Gulls vs. Vegas game preview
March 2, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release
Friday, March 3
SAN DIEGO GULLS (25-23-5) VS. LAS VEGAS WRANGLERS (39-9-6)
Time: 7:35 p.m.
Venue: ipayOne Center
Radio: KLSD (1360AM)
TV: B2 Networks (www.sandiegogulls.com)
SAN DIEGO - It will be the battle of two red-hot teams at the ipayOne Center Friday night... The San Diego Gulls have won a season-high five straight games, while the visiting Las Vegas Wranglers have won three straight and is unbeaten in 11 of their last 13 games overall.
SERIES HISTORY:
The Gulls and Wranglers have met four times this season with Las Vegas holding a 4-0-0 series edge. The teams square off two more times during the regular season, one in each city.
2005-06 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES:
12/27/05 San Diego 2 @ Las Vegas 7
01/10/06 San Diego 2 @ Las Vegas 6
01/20/06 Las Vegas 5 @ San Diego 3
02/14/06 San Diego 2 @ Las Vegas 5
San Diego owns the all-time series match-up, posting a 12-8-2 record against its Northern Conference rival. The Gulls are 7-3-0 all-time against the Wranglers at the ipayOne Center.
LAST HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETING (FEB. 14 @ LAS VEGAS ):
It wasn't a very lovable Valentines Day for the Gulls, as they suffered their fifth straight loss after falling to the Wranglers 5-2 at the Orleans Arena. Steve Crampton led the way for Vegas with a hat trick, while linemates Dan Tudin and Matt Dzieduszycki each earned two assists. Jesse Bennefield gave the Gulls an early lead 38 seconds into the contest, but it was all Wranglers from there. Vegas scored four unanswered goals, three of which were scored in the second period, and cruised from there. Tempers flared in the third period, as teams combined for 80 penalty minutes.
GULLS UPDATE:
San Diego (25-23-5) enters the day with 55 points, tied for third in the Pacific Division with the Bakersfield Condors. Bakersfield, however, has played three fewer games... The Gulls are 28 points ahead of the Stockton Thunder for the final playoff spot in the division... San Diego has won a season-high five straight games and six of its last seven... Out of its last 15 games, 11 have been decided by one goal... The Gulls have killed 102 of 112 penalties in the last 19 games (91.1 percent) and have scored a power-play goal in seven of its last eight games... San Diego is 14-8-4 at home this season...
PLAYER NOTES:
Bennefield has 15 points (6g, 9a) in his last 10 games. His 25 goals leads the Gulls and is also tied for the league lead among rookies... Steve Hildenbrand has 14 points (6g, 8a) in the last 10 games... Mark Wires has nine points (3g, 6a) in the last six games and was named runner-up for ECHL Player of the Week honors... The trio has combined for 16 points in the last three games (6g, 10a)... Tom Lawson has won his last three starts, stopping 96 of 98 shots (.980 save percentage). He has also turned aside 382 of 412 shots in his last 12 games (.927 save percentage)... Six regulars are out of the lineup with injuries (Darren Clark - dislocated shoulder, Guillaume Fournier - concussion, Richard Keyes - groin, Alex Kim - collar bone, Kelly Askew - broken ankle and Alex Rogosheske - torn ACL)...
LAS VEGAS UPDATE:
Las Vegas (39-9-6) starts the day second in the West Division with 84 points, six behind the first-place Alaska Aces... The Wranglers also own the second best record in the ECHL, five points ahead of the Gwinnett Gladiators... Las Vegas has won three straight and is unbeaten in 11 of its last 13 overall (9-2-2)... Tudin ranks seventh in the ECHL with 63 points, while Dzieduszycki ranks eighth with 62 points... The line of Tudin (4g, 4a), Dzieduszycki (3g, 8a) and Crampton (4g, 4a) have combined for 27 points (11g, 16a) in four games against San Diego this season... Veteran goaltender Marc Magliarditi is tied for first in the ECHL with 27 wins, tied for third with three shutouts and is sixth in the league with a 2.51 goals-against average...
TRANSACTIONS:
Matt Kunsman signed today... Sebastien Fortier signed yesterday, while Justin Silver was released... Darren Clark dislocated his shoulder Wednesday and was placed on the seven-day injured list yesterday... Trent Clark signed Wednesday... Martin Mandeville was traded to Columbia Monday, completing the Chris Cava-Jason Reimers deal... Chad Wagner and Taj Melson were both released Sunday... Tyler Weiman was re-assigned from Lowell of the American Hockey League, while Dennis Shiryaev was acquired from Bakersfield Sunday... Aaron McKenzie was placed on the injured list, while R.J. Enga was activated from IR Sunday... Keyes, Fournier, Kim and Rogosheske remain on the 30-day IR... David Svagrovsky remains with Lowell...
FUTURE HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETINGS (1H, 1A):
Saturday, March 4 vs. Las Vegas (7:05 p.m.)
Friday, March 31 @ Las Vegas (7:05 p.m.)
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