Barracuda Surge Back to Beat Heat

Published on by bentleonard18

By: Ben Leonard

photo credit: San Jose Barracuda; Barracuda get one goal win over Stockton Heat 5-4

SAN JOSE–Frustration was beginning to mount in San Jose. The Barracuda had dropped three straight, and looked like they were going to extend that streak after finding themselves down 3-0 early. It was the same old, same old for the ‘Cuda, struggling on penalty kills — until out of nowhere, five straight goals gave the Barracuda a stunning 5-4 win over the Stockton Heat.

Fresh off a stint with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, right winger Barclay Goodrow had a goal and two assists to help propel the Barracuda to the victory.

The Barracuda had struggled mightily on the penalty kill coming into Sunday, succeeding on just 76% of penalty kills, 30th in the AHL, and even worse at the SAP Center (70.6%). And it was more of the same in the early going, allowing a power play goal to Freddie Hamilton, his seventh of the season, after ten minutes to let Stockton take a 1-0 lead. Just four minutes later, Emile Porier added on another goal, beating Troy Grosenick top shelf after getting an extra step away from his defender, giving Stockton the 2-0 lead.

Roy Sommer’s team was down, frustrated and ready to lash out. So ‘Cuda left winger Frazer McLaren took matters into his own hands, taking out his frustration on Heat right winger Hunter Smith.

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsMcLaren dominated Smith, but both got five-minute fighting majors. The fight didn’t seem to help the ‘Cuda much in terms of momentum, giving up another goal in the second period to Morgan Klimchuck to fall down 3-0, but head coach Roy Sommer thought it started to “get [the Barracuda] going.” Before that, he said that he had “doubts” about his team’s ability to come back.

After that, Michael Haley got it going for San Jose with a shorthanded goal that Sommer thought “put [the Heat] on their heels,” cutting the lead to 3-1. Before you knew it, the ‘Cuda had taken a 4-3 lead, after a power play goal from Goodrow, a goal right after the faceoff from Nikolay Goldobin, and a Gus Young goal on a deflection. The Barracuda had scored four goals in under four minutes, quite a feat. It stunned the Heat, and killed their momentum for the rest of the game.

Petter Emanuelsson added an insurance goal to make it 5-3 late in the third, the difference in the game when Heat winger Austin Carroll added a goal with three minutes left to cut the lead to 5-4, one that would hold.

Cuda left winger Alex Gallant was ejected from the game in the second period after laying a hit to Porier. Sommer thought it was a “good hit” that wasn’t a “hit to the head.” In his eyes, Porier “released the puck and then hit him. If [Porier] popped up, I don’t think they make the call.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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