Kevin Roy scored on the first shot of overtime as San Diego came from behind to take Game 1 of the Pacific Division Finals in San Jose on Friday night, 3-2.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is back at SAP Center on Saturday.
Roy got around the Barracuda defense, chased down a loose puck and sent a quick shot past Troy Grosenick at the 38-second mark of OT, giving the Gulls the win in a game they trailed with less than four minutes to go.
San Jose took the lead 9:35 into Game 1 as Daniel O’Regan fed a pass from the right-wing wall to Joakim Ryan, who fired a shot past a screened Jhonas Enroth for a power-play goal.
San Diego answered with 2:14 left in the first period when Kalle Kossila let a shot go from between the circles that beat Troy Grosenick during a 5-on-3 Gulls advantage.
After a scoreless second period, Ryan Carpenter put the Barracuda back in front with 7:52 remaining in regulation on his AHL-leading fifth goal of the playoffs, but Nate Guenin‘s wrister from the right point with 3:56 to play tied it back up for the Gulls. It was the first postseason goal of Guenin’s 11-year pro career.
Roy’s game-winner came on the first shot by either team in the overtime period, after the Gulls had been outshot by a 38-15 margin in regulation. The rookie Roy, scoreless in the first three games of San Diego’s first-round series vs. Ontario, now has five points in his last three contests.
Enroth (4-2) made 36 saves for San Diego, raising his save percentage to .946 for the postseason.
Grosenick (3-3) stopped 13 of 16 shots in the loss.
Pacific Division Finals – Series “L” (best-of-7)
P1-San Jose Barracuda vs. P2-San Diego Gulls
Game 1 – Fri., May 5 – San Diego 3, SAN JOSE 2 (OT)
Game 2 – Sat., May 6 – San Diego at San Jose, 10:00
Game 3 – Wed., May 10 – San Jose at San Diego, 10:00
Game 4 – Fri., May 12 – San Jose at San Diego, 10:00
*Game 5 – Sat., May 13 – San Jose at San Diego, 10:00
*Game 6 – Tue., May 16 – San Diego at San Jose, 10:00
*Game 7 – Wed., May 17 – San Diego at San Jose, 10:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
It only took Kevin Roy 38 seconds into OT to net the game-winning goal 🔥 #SJvsSD pic.twitter.com/g2gpwrDeNY
— AHL (@TheAHL) May 6, 2017
