image from @ sjbarracuda

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif-The San Diego Gulls received balances scoring with six different goal scorers in a 6-2 victory over the San Jose Barracuda on Wednesday evening at SAP Center.

San Diego have won two games in a row and swept the two-game series. The Barracuda remain in fifth place in the Pacific Division with its second straight loss.

The Gulls (21-13-0-0) drew first blood early in the first period. A two-on-one odd man rush led to a nice and give and go play between Hunter Drew and Axle Andersson. The Gulls defenseman finished off the play with a wrist shot past ‘Cuda goalie Sam Harvey for his second goal in as many nights at the 3:34 mark.

San Jose (12-11-4-2) answered back late in the opening 20 minutes. Sustained pressure inside the Gulls zone led to Zachary Gallant feeding Joachim Blichfeld in the right slot and Blichfeld fired home a wrist shot top-shelf past Gulls goalie Olle Eriksson Ek for his team leading 12th goal of the season at the 17:59 mark.

San Diego gained control of the game with two minutes in a 1:26 span early in the second period.

Tevor Zegras started a tic-tac-toe of a play when he skated into the Cuda zone. He fed a pass over to the right to Chase De Leo and he centered a pass to Vinni Lettieri who tipped home the puck past Harvey for his 10th goal of the season at the 5:14 mark.

San Diego increased its lead to 3-1 after a faceoff win inside the ‘Cuda zone led to a Simon Benoit blasting a slap shot from the point past Harvey for his first goal of the season at the 6:40 mark.

San Jose cut the lead to one goal when Jayden Halbgewachs led a two-on-one rush with Alex True. Halbgewachs threaded a pass to True who buried a one-timer past Eriksson Ek for his ninth goal of the season at the 13:09 mark.

The Gulls regained its two-goal lead with two seconds left in the middle frame. Two failed clearing attempts by the Barracuda kept the puck inside its own zone. Andrew Agozzino centered a pass to the crease where it knuckleballed off Harvey into the back of the net for his 10th goal of the season.

San Diego iced the game with two late goals in the third period to turn a close game into a blowout. Sam Carrick scored an empty net goal when the ‘Cuda pulled Harvey for an extra attacker at the 17:23 mark. It was Carrick’s 14th goal of the season.

Zegras finished off the scoring with his ninth goal of the season when he snapped home a wrist shot past Harvey top-shelf at the 18:39 mark.

Eriksson Ek (7-4) made 35 saves on 37 shots to earn the victory. Eriksson Ek snapped a three-game losing streak and is now 3-0 versus San Jose. Harvey (2-3-0) stopped 31 saves on 36 shots in the losing cause.

GAME NOTES: San Jose went 0-for-2 on the power play. San Diego went 0-for-1.

San Jose went 2-3-1 against San Diego in the season series.

San Jose has two consecutive losses at home for the first time this season.

San Diego is 12-3 in its past 15 games.

The Three Stars of the Game were: 1) Benoit 2) Eriksson Ek 3) Andrew Poturalski

UP NEXT: The Barracuda travel to El Segundo to take on the Ontario Reign on Sunday 4/25 at 3:00pm at the Toyota Performance Center.