Both squads had players knocked out of Game two with injuries. Long Beach assistant coach Mark Ferner was taken off the ice on a stretcher midway through the third period after suffering a neck injury during a collision in the corner boards. For San Diego, Samy Nasreddine left the playing surface in the final minutes after suffering a jaw injury after being hit in the corner by an Ice Dogs player. Tempers flared throughout the contest, with chippiness late in the game serving to escalate the tension. An altercation was brewing between the teams as the final horn sounded.
Long Beach is in a desperate situation.
The Gulls' franchise record for consecutive playoff wins is nine, set during the 1997-98 campaign. Aside from the closing minutes that served to mar Game 2 of this series, Martinson said he was very pleased with his team's performance. We've got great defense and depth. Our penalty killing has been outstanding the past two weeks. The teams finished with 17 minor penalties between them in Game 2, though no power play goals figured in the outcome.