HansH
Unwelcome Spectre
I haven't seen him in person yet - that'll likely be tomorrow night.
2017-18 AHL Affiliate: San Diego Gulls
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duxfan1101
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HansH
Unwelcome Spectre
HansH
Unwelcome Spectre
Before tonight's games:
The Gulls' magic number sits at 13 points - that is, any combination of Gulls points gained and Stockton points lost that adds up to 13 puts the Gulls into the post-season. Their magic number for home ice advantage in the first round is 17 points, with 9 games remaining for the Gulls and 8 games remaining for the Reign.
The Gulls sit six points back of Tucson for the division lead, but have two games in hand. In addition, their final three games of the season are head-to-head against the Roadrunners - one at home and the final two at Tucson, meaning the Gulls' playoff position is entirely in their own hands. If they win all remaining seven games (even if all seven wins were OT/SO), they take the division.
The Gulls' magic number sits at 13 points - that is, any combination of Gulls points gained and Stockton points lost that adds up to 13 puts the Gulls into the post-season. Their magic number for home ice advantage in the first round is 17 points, with 9 games remaining for the Gulls and 8 games remaining for the Reign.
The Gulls sit six points back of Tucson for the division lead, but have two games in hand. In addition, their final three games of the season are head-to-head against the Roadrunners - one at home and the final two at Tucson, meaning the Gulls' playoff position is entirely in their own hands. If they win all remaining seven games (even if all seven wins were OT/SO), they take the division.
HansH
Unwelcome Spectre
The defeat last night was quite annoying, as the Gulls found themselves down 2-0, tying it back up with 11 and change left to go in the third... and giving up the game-deciding goal 1-on-3 a mere 35 seconds later, while the fans were finishing up the traditional goalie chant. At least the shots on goal were closer to even until the end of the third, still being outshot 31-40 is not great for the trend.
Sherwood had a GREAT goal for the equalizer on the PP in the third, and I liked what I saw from him on the ice tonight -- he was working and trying to make things happen, for sure, but not in the overeager puppy way that Roy sometimes has about him. Speaking of Roy - his feed from behind the goal line to Hults for the wide-open goal on the Gulls' first goal was quite a pretty thing to behold. Liambas got into a fight in the 2nd, which lasted quite a while. Later in the 2nd, he had a shift in which he was borderline charging Condors all over the ice, but he managed to avoid getting a call during that stretch.
Shultz, as slow as he is, has been SMART in his return to regular shifts on defense -- he's been where he needs to be, anticipating what he will and won't be able to get to, and making sure as he can that he doesn't end up a liability - good on the "old man".
Stockton lost big to Cleveland at home last night, so the Gulls' playoff magic number drops to 11 points. However, the loss drops them into 3rd - level with Ontario on points and games played, but the Reign have the ROW tiebreaker over the Gulls currently. The Gulls remain six points back of division leaders Tucson, now with only one game in hand.
Sherwood had a GREAT goal for the equalizer on the PP in the third, and I liked what I saw from him on the ice tonight -- he was working and trying to make things happen, for sure, but not in the overeager puppy way that Roy sometimes has about him. Speaking of Roy - his feed from behind the goal line to Hults for the wide-open goal on the Gulls' first goal was quite a pretty thing to behold. Liambas got into a fight in the 2nd, which lasted quite a while. Later in the 2nd, he had a shift in which he was borderline charging Condors all over the ice, but he managed to avoid getting a call during that stretch.
Shultz, as slow as he is, has been SMART in his return to regular shifts on defense -- he's been where he needs to be, anticipating what he will and won't be able to get to, and making sure as he can that he doesn't end up a liability - good on the "old man".
Stockton lost big to Cleveland at home last night, so the Gulls' playoff magic number drops to 11 points. However, the loss drops them into 3rd - level with Ontario on points and games played, but the Reign have the ROW tiebreaker over the Gulls currently. The Gulls remain six points back of division leaders Tucson, now with only one game in hand.
San Diego nominates Nic Kerdiles as their candidate for the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, for "outstanding contributions to the local community and charitable organizations during the 2017-18 season".
HansH
Unwelcome Spectre
Once again, the Gulls were outshot nearly two to one (45-23), which is a serious concern coming up on the playoffs, despite the win. It was nice to see Sherwood out there still trying to create and taking shots that the opponents weren’t expecting based on the play of the rest of the team. Boyle earned every bit of the first star with his 44 save performance. The officials didn’t call one. Single. Penalty. On. Cleveland. The. Entire. Game. I disagreed.
The score could have been even more tilted the Gulls’ way. Tropp was awarded a penalty shot he couldn’t convert on; Sabourin’s shot down off the crossbar was waved off as no goal, a call that later withstood video review somehow; and the Monsters pulled Zatkoff with nearly 4 minutes to go in the third, leading to at least four shots that could have scored empty netters, but didn’t. Three barely icings, and one post hit, but the fourth goal was just not meant to be.
Kosilla’s goal was a beauty of a backhand that somehow snuck through a short side angle I thought would have been impossible. His reaction after seemed more one of relief than celebration.
San Antonio has moved ahead of Stockton as the team just outside the playoff bubble in the Pacific, but with the way points percentage works, the Gulls’ magic number to clinch the postseason dropped to 7 points after last night’s results. Tonight, San Antonio and Stockton play against each other, so one of those teams will win, not helping the cause, so the only points coming off the magic number this day would be whatever the Gulls extract from their final faceoff against the Condors in Bakersfield.
Next week, the Gulls face the Barracuda in San Jose (the fish do not appear headed for playoff participation) on Wednesday before a weekend home-and-home against Ontario. The Reign remain ahead of the Gulls in the standings, but only due to the ROW tiebreaker, so these two games will be vital for determining home ice in the likely first round matchup between the two SoCal rivals.
The final week of the season, the Gulls host division leading Tucson on Wednesday, then finish their schedule with two games at the Roadrunners’ home. The Runners haven’t quite put the division title out of reach, but they keep winning, and if they lead by four points or more coming into that final week, they’re not likely to drop three in a row in regulation. Their current lead is six points over both the Gulls and Reign, with both SoCal teams holding a single game in hand over Tucson.
The score could have been even more tilted the Gulls’ way. Tropp was awarded a penalty shot he couldn’t convert on; Sabourin’s shot down off the crossbar was waved off as no goal, a call that later withstood video review somehow; and the Monsters pulled Zatkoff with nearly 4 minutes to go in the third, leading to at least four shots that could have scored empty netters, but didn’t. Three barely icings, and one post hit, but the fourth goal was just not meant to be.
Kosilla’s goal was a beauty of a backhand that somehow snuck through a short side angle I thought would have been impossible. His reaction after seemed more one of relief than celebration.
San Antonio has moved ahead of Stockton as the team just outside the playoff bubble in the Pacific, but with the way points percentage works, the Gulls’ magic number to clinch the postseason dropped to 7 points after last night’s results. Tonight, San Antonio and Stockton play against each other, so one of those teams will win, not helping the cause, so the only points coming off the magic number this day would be whatever the Gulls extract from their final faceoff against the Condors in Bakersfield.
Next week, the Gulls face the Barracuda in San Jose (the fish do not appear headed for playoff participation) on Wednesday before a weekend home-and-home against Ontario. The Reign remain ahead of the Gulls in the standings, but only due to the ROW tiebreaker, so these two games will be vital for determining home ice in the likely first round matchup between the two SoCal rivals.
The final week of the season, the Gulls host division leading Tucson on Wednesday, then finish their schedule with two games at the Roadrunners’ home. The Runners haven’t quite put the division title out of reach, but they keep winning, and if they lead by four points or more coming into that final week, they’re not likely to drop three in a row in regulation. Their current lead is six points over both the Gulls and Reign, with both SoCal teams holding a single game in hand over Tucson.
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HansH
Unwelcome Spectre
San Diego's SOG/SA ratio was again something to behold, I bet HansH is getting ready to unleash hellfire and brimstone upon HFBoards...
At this point, it's been going on so long that I don't even think I have the energy for fire and brimstone. But to emphasize Opak's point, in the 2nd period of the Saturday loss at Bakersfield (note, a team fighting to stay out of last place in the division), the Gulls managed a grand total of FIVE shots. So, how did they respond in the third period? By managing exactly FIVE more shots. That's right, 10 SOG in 40 minutes of game play. The only goal for the Gulls came on a 5-on-3 in the first period (in which they were outshot, but "only" 17-13).
This offense is not getting the Gulls out of the first round of the playoffs, no matter who their opponent shapes up to be, or who has home ice. I don't know if there's any solution other than replacement personnell at this point, and it doesn't seem like a lot of the Anaheim juniors prospects will be ready to play within the Gulls playoff window (injuries or anticipated long playoff runs for their Juniors teams). It's just disheartening to see the puck spend a few seconds in the other team's zone, then come back and spend more than a minute in the Gulls zone -- lather, rinse, repeat.
While watching Saturday's loss on AHLlive at a bar, my desperation got so bad I started wondering if trying to put Roy on a line with Sherwood to see if perhaps they could create some magic between Roy's attempts to be superman and Sherwood's clear fundamental skills. But other than that, I'm just trying to make peace with the Gulls' post-season being five games or fewer.
The Gulls' magic number remains 7 points.
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duxfan1101
Registered User
HansH
Unwelcome Spectre
Saturday night’s game was having the old Gulls back after a month’s absence. That’s not about the personnel on the ice (though it was VERY good to see Blandisi back on the ice), as it was about the play of the players. At one point in the first the Gulls led the SOG 11-1, which was a marked change.
I was also pleasantly surprised that Eakins took my suggestion in the Facebook group and put Roy and Sherwood together on a line -that’s got some promise.
Fiore got in his first professional fight, more a grappling match, but he got the takedown. The Reign are chippy as frak, but that’s no surprise.
One point needed to clinch the playoffs, and basically the Gulls need to win out to guarantee they stay out of 4th and the first round matchup against Tucson. They need help to avoid giving Ontario the first round home ice - the Reign’s magic number there is three points (assuming at least one Reign ROW or at least one Gulls loss in those three points, otherwise four will do it no matter what). The Gulls trail the Roadrunners by 8 with three to play, so cannot win the division.
I was also pleasantly surprised that Eakins took my suggestion in the Facebook group and put Roy and Sherwood together on a line -that’s got some promise.
Fiore got in his first professional fight, more a grappling match, but he got the takedown. The Reign are chippy as frak, but that’s no surprise.
One point needed to clinch the playoffs, and basically the Gulls need to win out to guarantee they stay out of 4th and the first round matchup against Tucson. They need help to avoid giving Ontario the first round home ice - the Reign’s magic number there is three points (assuming at least one Reign ROW or at least one Gulls loss in those three points, otherwise four will do it no matter what). The Gulls trail the Roadrunners by 8 with three to play, so cannot win the division.
HansH
Unwelcome Spectre
A disheartening result last night in the last time in front of home fans before the playoffs. The Gulls seemed pretty evenly matched with the Roadrunners through the first two periods - the difference being two Tucson converting on two rare opportunities, and the Gulls being unable to do the same. The third period was another matter - the Gulls yielded the first 15 SOG of that frame, which sealed the outcome.
Gulls magic number still sits at a single point, but it's going to be a struggle to get that point on the road against the division champs -- and to make matters worse, the two teams nipping at the Gulls' heels to take the last playoff spot are tied with each other, AND play against each other on Saturday, meaning there will be no points for the Gulls to achieve in that game. I'm honestly worried that they may actually slip out of the post-season completely, going out not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Gulls magic number still sits at a single point, but it's going to be a struggle to get that point on the road against the division champs -- and to make matters worse, the two teams nipping at the Gulls' heels to take the last playoff spot are tied with each other, AND play against each other on Saturday, meaning there will be no points for the Gulls to achieve in that game. I'm honestly worried that they may actually slip out of the post-season completely, going out not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Frosted Tips
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Looks like another loss for the Gulls. So, the Gulls are 1-5 in their last six and with one game remaining they just need 1 point to clinch playoff position.
duxfan1101
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HansH
Unwelcome Spectre
I'm not even numb about this outcome, I'm just hollow, empty. I left the last home game on Wednesday pretty sure there would be at least one playoff game to say goodbye to the other season ticket holders around me, to hold hope for a championship during, to ease the transition to summer and baseball... but it was not to be.
The loss of Rasmussen, Boll, Fehr, and White near the trade deadline was something the team could never quite recover from. Losing six of seven to end the season didn't help.
The New Year's Eve game in San Antonio in which the Gulls led 1-0 from late in the first until late in the third... then gave up an extra-attacker goal with 92 seconds left, and another even-strength goal with 0.2 seconds left, to turn a victory into a point, into zero points -- that's the backbreaker. Any point in any game would have altered the season's final outcome, but those two goals in 91.8 seconds... like Elsten, I keep coming back to that short stretch as the critical "what if".
So, that does it for the Gulls, and probably for me this season, until the schedule comes out this summer. Peace.
Out.
The loss of Rasmussen, Boll, Fehr, and White near the trade deadline was something the team could never quite recover from. Losing six of seven to end the season didn't help.
The New Year's Eve game in San Antonio in which the Gulls led 1-0 from late in the first until late in the third... then gave up an extra-attacker goal with 92 seconds left, and another even-strength goal with 0.2 seconds left, to turn a victory into a point, into zero points -- that's the backbreaker. Any point in any game would have altered the season's final outcome, but those two goals in 91.8 seconds... like Elsten, I keep coming back to that short stretch as the critical "what if".
So, that does it for the Gulls, and probably for me this season, until the schedule comes out this summer. Peace.
Out.
Frosted Tips
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Thank you for your contributions @HansH! It's very much appreciated. Have a good off-season!
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