Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Barracuda (31-26-4-4), with their backs against the wall, received the game-winning goal from defenseman Julius Bergman seven minutes into the third period, where they scored four unanswered goals, to defeat the Stockton Heat (32-27-2-4) 7-3 and swept the home-and-home series on Saturday afternoon at the SAP Center. The Cuda’s current three-game win streak have their playoff hopes still hanging by a thread.

Ivan Chekhovich, playing in only his third game for San Jose, skated down the left boards, and passed it back to the right slot where Bergman fired a shot top-shelf in the left corner beating Heat goalie David Rittich (7-5-0) for his 10th goal of the season at the 7:12 mark of the third period. Rourke Chartier received the secondary assist.

“Got a great pass in the middle,” said Bergman on eventual game winning goal. “Just trying to find a hole. Shot it there and it went in.”

San Jose continued its hot streak on the power play. Adam Helewka fed a pass down low to Alex True, who then sent a cross-ice pass through the crease over to Middleton. His shot ricochet off Dalton Prout’s skate into the net past Rittich. Middleton’s sixth goal of the season came at the 6:44 mark of the first period.

Stockton would answer back before the fans had a chance to sit back down in their seats. Just 13 seconds later, Oliver Kylington pinched in from the point as Brett Findley sent over a cross-ice pass that found Kylington all alone in the right slot and he snapped a wrist shot past Cuda goalie Antoine Bibeau (21-14-4) for his sixth goal of the season.

Stockton would take the lead after a pretty tic-tac-toe goal scored by Emile Poirier. Mike McMurtry skated along the right board and fed the puck over to Ryam Lomberg. Lomberg one-timed a pass between his legs over to Poirier, who quickly shot the puck past Bibeau for his sixth goal of the season at the 15:03 mark.

Rittich made two point-blank saves with under two minutes left in the period on shots by Nick DeSimone and Rudolfs Balcers to keep the score 2-1 heading into the first intermission. San Jose outshot Stockton 12-4.

Chartier breakaway attempt was stopped by Rittich midway the second period. Bibeau stopped a point-blank chance on a 2-on-1 less than a minute later.

“I think we’re just having fun,” said Bibeau regarding his the Cuda’s three-game win streak. “I don’t think we’re thinking too much about (getting into the) playoffs right now. Everyone is playing well right now and we’re just having fun.”

San Jose tied it up after a shot by True ricochet off Rittich right to Colby McAuley, who tapped in a rebound into the empty net. McAuley skated into the middle of the slot, fed a pass over to True, who fired a shot on Rittich that went back to McAuley for his fourth goal of the season at the 14:09 mark. Radim Simek received the secondary assist.

Emerson Clark gave the Cuda the lead when he scored off a mad scramble in front of the net. Tim Heed’s shot trickled all the way through to the net, Manny Wiederer poked at the puck twice in front of Rittich before the puck squeezed out to a crashing Clark who punched it home for his ninth goal of the season at the 16:01 mark. Noah Rod received the secondary assist.

Colin Smith tied the game up on a 3-on-2 rush. Dillion Dube started the rush at center ice, fed a pass over to the left slot to Morgan Klimchuck, who fired a pass over to a wide-open Smith in between the circles, who snapped home the puck past Bibeau for his ninth goal of the season at the 4:07 mark of the third period.

True gave the Cuda a two-goal lead at the 9:41 mark when McAuley skated in from the red line, went through two Heat defenders and passed over to a wide-open True just to the right of the crease, who buried the puck into an empty net for his 13th goal of the season.

Balcers made his way into the goal party as he danced his way all the way up to an empty net, with Rittich pulled for an extra attacker, for his team leading 22nd goal of the season at the 17:47 mark to give the Cuda 6-3 lead.

Sasha Chmelevski completed the scoring on a 2-on-1 break with Adam Helewka. Helewka skated in, fed a pass over to Chmelevski, who made a nice move around Rittich and slid the puck into an empty net for his second goal in three games at the 18:47 mark.

“We got a lot of juice in the our lineup right now,” said head coach Roy Sommer. “With the kids that we brought in and they’ve played really well and made a big difference.”

Bibeau had another strong showing in net, making 21 saves on 24 saves to earn the victory. Rittich made 27 saves on 32 shots, suffering the defeat.

GAME NOTES: San Jose went 1/2 on the power play. It was the eighth consecutive game the Cuda have scored a power-play goal.

Stockton went 0/2. They were 0/8 in the two-game series.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda travel to Bakersfield to take on the Condors on Wednesday, April 11 at 6:30 pm PT.