Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

When you are off to your best start in franchise history, the luck usually goes your way. The San Jose Barracuda (6-1-0-1) took advantage of a weird bounce to score the game-winning goal to beat the San Antonio Rampage (1-8-0-0) 2-1 at AT&T Center on Friday evening. The Rampage have now lost eight games in a row.

Kyle Wood sent in a puck along the boards from the right side of the neutral zone that caromed off a glass stanchion out to the middle of the slot where Rampage goalie Ville Husso (1-6-0) was out of position and waiting for Matt Fonteyne who tapped it into an empty net for his first goal of his season at the 7:14 mark of the third period. Lukas Radil received the secondary assist.

Neither team scored in the first period as it was a tightly-checked defensive battle in the opening frame. Each team only registered six shots on net. Both teams had an abbreviated power play that didn’t generate any chances.

San Jose had a chance to take the lead with just 30 seconds left when Manny Weiderer fed a pass over to Jayden Halbgewachs. He then fed it over to Vinnie Praplan, who misfired on a shot wide of an open net.

Francis Perron took advantage of a two-man advantage power play for the Cuda to break the deadlock in the second period. Kyle Wood retrieved his own rebound and sent a pass over to Perron at the point where he skated in front of the circles and picked his spot, wiring a wrist shot off the near post past Husso for his team-leading fifth goal season of the season at the 5:50 mark. It was also his third power play goal for San Jose.

San Antonio had a 2-on-1 odd man chance late in the second period, but they weren’t able to get a shot on goal at Cuda goalie Josef Korenar (4-0-0). San Jose out shot San Antonio 11-7 in the second period.

San Antonio scored the equalizer in the third period, thanks to a bad line change by the Cuda. Nolan Stevens made a heads up pass over to Klim Kostin, who skated in on a 2-on 0 with Adam Musil. Kostin sent the puck over to Musil, who tapped it into the net for his second goal of the season at the 5:28 mark.

Korenar had an excellent third period, including a point-blank save on Nikita Soshnikov just 27 seconds into the period to stay perfect on the season. He finished with 27 saves out of 28 shots for the victory. Husso made 19 saves on 21 shots in suffering the tough luck loss.

GAME NOTES: San Jose went 1/4 on the power play. The came into the game ranked 23rd in the AHL. It was the first time they have scored on the power play in two games.

San Antonio was 0/4 on the power play.

San Jose is 4-0 on the road this season.

Forward Lukad Ridal returned to the lineup after missing the past two game due to a lower body injury. Fonteyne also returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch the past two games.

The Rampage celebrated Dia De Los Muertos night by wearing a special game jersey “Los Chimuelos De San Antonio.”

The announce attendance was 7,703.

UP NEXT: San Jose continues the Texas road trip up to Austin to take on the Texas Stars on Saturday, October 27 at 5:00 pm PT.