San Jose Barracuda forward Scott Sabourin (#49) attempts a shot on goal while being checked by Colorado Eagles defenseman John Ludvig (#10) at Tech CU Arena on Saturday JAN 4, 2024. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — The Colorado Eagles scored four unanswered goals en route to a 4-2 comeback victory over the San Jose Barracuda on Saturday evening at Tech CU Arena.

San Jose has lost two of its past three games. Colorado has won five of its past six games.

San Jose (18-11-0-2-38 points) drew first blood late in the first period with an even strength goal. A shot from the right point by Joey Keane pinballed around the crease. Anthony Vincent’s chance was saved by Eagles goaltender Adam Scheel, but Lucas Vanroboys slammed home the rebound for his seventh goal of the season at the 17:26 mark.

Colorado (17-9-1-2-37 points) was dominated in the opening frame by San Jose as they were outshot 17-6. Jean-Luc Foudy took two minor penalties at the 9:32 mark and 19:57 mark.

Scheel kept the Eagles in the game during the first 10 minutes of the second period. He stopped two ‘Cuda short–handed breakaway attempts, one by Justin Bailey and the other by Ethan Cardwell. San Jose killed off both penalties.

The Barracuda doubled its lead with a power play goal late in the middle frame. Tristen Robbins found ‘Cuda captain Andrew Poturalski down below the left faceoff circle. Poturalski made a move in before wiring a wrist shot that beat Scheel to the short side for his team leading 13th goal of the season at the 14:21 mark.

The Eagles cut the lead in half just under three minutes later. Foudy slid a pass over to Jake Wise between the faceoff circles. Wise’s shot deflected off of Donovan Houle and past ‘Cuda goalie Aaron Dell to the short side for his eight goal of the season at the 17:18 mark.

“We controlled the game in the beginning, then I thought our puck decisions slipped in the second period and started to turn against us. (We) took too many penalties. We were (penalty) killing the whole third period. We can’t win that way,” Barracuda head coach John McCarthy said.

Colorado scored the equalizer with a short-handed goal early in the third period. Wyatt Aamodt cleared the puck out of their own zone up the ice to TJ Tynan who just stepped out of the penalty box. Tynan skated around Anthony Vincent, who also just stepped out of the penalty box, and beat Dell with a shot to the short side for his fourth goal of the season at the 4:57 mark.

The Eagles gained its first lead of the game with a power play goal, and its third unanswered. A shot from the point by Jack Ahcan deflected off of Tynan over to Jacob MacDonald who beat Dell with a backhander to the short side for his eighth goal of the season at the 8:35 mark.

San Jose spent the majority of the final frame killing penalties, but was also the victim of some calls and non-calls by the officiating late in the game that went Colorado’s way that helped prevent a comeback by the Barracuda in the final minutes of the contest.

Wise completed the scoring with an empty net goal as time expired for his second goal of the game and ninth of the season.

Scheel (3-0) finished with stopping 38 of the 40 shots he faced to earn his third win of the season. Dell (1-1-1) made 34 saves on 37 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 1-for-5 on the power play. Colorado went 1-for-7.

The Three Stars of the Game: 1) Tynan 2) MacDonald 3) Poturalski.

UP NEXT: San Jose and Colorado complete their two-game weekend series on Sunday 1/5 at 3:00pm at Tech CU Arena.