Gulls Season Ends in Game 6
May 28, 2019 - American Hockey League (AHL) - San Diego Gulls News Release
San Diego fell 3-1 to the Chicago Wolves and were eliminated from the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs in six games tonight at Allstate Arena. The Gulls completed the postseason with the most wins in a single playoffs (9) after advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in club history. With 17 all-time playoff wins, the Gulls lead the Pacific Division in postseason wins and is the lone Western Conference club to advance to the Division Finals or further on three occasions since the inception of the current division format in 2015.
San Diego killed Chicago's lone penalty tonight and killed 13 straight penalties to close out the series dating to Game 2. The mark set a new club mark for most consecutive postseason penalties killed (previous: 11 from Apr. 23-29, 2016; span of three games).
Sam Carrick scored San Diego's lone goal (PPG), his seventh of the postseason at 14:51. Carrick completed the postseason co-leading the Gulls in goals (7) and ranked second in scoring with 7-7=14 points.
Ben Street added his ninth assist and Andy Welinski picked up his 10th point of the playoffs (3-7=10).
Kevin Boyle made 25 saves in his fifth straight start of the series. Boyle had not allowed a goal at Allstate Arena in a span of 112:28 dating to Game 2 of the series, stopping 54 consecutive shots.
San Diego completes their postseason leading the AHL in playoff attendance (8,036 avg.) and total attendance (64,290) in their eight postseason games.
POSTGAME QUOTES
San Diego Gulls
Sam Carrick
On the difference in the game
Inches. We hit the post there late and that would've tied the game up. We had our chances to score. Sometimes that is just the way it goes. Sometimes luck is not on your side. I'm super proud of this group, the way we battled to the end. It sucks right now, this feeling is not good. I think we'll look back on it at some point and be proud.
On the season
It was a great year. It's one of those years that we're going to look back on. One of the best years I've ever had playing hockey and I'm sad to see it end.
On Dallas Eakins
Huge credit to him, he did everything for me to put me in the best position to succeed. Along with my line mates and this whole group. It wouldn't be possible without them. It's a tough pill to swallow right now, but we'll be back.
Head Coach Dallas Eakins
On what made the difference in the game
The goals that came fast. We're able to respond and we talked about hockey gods or plays before the game there. Megna hits the post right after we score to make it 2-1. It won't be a post that I forget for a very long time.
On this Gulls team
These players to a man truly loved each other and I mean that in the word love. I've never experienced a group like this and I think that's why it hurts so badly.
On the team's turnaround in December
It goes back to the group we had at the time. I think it goes to some of the changes that Bob Murray made and the buy in of the group. The group got tight. I'll go back to it, I've never experienced a real team like this that loves each other so much. They support each other through the adversity of being in last place to scraping and clawing to get in the playoffs to playing 11 overtimes and getting here to today. It's amazing. Tonight's not a successful night, it's painful, it's hurtful, it's disappointing and it's all of those things because the tightness of the group. We just needed a bounce or two to make it in the Finals.
On Bob Murray and Bob Ferguson assembling this team
I've coached in this league a long time and for me, the makeup of the group should be an absolute template for the league. We've got super high-character people, we've got veteran players who are not only trying to get better every day but are doing their best to mentor our young guys. We have guys in the middle-age range that are still trying to get better every day and that are pulling their weight. And then we have very young rookie prospects who are high-character guys. They weren't about themselves, they were about the team. I'm not sure that you can put together a much better template to develop and win in this league than what our management did.
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American Hockey League Stories from May 28, 2019
- Bears Re-Sign Steve Whitney and Parker Milner - Hershey Bears
- Maple Leafs Announce Sheldon Keefe Signed to Two-Year Extension with Toronto Marlies - Toronto Marlies
- Wolves Advance to Calder Cup Finals - Chicago Wolves
- Gulls Season Ends in Game 6 - San Diego Gulls
- Wolves Meet Charlotte Checkers in 2019 Calder Cup Finals - Chicago Wolves
- Last Week around the Leagues - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
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