
San Diego Falls to Texas, 3-1
February 27, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
San Diego Gulls News Release
The San Diego Gulls dropped a 3-1 contest to the Texas Stars Tuesday night at H-E-B Center. San Diego's overall record now stands at 18-22-8-0.
Nikita Nesterenko netted his 12th goal of the season at 4:26 in the second. He has collected 4-6=10 points in his last dozen games.
Pavol Regenda picked up his 12th assist of the season, his eighth in his last eight games (1-8=9). He has tallied points in seven straight road contests (4-6=10).
Tomas Suchanek stopped 28-of-30 shots.
The San Diego Gulls wrap up a back-to-back with Texas tomorrow night (5 p.m. PST; TV: AHLTV; RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).
POSTGAME QUOTES
SAN DIEGO GULLS
Left wing Nikita Nesterenko
On his goal:
I think we were just kind of squeezing them out there at the blueline. I was angling the guys, trying to cut off as much room as I could, and then (Gulls forward Pavol Regenda) made a good play and just poked it to me. My momentum was taking me forward, so the puck squirted loose and then just went with my patented backhand forehand. Got lucky enough it went in.
On tonight's loss to Texas:
They're a good team. I think our execution just wasn't as good as it should be. Pucks were kind of passing in the feet and stuff. A lot of icing plays. Just lack of execution from all of us, but we'll clean that up a little bit tomorrow and then should get way more looks in the o-zone, way more goals.
On how they can break five-game skid tomorrow:
Just a little better puck management by the bluelines. They're good on the rush, so if we can limit that, just get some pucks in and get them moving around in the o-zone. Just more shots on goal, I think. We didn't shoot enough. We had chances in the third circle there, but just kind of passed our way out or looped around the net. Definitely more shots tomorrow and we'll see where it goes.
Head coach Matt McIlvane
On tonight's loss to Texas:
When you get down early, then that's got to be the mentality, how can we work our way back into it. It felt like we certainly had our fair share of chances. Didn't love the competitiveness that we played with today. I thought that we have another level that we can show. I thought a lot of it started with our play with the puck and then, it kind of continues into the group. Texas, to their credit, played hard, played well, felt like they had a lot of inside chances that we're going to have to take a look at and get corrected.
On Tomas Suchanek:
Tomas was great. Three or four unbelievable saves and a really solid effort between that. For us, we're just looking at why are we giving up so much and making him make so many great saves.
On the team's low shot total:
Shots are certainly an indication of the flow of the game. Where the time is being spent for us, making sure that we're limiting and creating, is always a goal. We were outshot by a large, large margin today and I think that for us, we have to take a real honest look at what changes we can make for tomorrow.
On tomorrow's game against Texas:
I think we can get a little bit more connected to the game mentally and I think we can be a bit more competitive to a man. I think that we have another level that we can show, and it's going to be up to us to show it.
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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