San Diego Gulls On The Verge Of First AHL Playoff Series Win
- Updated: April 29, 2016
After a bitterly disappointing end of the season for Ducks fans, hockey might be the last thing they want to think about for a while. Ducks fans in San Diego that are brave enough to venture back into the stress inducing gauntlet that is playoff hockey can see the future of the Ducks potentially advance to round two of the AHL playoffs tonight in San Diego at the Valley View Casino Center. The San Diego Gulls earned a split in the first two games on the road and routed the Texas Stars in game three by a score of 6-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the opening round best of five series. The Gulls are now one win away from winning the club’s first AHL playoff series.
Both squads have several players that will be contributors for their NHL clubs soon. For the Gulls, that list is led by top prospect Nick Ritchie, fellow AHL All Star Brandon Montour, as well as Shea Theodore who was reassigned to San Diego before game three. Ritchie scored the game winning goal in game one and scored the lone Gulls goal in a 5-1 loss in game two. Montour had a quiet start to the series but came to life in game three, registering nine shots and scoring a goal. Unsurprisingly, Theodore was a big part of the blowout win on Thursday night, and picked up three assists. For the Stars, Julius Honka and Brett Ritchie are the headlining prospects that will be eying NHL playing time next season. Honka is a high skill puck moving defensemen and Brett Ritchie is a power forward with a scoring touch, and both picked up assists in game two.
There are other noteworthy players taking the ice in this series as well. Anton Khudobin, who was the Ducks backup goalie at the beginning of the year before John Gibson forced his way into Anaheim’s lineup, started both games in Texas and was named the first star of game one, stopping 28 of 29 shots. Things obviously didn’t go as well in game two for Khudobin, but it is worth noting that the Gulls got into penalty trouble throughout the game, and two power play goals in the second period turned a tie game into a 3-1 deficit for the Gulls. Khudobin was sharp in game three, saving 28 of 29 shots again, and was named the first star of the game again as well. Stars defensive prospect Esa Lindell has two goals and two assists so far in the series, was the first star of the game in game two and scored the lone goal for the Stars in game three. The scouting report on him is a lot like Julius Honka and Brandon Montour, as an offensive minded defenseman that can be dangerous attacking and a liability at times defensively. Obviously he’s been dangerous so far, and is one to look out for as the Stars try to extend this series.
It’s a tough time to be a Ducks fan, but the future of the club remains bright, and some of that future is still getting to experience playoff hockey in the AHL. The Ontario Reign are also up 2-1 in their opening round series, so a Kings vs Ducks playoff matchup of sorts could still happen. Even if it isn’t the one both sets of fans would have preferred, it would still be a very intense series. The Reign and Gulls need to take care of business this weekend though. If the Gulls don’t win tonight in game four, game five would be Monday night, and it would also be in San Diego.
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