Dostal, Gulls beaten in OT by Condors in Game 2 of playoffs AHL PLAYOFFS

San Diego Gulls goaltender Lukas Dostal didn’t have a chance in the opening minute of suddendeath overtime Sunday in Bakersfield. There was a misplay at center ice, a quick pass from the right wing to the left and, suddenly, the puck was in his net and the game was over.

The Bakersfield Condors rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Gulls in Game 2 of their AHL first-round playoff series. Game 3 of the bestof-3 series is today in Bakersfield with the winner advancing to play the Henderson (Nevada) Silver Knights for the Pacific Division championship.

The Gulls might not have made it as far as OT in Game 2 if not for Dostal, a 20-year-old from the Czech Republic. He made 34 saves two nights after making 39 saves in a 5-3 victory in Game 1 that featured a four-point game from Trevor Zegras, a 20-year-old center.

Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale, 19, had an impact on Game 2, but not as much as they did in Game 1. Zegras and Drysdale, who had two assists Friday, were held without a point Sunday. The Condors deployed an aggressive forecheck that slowed down the Gulls.

San Diego had a chance to break open the game early, but failed to click on a 5-on-3 power play in the opening minutes. The Gulls built a 2-1 lead by the end of the first period on goals from Benoit-Olivier Grouxl and Trevor Carrick. Cooper Marody had the Condors’ goal.

After a scoreless second period, the Gulls failed to pad their lead in the third period and Luke Esposito tied it for Bakersfield with 7:20 left in regulation. Moments earlier, Dostal made a sprawling save to deny Adam Cracknell on a close-range shot 5:56 into the third period.

Dostal was shaken up on the play, after Bakersfield’s Seth Griffith fell into him during the goalmouth scramble. Dostal went back to work after a few minutes to compose himself. He couldn’t stop Esposito’s shot that tied it or Griffith’s winner 49 seconds into OT, however.

It wasn’t immediately certain whether Dostal would start the winnertake-all Game 3 or whether Olle Eriksson Ek would make his first playoff appearance. Eriksson Ek, the younger brother of Joel Eriksson Ek of the Minnesota Wild, was 8-6-1 in 15 regular-season games.