Gulls - Wranglers Game Preview

March 31, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release


This is the final regular season meeting between the Gulls and Wranglers with San Diego holding a 5-2-2 series edge.

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
02/27/04 San Diego 1 @ Las Vegas 2 (OT)

LAST HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETING: FEB. 27:

Dave Cousineau, younger brother of San Diego's Dan Cousineau, scored a power-play goal 3:35 into overtime, lifting the Wranglers to a 2-1 win over the Gulls. It was a scoreless game until Chris Wheaton beat Trevor Koenig 12:20 into the second period. Greg Barber tied it, 1-1, with a power-play goal 4:52 into the third. That's how it stayed until Dave Cousineau's game-winning tally. Koenig made 45 saves in a losing effort, while Dany Sabourin turned aside 22 shots to pick up the victory in his Las Vegas debut.

GULLS UPDATE:

The Gulls (46-13-10) have already clinched first place in the Pacific Division and Western Conference... They will officially play the Alaska Aces in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs... San Diego is just two points back of the Wheeling Nailers for the best record in the ECHL. The Gulls have one game in hand on Wheeling but the Nailers hold the tiebreaker with more wins... San Diego is 28-5-1 at the Sports Arena this season and is 19-1-1 in its last 21 games on home ice...

OTHER NOTES:

San Diego is unbeaten in 15 of its last 16 games overall (11-1-4)... The Gulls are 42-10-5 against Pacific Division teams, including a 26-2-0 mark at home... They've lost in regulation only three times in their last 35 games (25-3-7) and six times in their last 51 games (37-6-8)... The Blue and Orange are one win away from breaking the ECHL record for most wins by an expansion team. They are currently tied with the 1991-92 Toledo Storm, who finished with 46 wins... Koenig is second in the ECHL with 34 wins and tied for fourth with a 2.22 goals-against average. He is unbeaten in 25 of his last 27 games (19-2-6)... Mark Pederson leads the league with 44 goals and is tied for fourth with 80 points... Barber, who was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team today, is tied for first among rookies with 74 points and 45 assists. He's tied for third among rookies with 29 goals...

DESCHATELETS STILL STREAKING:

Sylvain Deschatelets is in the midst of a career-high and ECHL season-high 23-game point streak. He has 37 points (13g, 24a) during the streak, which began Feb. 10... The Gulls' franchise record for longest point streak is 26 games, set by Kyle Reeves in 1997-98. The ECHL record for longest point streak is 38 games, set by Trevor Jobe in 1992-93... Deschatelets is tied for fourth (with Pederson) in the ECHL with 80 points overall...

LAS VEGAS UPDATE:

The Wranglers (42-21-6) start the day second in the Pacific Division, four points ahead of the Idaho Steelheads... They've dropped two straight with back-to-back losses at home... Las Vegas, however, is 11-3-1 in its last 15 games... Rookie Joff Kehler joined the team on Tuesday and made his debut against Idaho last night... Forwards Morten Ask and Tom Nelson each were placed on the injured reserve list... The Wranglers need three more points to clinch home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. A win tonight combined with an Idaho loss in Bakersfield would also clinch... Mike McBain, Doug Wright, Cam Bristow and Chris Kenady are the only Wranglers not to miss a game this season... Las Vegas is 4-5-0 against San Diego this season... Eric Schneider has seven points (3g, 4a) in six games against the Gulls...

TRANSACTIONS:

Rookie winger Paul Caponigri signed today... Jamie Black was moved from seven-day to 30-day injured reserve. He joins Dennis Purdie, Kevin Grant and Chris Gobert on the injured list... The Gulls have three players in the American Hockey League: Billy Tibbetts (Houston), Nick Lent (Springfield) and Josh Gratton (Cincinnati)...



ECHL Stories from March 31, 2004


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