By Matthew T.F. Harrington

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Sharks woes early in the season were based off their poor starts, allowing the first goal in a majority of games to fall behind early. For their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, the problem seems to be in a reverse.

“I don’t think we play well with the lead,” said Barracuda captain Bryan Lerg. “That’s something that needs to be addressed.”

One night after taking a 3-1 lead in the first period then having to guard a one-goal lead down the final minutes of the contest, the Barracuda again found themselves up big early but barely holding on for a 7-6 win against Bakersfield (9-9-1-1) in overtime Saturday afternoon at SAP Center.

“It’s nice to see the team find a way to win,” said Lerg. “We need the points. Yesterday wasn’t very good but we found a way to win. It was the same today.”

Barclay Goodrow scored a hat trick and Petter Emanuelsson netted a pair of goals to move San Jose (9-8-0-3) a game over the .500 win percentage. Mark Cundari and Daniel Doremus each had a goal and assist each, but the Barracuda allowed 3 consecutive goals to the Condors in the 2nd period. The Barracuda scored to take the lead late heading into the 3^rd, but twice Bakersfield tied the contest up.

“We had one line that was good tonight,” said Barracuda coach Roy Sommer. “It basically won us the hockey game.”

With the Barracuda’s first period salvo of goals, it was hard to believe the Condors ever led in the contest, but Bakersfield nabbed the first goal of the game short-handed.

Working to set up the umbrella in the offensive end, Mark Cundari fumbled the puck in his skates which allowed Condors forward Josh Currie to skate the other way on a breakaway. Currie, playing with Bakersfield on a professional try-out contract, beat Barracuda netminder Troy Grosenick for the first of many goals 3:29 into the game.

“For a team that scored first, we shrugged it off and went after them,” said Sommer. “We hung in there.”

Emanuelsson’s first goal of the game and first goal since last October tied the score up 8:14 into the 1^st period on a heady play in the offensive end. A Condor forward looking to break the puck out of his own end dropped the puck along the half-wall to what he thought was his defenseman. Instead, the Swedish import plucked the puck off the wall and beat Ben Scrivens for his first goal of the season.

“He’s a good player,” said Goodrow of his linemate. “He’s got a great shot. It wasn’t like he wasn’t getting chances. He’s getting shots, sometimes you just don’t get those bounces. The tide has turned for him. I’m looking forward to him getting on a roll these next few games.”

After Doremus potted a rebound past Scrivens’ toe flick 1:15 later for a 2-1 lead, Emanuelsson would step up again on the forecheck. This time Emanuelsson was able to fight through the Condors defense and work himself behind Scrivens’ net. From Gretzky’s office Emanuelsson skated to the netminders blocker side, jamming the puck home for his first career two-goal game in North America. Linemate Ryan Carpenter picked up the assist on Emanuelsson’s strike 11:25 into the period.

“Our line kept at it again,” Said Goodrow. “Once Petter got that first one, he kept on rolling. I told him after he got that first one that the flood gates are open. Then he got another one. We we’re rolling.”

Emanuelsson missed most of last season with a shoulder injury and now looks more comfortable on the ice.

“Last year was tough,” said Emanuelsson. “I had two big surgeries. So I still have to be patient and go day-to-day at practice and give it time.”

“He’s been out over a year,” said Sommer. “I don’t think he really trusted his shoulders yet to see if they’d hold up. Now that he knows that they do good things are going to happen for him. This is the way he’s capable of playing.”

Cundari atoned for his flub in the first period to cap the 1^st period barrage and chase Scrivens from the contest. The offensive defenseman ripped a shot from below the face-off circle that hit just inside the top right corner of the goal before flying back out. After a brief official review, the Barracuda were awarded the 4-1 lead with 3:42 left in the period.

After holding an 11-10 shooting edge in the 1^st frame, the Barracuda slipped into an offensive funk in the 2^nd. The Condors outshot San Jose 13-6 and scored three-straight goals from Matthew Ford, Bogdan Yakimov and Currie’s 2^nd of the game to tie the contest 4-4.

“They kept coming,” said Lerg of Bakersfield, who played last night then bused up to San Jose overnight. “Give them credit. They didn’t let back. When it was 4-1 they could have rolled over.”

Barclay Goodrow mustered a response for the Barracuda, scoring just 2:03 from the 2^nd intermission for his 5^th point in two days. Cundari was rushing up the ice and dropped the puck to Goodrow. The puck was intercepted on a Condor poke check, but Goodrow was able to chip the puck towards the net and the juggle it before positing it behind new Condor goalie Laurent Brossoit for a 5-4 lead.

Bakersfield tied the game 7:53 into the third after Ford’s rebound redirection found the back of the net, but Goodrow again had the response 3:56 away from the end of regulation. Goodrow took a bounce off Brossoit’s pad on a Carpenter shot from the right side and ripped it under the goalie’s armpit to take the 6-5 lead.

Bakersfield again responded though, with Andrew Miller scoring as Brossoit was skating to the Condor bench for the extra attacker with 1:26 left. Neither team scored in the final seconds to send the game into overtime.

“It’s great to be up in these games, but you can’t sit back,” said Lerg. “Everyone has to keep pushing. Don’t play to hang on, play to win.”

From there, Goodrow stepped up. Just 27 seconds into overtime, the 22 year-old delivered, beating Brossoit for the hat trick goal and the two points.

“It’s nice to contribute, said Goodrow. “It’s good to help the team win and be one of the guys the team looks towards to score some goals and be counted on defensively.”

Since being demoted from the Sharks almost one month to the game, Goodrow has scored 8 goals and picked up 14 points in 13 games. In the two wins this weekend, he collected 7 total points on 4 goals and 3 assist.

“That’s what they saw in him,” said Sommer on why the Sharks signed the undrafted Goodrow. “That’s why he was so sought after in juniors. It’s taken him a while to get his feet under him with the whole thing of getting sent down. But it’s how you respond.”

The two-win weekend comes at an opportune time for the Barracuda. They have the week off before facing the San Diego Gulls next Saturday afternoon at home.

“We’re a resilient group,” said Goodrow. “We knew how important these last two games were standings wise. We don’t play again till Saturday. You don’t want a sour taste in your mouth for the next 5 or 6 days of practice. You want to go out on a winning note.”