Apr 14, 2023
By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls will skate in their penultimate game of the 2022-23 regular season tonight, facing the Colorado Eagles at Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, CO (6:05 p.m. PDT; TV: AHL TV; RADIO: Gulls Audio Network).
Tonight marks the third game in a four-game set between the Pacific Division foes. The teams split the prior two meetings – both in San Diego – with the Gulls grabbing a 4-3 win on Nov. 26 and falling 3-1 on Nov. 30. Nikolas Brouillard leads all active Gulls in scoring against Colorado with 1-1=2 points in the previous head-to-head matchups.
Former Eagle Dylan Sikura returns to a familiar arena looking to lead the Gulls to back-to-back wins. The right wing spent the 2021-22 season with Colorado, posting 33-40=73 points in 60 games. He finished second on the team in scoring, goals, assists, power-play goals (11) and points-per-game (1.22). He chipped in 2-4=6 points in six Calder Cup playoff games.
Sikura has recorded 1-3=4 points in his last three games for 2-5=7 points over his last seven contests. On Apr. 2, the right wing added a trio of assists (0-3=3), tying a career high for assists earned in a single game (four additional times, last: Dec. 13, 2022 w/ RFD at IA). In addition, Sikura recorded the 200th point of his AHL with a two-goal performance (2-0=2) and earned three assists over a two-game span from Mar. 4-11, including his first points as a Gull on Mar. 4 (0-2=2).
He’s teamed with Glenn Gawdin to spark San Diego’s power play. The Gulls recorded six power-play goals over their last 21 man-advantage opportunities. The team also owns 10 power-play goals over their last 11 games, operating at an impressive 22.2% success rate (10-for-45). Gawdin tallied three of these power-play goals in in his last five games, leading all active Gulls with seven man-advantage goals scored with San Diego this season. The Richmond, BC native also accounts for 40% (4-for-10) of the team’s power-play goals over their last 11 games.
The Gulls earned three power-plays goals through their two games against the Eagles, operating at a 27.8 % success rate (3-for-11).
The Eagles enter the weekend in a tight race for the third seed in the division. They sit just one point ahead of the Abbotsford Canucks with two games left. The finish will determine their playoff foe, as Colorado will either host the Ontario Reign or the Bakersfield Condors depending on the outcome…
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