The San Diego Gulls are back on home ice tonight, looking to bounce back and even the series against the Abbotsford Canucks at Pechanga Arena (7 p.m. PST). After a tough 5-3 loss on Wednesday, the Gulls are aiming to snap a two-game skid and reclaim the edge they held earlier in the season.
Wednesday’s matchup didn’t lack effort-San Diego came out firing and actually outshot Abbotsford 39 to 24. But despite generating more chances, the Gulls couldn’t quite get the result they were looking for. Calle Clang got the start in net and turned aside 19 of 23 shots, but Abbotsford’s finishing proved to be the difference.
San Diego got on the board first thanks to Sam Colangelo, who continues to find his rhythm offensively. His power-play goal was his seventh of the season and extended his recent hot streak to 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in his last nine games.
Yegor Sidorov followed up with a second-period tally-his eighth of the year-to tie things up, and defenseman Roland McKeown added another equalizer later on, marking his third goal of the season. Each time Abbotsford pulled ahead, the Gulls had an answer-until they didn’t.
Head coach Matt McIlvane acknowledged the frustration but remained optimistic. “I don't think stylistically or style of play there's massive adjustments that are needed,” he said.
“There’s some small things and details that we should certainly explore, but there's a lot of good in this game. Unfortunately, at the end, we end up on the wrong side, but there's easily correctable things to be able to fix.”
That’s the mindset the Gulls are carrying into tonight’s rematch. Despite the loss, there were positives to build on-particularly the offensive zone pressure and the team’s ability to respond when trailing. And while the loss dropped San Diego to 15-11-6-2 on the season, they still hold seventh place in the Pacific Division with 38 points.
Abbotsford, meanwhile, is trending upward. Wednesday’s win was their third straight, pushing their record to 12-19-3-3.
They’re still in 10th place, but they’ve closed the gap in the standings and now sit just seven points behind the teams in eighth and ninth. For a team that had been struggling, this recent stretch has given them a bit of life.
Tonight’s game is more than just a chance for redemption-it’s a chance for the Gulls to reassert themselves in a tight divisional race. With another game on deck tomorrow night against Coachella Valley, this is the kind of stretch that can shape the tone of the second half of the season.
Puck drops at 7 p.m. at Pechanga Arena. Expect a hungry Gulls team looking to turn effort into results.