San Jose forward Danil Gushchin (#75) shoots a puck on net as Colorado Eagles defenseman Keaton Middleton (#67) tries to block the shot at Tech CU Arena on Saturday NOV 9, 2024. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

The Colorado Eagles scored two goals late in the third period for a 3-2 comeback victory over the San Jose Barracuda on Saturday evening at Tech CU Arena.

San Jose have lost three games in a row for the first time this season. Colorado has won four of its last five games and 12th straight versus San Jose.

“We were in control of the game and then a couple of miscues (that led to the two goals) and that’s how fast it can happen. I would have like for us to have capitalized on our chances we had earlier and put ourselves in better position. But we gotta learn how to close out games,” Barracuda head coach John McCarthy said.

Colorado (6-4) drew first blood late in the first period. A stretch pass from Jayson Megna made its way up the ice to Jere Innala at the Barracuda blueline. Innala set up Mattew Phillips who made a move around Cuda goalie Yaroslav Askarov, and his shot deflected off Ethan Frisch into the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season at the 12:35 mark.

San Jose (6-4) responded just under two minutes later with a power play goal. From the point Danil Gushchin set up Andrew Poturalski with a pass in the left slot. Poturalski made one toward the net before firing a wrist shot past Eagles goalie Kevin Mandolese short side for his team leading sixth goal of the season at the 14:28 mark. Luca Cagnoni picked up the secondary assist.

Gushchin earned his 100th career AHL point with the primary assist on Poturalski’s goal.

There was no scoring during the second period. It was a period where the physicality picked up as both teams were throwing the body around both legally and illegally. Colorado had one full power play opportunity while each team had an abbreviated power play. San Jose had a slight edge in shots in the middle frame 12-11.

San Jose gained its first lead of the game near the midway point of the third period thanks to a nice individual effort by Collin Graf. Poturalski sent a rink wide pass from his own zone up to Graf at the Eagles blueline. Graf skated in, cut to the right as he deked out an Eagles defender and rifled a wrist shot top shelf to the far corner for his fourth goal of the season at the 8:59 mark.

“I just wanted to use my speed and push them back,” Graf reminisced. “Obviously I wanted to shoot some more pucks personally today, so I decided to shoot, and good things happened.”

Colorado scored the equalizer thanks to a turnover by the Cuda in the neutral zone. Innala collected the puck near the right boards and fired a backdoor pass over to an unmarked Megna who buried a one-timer past Askarov for his fourth goal of the season at the 13:01 mark.

The Eagles scored the game winning goal exactly four minutes later. Wyatt Aamodt’s shot from the point hit off of Jack Ahcan. Jake Wise collected the puck just in front of the crease and poked it over to Ty Felhaber who beat Askarov with a backhander for his third goal of the season at the 17:01 mark.

Mandolese (3-1) stopped 37 of the 39 shots he faced to earn his third victory on the season. Askarov (5-2) made 24 saves on 27 shots in the losing effort and has lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 1-for-3 on the power play. Colorado went 0-for-2.

Barracuda forward Tristen Robins made his home debut after missing the past seven games with an upper body injury.

The Three Stars of the Game: 1) Megna 2) Poturalski 3) Felhaber.

UP NEXT: San Jose and Colorado conclude their two-game weekend series on Sunday 11/10 at 3:00pm at Tech CU Arena.