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AHL San Diego Gulls

San Diego Defeats Bakersfield

January 26, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release


The San Diego Gulls beat the Bakersfield Condors 5-3 tonight at Pechanga Arena San Diego, improving their overall record to 12-29-0-0 and 5-14-0-0 at home.

Rocco Grimaldi tallied four-points (2-2=4) in the win - including his team-leading third shorthanded goal - to tie a season high for points earned in a single game (also: Nov. 8, 2022 at HSK). Grimaldi continues to lead the Gulls in goals (16) and points (40), while ranking tied for first in assists (24).

Michael Del Zotto registered 1-2=3 points, tying a career high for points earned in a single game (four additional times, last: Mar. 5, 2022 w/ BEL vs. SPR) and assists in a single game (six additional times, last: Nov. 25, 2022 w/ CLT vs. UTC). Since joining the club on Dec. 19, Del Zotto's 4-8=12 points in 13 games played with San Diego is the most points earned by any Gulls blueliner.

Glenn Gawdin posted a two-point effort (1-1=2), earning 2-1=3 points in his last two games and ranking second only to Grimaldi among San Diego skaters with 11 goals.

David Cotton recorded two assists (0-2=2) for his first multi-point game as a Gull, while Benoit-Olivier Groulx notched a goal and assist (1-1=2) for 10-15=25 points this season.

Brayden Tracey (0-1=1) added a helper in the effort.

Lukas Dostal made 30 saves on 33 shots in the victory.

The Gulls continue their four-game homestand and close out a two-game set with the Condors this Friday, Jan. 27 at Pechanga Arena San Diego (7 p.m. PST).

POSTGAME QUOTES

SAN DIEGO GULLS

Defenseman Michael Del Zotto

On the importance of the team's good start

Big. You know, our starts haven't been good for a while. It's something we need to focus on. We're not a team that does well when we're chasing the game or we're down 2-0 after the first, so getting one early gets the confidence in our game and we continued to play the right way from then on out. Obviously got a little close at the end, but loved our game. We play that way most nights we give ourselves a chance to win.

On limiting Bakersfield's offense in the first two periods

We were in the o(ffensive) zone most of the game, so they had tired legs and they were just struggling to get off the ice. We were playing fresh, putting pucks in good areas to get them back. Just doing little things, playing winning hockey and doing that consistently is a great sign for us. It's something we struggle with is the consistency of our game. So hopefully we can carry that confidence into Friday and Saturday.

On how the team carries this performance into Friday

Feeling good about her game but not getting too high and understanding still where we are in the standings, still know that we have a lot of work to do. So, feeling confident but also having a little bit of humility as well.

Center Benoit-Olivier Groulx

On the importance of the team's start

It was huge. That's been probably our weakness since the start of the season. Our start has been pretty bad and today we came out ready to play we were finishing checks, we were shooting a lot of pucks in the net. We weren't allowing them on unmanned rushes, so that was really good for us and that paid off. So yeah, that was really good. If we can continue doing that, we're gonna be way more successful.

On limiting Bakersfield's shots

Well, when you allow 30 shots in the first period for consecutive games, it's hard to defend and it's really hard for the goalies; make them really tired. Today I think they had five shots after the first, so that was really good and Dos (Gulls goaltender Lukas Dostal) you can tell that he was fresh throughout the game. So if we continue doing that, we're gonna have more chances on our side for sure.

On the team converting on the power play

It was a was a lucky goal, to be honest. I went on the goal line (and) I just saw that I had a little bit of space. The defenseman was up high on (Gulls left wing Brayden) Tracy, so we talked about it before the period that that they were going to do that, and Trace made a nice pass to me and Gawds (Gulls center Glenn Gawdin) was at the right spot. I just made a backhand pass right on his stick, but I don't even think he saw it, to be honest. I had the perfect view. He just slowly went in. So, it was a nice goal. Our power play has been struggling for the last couple of games, so it was nice to get one today.

On bringing the positives from this game into Friday's rematch

Yeah, Friday is gonna be another one like that. Bakersfield, they've always been a hard team to play against. It's not going to change; they've got a lot of veteran players. We're gonna have to have the same start, if not better, and our third period is going to have to be better. We can't let them just get back in the game like that. We got to learn to finish those games at the end, especially that's what mature teams do and winning team do. We just got to continue building the end of our game.

Head coach Roy Sommer

On the significance of the team's great start

Well, it's been kind of the opposite. Every time we played these guys, they've jumped right on us and then we were chasing the game in the second and third period. Finally, they were chasing the game, but a lot of good things you know, especially the first half of the game. I thought we kind of sat back a little bit in the third. We missed (Pavol) Regenda out there and kind of messed our lines up a little bit. We took that 14-minuter (penalty) at the end, which kind of hurt us a little bit, but we hung in there. We got saves when we needed it, and we got timely goals.

On finding success through limiting Bakersfield's shots

I mean, I guess you look at it the end of the shots were about even at the end but, I think it was 16-3 after the first. We jumped on them. Our power play was really good tonight - moved the puck, saw a lot of positive things there. Most of the lines, all four lines contributed tonight. The line of (Gulls right wing Travis) Howe, (Gulls left wing Dmitry) Osipov and (Gulls center Josh) Lopina kind of hemmed them in and had some heaviness going. We just kind of fed off that a little bit and then Rocco (Grimaldi) had a great game.

On how the team can carry tonight's momentum into Friday's game

Well, we're kind of in desperation mode right now. That was 32 games left and now 31 on Friday, so we kind of start clean and see what we can do the last 32 and so far, so good.

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