls (13-11-1-3), who extended their season-high standings point streak to seven games.
In the American Hockey League, teams receive two points for any type of victory and one point for a loss in overtime or a shootout.
The victory ended a five-game road winless streak for the Gulls, whose .364 points percentage on the road on a 3-6-0-2 record is the second- lowest in the 31-team league, ahead of only the San Antonio Thunder’s .233 (3- 11-1-0).
Following a scoreless second period, Joe Gambardella gave Bakersfield (15-11-1-1) a 2-1 lead with 15:37 to play by scoring his team-leading 12th goal of the season on a partial breakaway.
Murphy re-tied the score on a slap shot from the left point with Condors center Tyler Vesel serving a double-minor high-sticking penalty.
The Gulls had another two-minute power-play after Murphy’s goal but were unable to score.
Terry scored the game-winner from near the left faceoff circle. The Gulls took both shots in the overtime, which in the AHL is played with three skaters per team, two less than usual.
“Earlier in the year we’d be in these games and we’d find a way to lose them,” Gulls coach Dallas Eakins said. “Now we’re finding a way to win every night.
“I think it says a lot about the resiliency of our players. I think that adversity early in the season is paying off now.”
Bakersfield was held to a team season-low 20 shots, with goaltender Jeff Glass making 18 saves for his first victory for the Gulls in his second appearance with the team.
The Gulls lost 7-6 to the Ontario Regin Dec. 22 in a shootout in Glass’ other appearance.
Kevin Boyle, the Gulls No. 1 goaltender, was not in uniform. Boyle was recalled Friday by the Gulls NHL parent team, the Anaheim Ducks, then reassigned to the Gulls on Saturday.
The Gulls led 28-20 in shots, including a 9-5 advantage in the second period.
The Condors opened the scoring 7:26 into the first period on defenseman Jake Kulevich’s goal on what would be their only power-play opportunity of the game.
The goal was Kulevich’s first in his 11 games this season with Bakersfield, the Edmonton Oilers AHL affiliate.
The Gulls tied the score on Max Jones’ goal with 3:58 left in the first period before a crowd at Rabobank Arena announced at 5,316 for Wizard Night, where the Condors wore special Harry Potter-inspired jerseys.
The Gulls scored on one of their three power-play opportunities.
Bakersfield goaltender Shane Starrett (6-2-1-1) made 26 saves.
Murphy was acquired by the Ducks Friday from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Gulls left wing Giovanni Fiore and loaned to the Gulls.
The 23-year-old Murphy was tied for third in scoring among Tucson Roadrunners defensemen with 13 points on five goals and eight assists in 13 games at the time of the trade.
Fiore was loaned by Arizona to Tucson Friday and was scoreless in his debut with the Roadrunners later Friday.
“We did our homework on (Murphy),” Eakins said. “Obviously we had seen him play and I talked to a couple other people about him. He came highly recommended.
“He was excited to get into the lineup. He was fired up and just an excellent game and what a great way to finish it for him.”
Both teams were playing without players who scored points in the Gulls 4-3 victory over the Condors Thursday night at Pechanga Arena San Diego.
Gulls defenseman Andy Welinski was recalled by the Ducks on Saturday. He scored the goal that gave the Gulls the lead for good Thursday.
Edmonton recalled left wing Kailer Yamamoto, who assisted on Vesel’s goal that opened the scoring 12 minutes into the second period Thursday.
The Gulls will play Sunday at San Jose (18-5-1-3), whose .741 points percentage is the best in the league.
“San Jose has a young team and they have a really good record for a reason,” Terry said. “They have a lot of skilled forwards and they can score.”
–City News Service
