Do-Or-Die Game For San Diego

March 5, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release


SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Gulls enter the day nine points behind the Fresno Falcons for the final playoff spot in the West Division. In order to start any kind of comeback they must defeat the Falcons tonight when the two square off at the Sports Arena.

SERIES HISTORY: The Gulls and Falcons have met eight times so far this season with Fresno holding a 5-2-1 series edge. Tonight is the last head-to-head match-up of the regular season. San Diego and Fresno met 10 times last season with the Gulls holding a 7-3-0 edge.

2004-05 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES:
10/23/04 Fresno 2 @ San Diego 7
11/20/04 San Diego 2 @ Fresno 3
11/27/04 Fresno 1 @ San Diego 6
01/07/05 San Diego 5 @ Fresno 9
01/08/05 Fresno 3 @ San Diego 4 (overtime)
02/12/05 Fresno 4 @ San Diego 1
02/18/05 San Diego 0 @ Fresno 1
03/04/05 San Diego 2 @ Fresno 5

San Diego owns the all-time series match-up, posting a 73-34-6 record against its West Division rival. The Gulls are 42-12-3 all-time against the Falcons at the Sports Arena.

LAST HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETING (MARCH 4 @ FRE): The Gulls held a 2-0 lead midway through the game, but the Falcons scored five unanswered goals and cruised to a 5-2 victory. Scott Borders and Sean O'Connor gave San Diego its two-goal cushion, but that quickly got wiped out when Fresno scored twice in a 1:05 span late in the second period. The Falcons netted three more in the third period, while goaltender Brett Jaeger was his usual stingy self in net. Six different Falcons finished with multipoint games: Matt O'Dette (1g, 1a), Derek Krestanovich (1g, 1a), David Brisson (1g, 1a), Terry Marchant (1g, 1a), Shaun Sutter (2a) and Jason Weaver (2a). San Diego netminder Mathieu Chouinard made 30 saves in a losing effort.

GULLS UPDATE: The Gulls (28-22-6) enter the day sixth in the West Division, nine points behind the Falcons for the fourth and final playoff spot... They are one point back of the fifth-place Idaho Steelheads, who host the Las Vegas Wranglers tonight... San Diego is 18-5-3 at home, but just 10-17-3 on the road this season... The Blue and Orange have outscored their opponents 100-73 at home, but have been outscored 98-68 on the road... The Gulls are 7-11-2 in their last 20 games... Since the all-star break, they are 4-1-1 at home and 3-9-1 on the road...

OTHER NOTES: San Diego is 21-3-1 when scoring four-plus goals in a game, but just 7-19-5 when scoring three or less... The Gulls have only out-shot their opponent three times since the all-star break (19 games)... They have been out-shot 165-101 in the last four games... San Diego has allowed an average of 35.05 shots per game since the all-star break (666 shots)... The Gulls have been shutout four times season (all on the road)... Fresno has outscored San Diego 22-12 in the last five head-to-head meetings... Sylvain Deschatelets has nine points in his last seven games (1g, 8a)...

FRESNO UPDATE: Fresno (32-17-7) begins the day fourth in the West, five points behind the first-place Alaska Aces, four points behind the second-place Bakersfield Condors and three points back of the third-place Long Beach Ice Dogs... After starting the season with a 1-6-1 record, Fresno has gone 31-11-6 since... The Falcons are unbeaten in their last nine games (7-0-2) and 13 of their last 14 games (10-1-3)... Jaeger is the reigning ECHL Goaltender of Month. In February he was 5-0-2 with a 1.05 goals-against average and .971 save percentage... Fresno is unbeaten in its last five games against the Gulls (4-0-1)... Sutter has 12 points (1g, 11a) and Weaver has 11 points (6g, 5a) against San Diego this season...

TRANSACTIONS: Andrew Canzanello and Joel Stepp were both assigned by the American Hockey League's Cincinnati Mighty Ducks on Wednesday... Grady Moore was activated from the injured list Wednesday... Chris Lynch was placed on the seven-day injured list Wednesday with a knee injury... Nick Ganga, also suffering from a knee injury, was placed on 30-day injured reserve Wednesday... Mike Garrow (concussion) and Evgueni Nourislamov (broken thumb) also remain out of the lineup...

FUTURE HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETINGS: Last regular season match-up



ECHL Stories from March 5, 2005


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