SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Gulls (15-12-2-1, 33 pts.) scored four unanswered goals to defeat the Stockton Heat (18-10-3-1; 40 pts.) 5-3 in front 6,026 fans at Valley View Casino Center on Wednesday night. Ryan Garbutt scored the game-winning goal shorthanded with 3:59 remaining in the third period and Brandon Montour (1-1=2) contributed his eighth multi-point game of the season as San Diego earned standings points for the sixth time in its last seven games (4-1-1-1).
“That was close to the best effort I’ve seen from a group of players since I’ve been here,” said head coach Dallas Eakins. “We stuck with the game plan despite going down early. All the guys were fully engaged on the bench and our compete level was as high as I’ve seen this season.”
Mark Jankowski put Stockton up 1-0 just 3:48 into the contest when his deflection of Kenney Morrison’s slapshot beat San Diego goaltender Kevin Boyle for his 10th goal of the season. Morgan Klimchuk doubled Stockon’s lead three minutes later when he finished off a two-on-on, beating Boyle five-hole for his seventh goal and 10th point against San Diego in eight games this campaign.
The Gulls earned a power play at 14:04 of the opening frame and cashed in when newcomer Greger Hanson deflected Montour’s shot from the point past a screened Gillies. The 28-year-old Hanson was signed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) earlier in the day after he had collected 20-25=45 points in 37 games with the Allen Americans (ECHL) this season.
“Great play by Montour from the point there,” Hanson said when asked about his goal. “I was able to tip it and it found a way past their goalie.”
Midway through the second period, Stockton regained its two-goal lead when Matt Frattin’s seeing-eye wrist shot off the rush beat Boyle glove side. Frattin (1-1=2) now has 6-5=11 points in six games against the Gulls this season.
At 13:34 of the middle stanza, Hanson directed a loose puck over to Montour and the defenseman poked it home to extend his goal-scoring streak to three-games (3-4=7 points) as San Diego was within a goal heading into the final frame.
“We were positive throughout the whole game despite the circumstances,” Montour said of San Diego coming back from a couple of two-goal deficits. “They’ve had our number a few times this year, so it was good to beat those guys tonight.”
With the Gulls on the power play to begin the third, Kalle Kossila forced a turnover in the Stockton zone and Corey Tropp was the beneficiary, roofing his eighth goal of the season over Gillies’ shoulder to tie the game at three apiece 28 seconds into the period. Tropp (1-1=2) registered his seventh multi-point game of the season and Kossila extended his point streak to a career-high five games (2-5=7).
At 8:12 of the final frame, Stockton’s Matt Bailey threw several punches at Montour during a post-whistle scrum and the Gulls’ went on a four-minute man advantage that saw San Diego generate multiple chances, but Gillies made several big saves to keep the game tied 3-3.
Late in the third period, Stockton earned a power play when Tyler Morley went to the box for interference and a key blocked shot from Jaycob Megna shot out to Jordan Samuels-Thomas and his lead pass sprung Garbutt on a breakaway. The veteran deked to his back hand and lifted the puck over Gillies’ pad to give the Gulls their first lead of the night, the second goal for Garbutt this season.
Kossila added another goal to close out the game with a minute to play and San Diego skated off with the 5-3 victory, the club’s second over Stockton this season.
You must be logged in to post a comment.