SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Gulls (10-5-1-0; 21 pts.) won again to extend their franchise-record winning streak to eight consecutive games as they defeated the Stockton Heat (10-5-1-1; 22 pts.) 3-2 in a shootout at Stockton Arena. The Gulls’ current eight-game win streak is the longest current such streak in the AHL, tied for the longest in the AHL this season (also Lehigh Valley) and the win streak now ranks as San Diego’s second-longest unbeaten streak in franchise history since an 11-game unbeaten run from Feb. 19-Mar. 16, 2016 (9-1-1). San Diego is 8-4-1 in back-to-back games this season (5-1-1 in the first matchup) and 8-4-0 against the Pacific Division.
Nick Sorensen scored in the seventh round of the shootout on his first career shootout attempt to give the Gulls the win. Gulls goaltender Dustin Tokarski was the star of the night, stopping a season-high 41 shots in regulation and overtime, and five-of-seven shootout attempts to win his sixth consecutive game and improve his record to 8-2-0 this season. During his six-game win streak, Tokarski has posted a .925 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.07 goals-against average (GAA).
San Diego opened the scoring just 2:51 into the opening period when Austen Brassard (1-0=1) finished off a two-on-one with Nick Tarnasky by burying a rebound off of Tarnasky’s wrist shot. Brassard scored his second goal this season, beating Stockton goaltender Jon Gillies to put the Gulls up 1-0.
The teams traded chances the rest of the period, but neither found the back of the net as San Diego maintained a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes, outshooting Stockton by a 13-9 margin.
Stockton almost tied the game early in the second when Hunter Smith stole the puck from Gulls defenseman Andy Welinski. Smith threw a shot on net and Mike Angelidis’ bid off the rebound hit the inside of the post and sat on the goal line. A scrum ensued inside the San Diego crease as Tokarski made every effort to keep the puck out and the on-ice officials reviewed the play but could not find any evidence that the puck had entered the net.
The Heat continued to generate grade-A chances and Daniel Pribyl would finally tie the game at 5:26 on a deflection from a Oliver Kylington shot that beat the screened Tokarski. The goal was Pribyl’s fifth of the season.
Stockton controlled a majority of the play throughout the second period, but Tokarski stood pat and kept the Gulls in the contest with 17 saves in the second frame after the Gulls allowed the most shots in a period this season. The Watson, Saskatchewan native made a variety of impressive saves coming off point-blank chances, redirections and scrambles in the crease. Due to Tokarksi’s stellar play, the game remained tied at one after two periods.
Stockton looked to have all the momentum on a man advantage midway through the third period until Stefan Noesen (1-0=1) took a clearing attempt into the Stockton zone and beat Gillies with a wraparound to give San Diego a 2-1 lead. Noesen has earned 2-8=10 points in his last twelve games and recorded his first shorthanded goal since Feb. 26, 2016 against Stockton.
Late in the third, Angelidis knotted the game at two for Stockton with a deflection of a Kenney Morrison shot that slipped over Tokarski’s shoulder and into the net. The final five minutes of regulation provided plenty of drama, but the two clubs headed to overtime tied at two.
In the overtime period, each club had several great chances to end the game, with the best opportunity of the extra session belonging to Gulls left wing Antoine Laganiere when the young forward split through the entire Stockton defense but was denied by Gillies and a shootout loomed.
Both teams converted two-of-three chances to begin the shootout with Kevin Roy and Kalle Kossila; scoring for San Diego and Andrew Magiapane Rasmus Andersson scoring for the Heat. The contest was not decided until the seventh round when Tokarski stopped Emile Poirier and Nick Sorensen beat Gillies to give San Diego the victory.
Stockton goaltender Jon Gillies (6-2-1-0) stopped 30-of-32 shots in the loss and gave up three of the seven shootout attempts faced.
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