Gulls - Wranglers Game Preview
February 27, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release
This is the ninth of 10 meetings between the Gulls and Wranglers with San Diego holding a 5-2-1 series edge. The two teams will clash one more time in the regular season.
10/29/03 San Diego 2 @ Las Vegas 3 (OT)
11/29/03 San Diego 1 @ Las Vegas 5
12/27/03 San Diego 1 @ Las Vegas 0
12/28/03 Las Vegas 4 @ San Diego 3
01/03/04 Las Vegas 2 @ San Diego 5
01/27/04 San Diego 5 @ Las Vegas 2
02/13/04 Las Vegas 2 @ San Diego 3
02/19/04 Las Vegas 1 @ San Diego 5
LAST HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETING: FEB. 19:
Billy Tibbetts scored once and added three assists, while newcomer Brian Gornick added two goals and a helper, leading the Gulls to a 5-1 trouncing of the Wranglers. Las Vegas made it 1-0 but it was all Gulls from there. Gornick tied it late in the first and San Diego grabbed the lead for good on Barber's power-play goal 57 seconds into the middle frame. Gornick gave the Blue and Orange a two-goal cushion later in the second before Sylvain Deschatelets and Tibbetts put the game away in the third.
GULLS UPDATE:
The Gulls (36-12-6) enter the day with the second-best overall record in the ECHL, tied with the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies and two points behind the Wheeling Nailers... San Diego remains atop the Western Conference, four points ahead of the Louisiana Ice Gators... The Blue and Orange hold a six-point cushion over Las Vegas for first place in the Pacific Division... San Diego is 13-7-6 on the road this season, including a 2-1-1 mark in Las Vegas... The Blue and Orange are unbeaten in 18 of their last 20 games (15-2-3) and 31 of their last 36 (27-5-4), outscoring their opponents 131-82...
OTHER NOTES:
San Diego is 33-9-4 against Pacific Division teams... The Gulls are one point away from clinching a playoff spot. San Diego would also clinch a playoff berth if both the Bakersfield Condors and Long Beach Ice Dogs lose in regulation or overtime tonight. Bakersfield is in Fresno while Long Beach plays host to South Carolina... Trevor Koenig is tied for second in the ECHL with 26 wins, one behind Pensacola's Brian Eklund. He's tied for third among league goaltenders with a 2.24 goals-against average...
PEDERSON, BARBER, DESCHATELETS SPLIT UP:
Trying to gain a more balanced scoring attack, head coach Steve Martinson split up the red-hot line of Mark Pederson, Greg Barber and Deschatelets... The trio combined for 100 points (39g, 61a) in 23 games together... The other two lines combined for 41 goals during the same span... Pederson leads the ECHL with 37 goals and 16 power-play goals, while ranking sixth with 65 points. He has 44 of those points (26g, 18) in the last 29 games... Barber leads all ECHL rookies with 59 points, which is tied for 10th overall in the league. He also leads all first-year players with 37 assists. Barber has 38 points (13g, 25a) in his last 24 games... Deschatelets is in the midst of a career-high five-game goal-scoring streak and eight-game point streak. He has 44 points (11g, 33a) in his last 29 games...
LAS VEGAS NOTES:
Las Vegas (33-17-6) starts the day second in the Pacific Division, three points ahead of the Idaho Steelheads... The Wranglers are unbeaten in five of their last six games (4-1-1) and are 21-6-1 at home this season... They need seven more points to clinch a playoff spot... Las Vegas has allowed 13 power-play goals in 47 chances (27.7 percent) and a short-handed goal to the Gulls this season... The Wranglers have scored only six power-play goals in 44 chances (13.6 percent) with two short-handers against San Diego... Out of their 16 remaining regular season games, 10 of them are against teams with sub-.500 records...
TRANSACTIONS:
Gornick was recalled by the American Hockey League's Cincinnati Mighty Ducks on Sunday... Dennis Purdie (shoulder) and Kevin (Grant) remain on the injured list... Josh Gratton remains with the AHL's Mighty Ducks...
FUTURE HEAD-TO-HEAD GAMES:
Wed., March 31 @ San Diego (7:05 p.m.)
ECHL Stories from February 27, 2004
- Steelheads strike back with 6-1 win over Alaska - Idaho Steelheads
- Riled-up Aces routed by Steelheads - Alaska Aces
- IceGators Skin Sea Wolves, 4-0 - Louisiana IceGators
- Chiefs Weather the Storm in Toledo - Johnstown Chiefs
- Titans start quick, hang on to beat Bombers 4-3 - Dayton Bombers
- Nailers continue to baffle Cyclones - Cincinnati Cyclones
- IceGators Silence Sea Wolves 4-0 - Mississippi Sea Wolves
- Rivermen Shut Out Reading 2-0 at Home - Peoria Rivermen
- Generals get defensive on Lynx - Greensboro Generals
- Gladiators Fall to Ice Pilots, 7-6 - Atlanta Gladiators
- Bullies use late heroics, oust Roanoke, 4-2 - Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
- Everblades Edge Columbus 2-1 - Florida Everblades
- Checkers edge out Grrrowl, 1-0 - Greenville Grrrowl
- Inferno Burn Pride 9-2 - Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- Generals trade Reimann for rights to Perry - Greensboro Generals
- Gulls - Wranglers Game Preview - San Diego Gulls
- Milam reassigned to Gladiators - Atlanta Gladiators
- Today In The ECHL - ECHL
- Generals game on February 27th is on - Greensboro Generals
- Zepp and Insana Recalled to Lowell - Florida Everblades
- Royals Promote Two Forwards - Reading Royals
- Nick Parillo Returns - Toledo Walleye
- Cammarata Suspended by Cyclones - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Hartford Recalls David St. Germain - Charlotte Checkers
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