The Iowa Wild and San Diego Gulls got themselves into their predicaments, and only they can extract themselves from them.
Wednesday night is a chance to start that path when they meet in San Diego both badly needing to amassing points if their respective second halves are to see them in playoff contention.
San Diego (9-18-3-2) opened this week seven points out of a Pacific Division playoff spot. After a five-game point streak at the beginning of December, the Gulls have gone on a 1-6-2-0 slide that has put their season in danger. For a team that worked to sign several AHL veterans this past offseason after missing the Calder Cup Playoffs the past two seasons, there is a very real need to remain in postseason contention and avoid having to play out the string. Last season they missed the playoff cut by 16 points, which meant a lot of missed opportunities to play high-pressure, must-win hockey both down the stretch and into the postseason.
And for the Wild (11-18-2-0), they are sixth in the Central Division and eight points behind the Rockford IceHogs for the nearest available playoff spot. They, too, need to stay in the playoff hunt. Other than a first-round loss in 2023, Iowa has only qualified for the postseason one other time, and that was nearly six years ago. Like the Gulls and Anaheim Ducks, the Minnesota Wild worked aggressively in the summer and brought in several top-notch veterans to stock the Iowa roster. But after the boost of a three-game winning streak to start December, Iowa has gone just 2-7-1-0.
But both organizations had to scramble after last-minute injuries to key goaltenders. Gulls prospect Tomas Suchanek’s ruptured ACL last September knocked him out of action for six-to-eight months. Anaheim had to replace Suchanek with Oskar Dansk. For Iowa, an ACL injury put offseason signing Troy Grosenick out for the season. Iowa went on to add Dylan Ferguson, who went on to secure a two-way contract with Minnesota that he signed Tuesday. Ferguson, 26, just returned last week from the Spengler Cup, where he was selected for the Team Canada roster.
Iowa also got help Tuesday with Minnesota returning forwards Travis Boyd and Brendan Gaunce, who are one-two in team scoring, along with defenseman Carson Lambos. Another first-year Iowa forward is Liam Öhgren, a 2022 first-round pick who has 10-6-16 through 21 games.
For the Gulls the contest starts a run of five consecutive games at Pechanga Arena. It’s not a particularly easy one, either. After the Iowa meeting comes a Friday-Saturday match-up with the Tucson Roadrunners. Then the Wild are back next Wednesday, Jan. 15 before the league’s number-one club, the Calgary Wranglers, visit San Diego on Jan. 18.
Fortunately for the Gulls, though, some of their Pacific Division counterparts have run into trouble lately. Holding the seventh spot just above the Pacific Division playoff cut-off line are the Abbotsford Canucks, who are on an 0-5-1-0 slide and have lost goaltender Artūrs Šilovs along with top forward Jonathan Lekkerimäki on recalls to the Vancouver Canucks. Another bright spot has been forward Sam Colangelo, who has 13 goals in 24 games, tops among AHL rookies.
The Wild are on their second swing through California this season, this one a four-game trip. In between the two contests in San Diego, they will have a pair of game this weekend at Ontario. Following this West Coast road trip, the Wild will be home for eight consecutive games going into the AHL All-Star break.
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