Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Alex True was the only one to score in the shootout and that was enough for the San Jose Barracuda (4-0-0-1) as they came back to defeat the Tucson Roadrunners (3-0-0-1) 3-2 in a shootout victory at SAP Center on Monday evening. This is the best start to a season in the Barracuda’s history.

The first period didn’t feature much action as both teams combined for just 15 shots. San Jose had two descent chances to take the lead. Dylan Gambrell, just recalled back from the Sharks, had his short-handed back hand attempt stopped by Roadrunners goalie Hunter Miska (1-0-1) with eight minutes left in the first period. Manny Wiederer had his shot from the slot ring off the post with five minutes remaining in the opening frame.

Gambrell broke the deadlock late in the second period. Nick DeSimone won a battle along the right boards, fed a pass over to Francis Perron who then one-timed a quick pass over to Gambrell skating in from the point and he wired a shot into the left corner of the goal for his third goal of the season at the 14:43 mark.

“I think we were getting kinda too cute at the blue line,” said Gambrell. “We started chipping pucks in (getting them) below the goal line getting stuff to the net. (The goal) shifted the momentum of it.”

Dakota Mermis would get the equalizer for Tucson just under two minutes later when he was able to keep the puck inside the Cuda zone on the left side of the blue line. He then sent in what looked like an innocent looking shot on goal that sneaked past Cuda goalie Antoine Bibeau (2-0-1) for his first goal of the season at the 16:15 mark.

Former Cuda forward Adam Helewka, who was sent to the Arizona Coyotes in the June trade for defenseman Kyle Wood, would come back to haunt San Jose when he tipped in a pass by Laurent Dauphin just 51 seconds after Mermis’ goal. Helewka was able to skate in past the Cuda defense and was all alone to tip the puck past Bibeau for his fourth goal of the season at 17:06.

San Jose came back in the third period to tie the game up at 2-2, thanks to a delay of game penalty that sent them on a power play. They would need only nine seconds to convert as Perron rifled a wrist shot from the middle of the slot past Miska into the upper left corner of the goal for his fourth goal of the season at the 12:20 mark. Gambrell and Jeremy Roy received assists.

“It was a scrambling puck, a battle in front of the net,” said Perron. “(There was) a good screen in front of the goalie and I just picked my spot and it went in. It was a huge goal for us.”

Helewka had a breakaway attempt with under three minutes left in the overtime period, but Bibeau stood his ground and made the save on Helewka’s backhander.

San Jose had a glorious chance to end it in overtime. A slashing penalty on Kyle Capobianco with 1:47 left in overtime gave the Cuda a power play to finish out the game. Then Dauphin took a tripping penalty with 41 seconds left to give the Cuda a two-man advantage. However, San Jose was unable to capitalize.

“I think so,” said head coach Roy Sommer when asked if this was the most satisfying win on the season thus far. “When you’re down and you find a way to tie it up and then you win it in overtime, it makes it a little special.”

Both goalies put on a clinic in the shootout. Bibeau, who was perfect in the shootout, finished the game with 31 saves on 33 shots for the victory. Miska had 34 saves on 36 shots in suffering the defeat.

“I was hoping we would score in overtime,” said Bibeau. “I didn’t want a shootout after what happened last game. I was ready and I wanted to be aggressive tonight and dictate their play of their shootout attempt.”

GAME NOTES: San Jose went 1/5 on the power play. Tucson was 0/3.

Cuda defenseman Zach Frye was injured halfway through the second period when a puck hit him in the face. He did not return to the game.

Fisticuffs!
Tucson’s Trevor Cheek took exception to a clean hit by San Jose’s Jeffery Viel and the two had a spirited brawl at center ice with just under three minutes left in the third period.

The announced attendance was 2,095.

UP NEXT: The Cuda travel up to Stockton on Saturday, October 20 to begin a home and home series with the Heat at 6:00 pm PT at Stockton Arena.