Author: Sports Radio Service

Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

The San Jose Barracuda (22-19-3-3) blew a three-goal lead as the Stockton Heat (23-17-2-3) scored four unanswered goals for a 5-4 dramatic comeback victory on Friday evening at the Stockton Arena.

Hunter Shinkaruk scored the game winning goal with 39 seconds left in the over time for his 13th goal on the season. Oliver Kylington set up Shinkaruk and he was able to go up top-shelf on Cuda goalie Troy Grosenick (6-9-3).

San Jose would jump out to a quick start against their Nor Cal rival when Jacob Middleton led a 2-on-1 with Adam Helewka. Middleton stole the puck away from Brett Findley just inside the Cuda blue line, skated up the right wing and passed it over to Helewka who fired a shot past Heat goalie Mason McDonald (0-1-0) into the back of the net for his seventh goal of the season at 2:20 mark of first period.

Stockton’s Tanner Glass scored would tied the game when he was able to pounced on a rebound and put it past Grosenick for his second goal of the season at the 8:49 mark of the first period. Kylington’s shot from the point was initially saved by Grosenick but he could corral the rebound. Dalton Prout received the secondary assist.

Sam Warning would give San Jose back the lead with his first AHL goal of his career. Filip Sandberg sent in a pass into the Heat zone and Warning collected the puck and snapped a shot past McDonald with a sweeping spin-o-rama motion at the 17:20 mark of the first period.

Grosenick made two important saves in the first period. Brett Pollack had a wide-open chance after a turnover by Radim Simek that Grosenick was able to glove. Glass had a short-handed chance that Grosenick stoned away.

The Cuda had two short-handed chances to extend their lead midway through the second period but were stymied both times by McDonald. Danny O’Regan couldn’t convert on a breakaway. Moments later Rudolfs Balcers and Simek had a 2-on-1 chance only to have McDonald make a brilliant save on Balcers’ shot.

The Cuda were finally able to cash in on their fifth power play opportunity when rookie forward Alex True was able to light the red light on a rebound chance. Julius Bergman fed O’Reagan who one-timed a shot from the right point that McDonald stopped but True crashed the net and pounded home the puck past McDonald for his seventh goal of the season for a 3-1 lead at the 12:55 mark of the 2nd period.

San Jose scored their third unanswered goal when Simek gave the Cuda a 4-1 lead on a short-handed goal, thanks to a 3-on-1 chance with O’Regan and Balcers. O’Regan made a drop pass to an open Simek who buried the puck past McDoanld for his fourth goal of the season at the 15:52 mark. It was O’Regan’s second assist on the night.

San Jose were impressive in killing off a Heat 5-on-3 power play opportunity with five minutes remaining in the second period, thanks to the great goaltending by Groesnick. He stopped all 15 shots, including a couple of point-blank chances, he faced in the middle frame.

The Heat would dominate the third period. Austin Carrol would cut the Cuda lead in half after some dazzling stick handling by Rasmus Andersson at the 3:02 mark. Andersson was able skate down the left wing side, made a toe drag move around a defender before centering a pass to Carrol who was able shoot the puck over the left pad of Grosenick for his fourth goal of the season.

Andersson would draw the Heat to within one goal when he was able to bang home the puck into a wide open net thanks to a great feed from Andrew Mangiapane who was left all alone by the Cuda defense. Andersson’s fifth goal of the season came at the 7:50 mark.

The Heat would complete the come back with their third unanswered goal in the period when Andersson tied the game up with his second goal of the night (and sixth of the season) when he jumped on the rebound from a shot by Hunter Shinkaruk with 2:51 left in the third period. San Jose was outshot 18-3 in the third frame.

Mason, who made just his second start of his AHL career, earned his first career AHL victory on 25 saves on 29 shots. Grosenick, who made his second consecutive start, suffered the loss, despite making 41 saves on 46 shots.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 1/6 on the power play (5/29 overall against Stockton this season) while Stockton went 0/6.

The Barracuda are now 2-1 at the Stockton Arena this season. This was the eighth game between the two clubs. They play each other four more times. Simek’s short-handed goal was the second short-handed goal on the road against Stockton. It was their fourth short-handed goal of the season overall. San Jose is now 12-1-2 when they have a lead after the second period. Alex True had a spirited first ever fight against Brett Pollock 42 seconds into the third period.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda conclude their two-game series against the Heat tomorrow at Stockton Arena. Face off is scheduled for 6 pm PT.

Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Barracuda (22-19-2-3) were happy to have Rudolfs Balcers and his scoring touch back in the lineup as his two goals led the way for a 4-2 victory over the Pacific Division leading Tuscon Roadrunners (27-15-2-1) on Wednesday night at the SAP Center. The win snapped the Cuda’s four-game losing streak.

Balcers’ second goal of the night proved to be the game winning goal for San Jose on the power play. Rourke Chartier kept the puck inside the blue line, passed it over to Tim Heed who fed Balcers who skated between the middle of the circles and fired a shot top self past Hunter Miska (15-5-0) for a 3-2 lead at the 8:26 mark of the third period. It was his team leading 14th goal on the season.

“It’s been a while (since I scored a goal),” said Baclers about his recent goalless streak. “I actually talked to my parents yesterday. We talked that I haven’t scored in a while. So it felt good.”

The Roadrunners would draw first blood when Mike Sislo skated in all alone on the right wing after taking a cross-ice feed from Lawson Crouse and fired a shot past Cuda goalie Troy Grosenick (6-8-3) into the back of the net for his 15th goal on the season at the 12:23 mark of the first period.

The Barracuda would even it up late in the first period when a turnover at the blue line gave the puck to Adam Helewka and he found a wide-open Emerson Clark who skated right down the middle all alone and buried a shot past Tuscon goalie Hunter Miska (15-5-0) for his sixth goal of the season at the 17:37 mark.

Despite the Roadrunners’ defense clogging up the middle of the ice and holding the Cuda to only three shots in the period, both teams headed into the first intermission tied at one apiece.

Tuscon regained the lead late in the second period with a power play goal from Lane Pederson. With Helewka in the sin bin for hooking, Laurent Dauphin found Pederson at the right point and he blasted a shot past Grosenick for his eighth goal of the season at the 16:14 mark.

Balcers tied it back up over a minute later with his first goal of the night when he received a pass from Tim Heed at the right slot and skated in on Miska and fired a shot that Miska wasn’t able to handle at the 17:21 mark.

In the third period, the Cuda took three undisciplined penalties (two too many men on the ice and one unsportmanlike conduct) that gave Tuscon a chance to come back but San Jose’s penalty kill along with Grosenick were perfect and didn’t allow another goal.

“Special teams were pretty good,” said head coach Roy Sommer. “It would’ve been a little disheartening if they had scored on those, but they didn’t.”

Chartier, back in the lineup after missing the last 30 games, gave the Cuda a huge insurance goal when Nick DeSimone connected with Chartier on a pass from center ice and he skated in from the left slot before firing a shot past Miska into the top right corner of the goal for his third goal of the season.

“He’s been through a lot these past couple of years,” said Grosenick about Chartier’s return to the lineup. “To see him comeback and get rewarded like that, with all his hard work, it’s a good thing to see.”

Grosenick made 37 saves on 39 shots, including a great sprawling save on Crouse in the second period while Tuscon was on the power play. Miska stopped 22 pucks on 26 shots for just his fifth loss on the season.

“It was big, it was big for him and just his psyche”, said Sommer about Grosenick finally getting a win. “He was kinda wondering when the next win was gonna come. He battled in there and made some big saves for us down the end for us.”

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 1/4 on the power play and snapped an 0/13 skid, while Tuscon went 1/6.

Along with Chartier, forward Danny O’Reagan was also back in the line up for the Cuda who has been up and down with the Sharks and Cuda this season.

Caleb Herbert made his debut for San Jose after recently signing with the team.

San Jose went 1-2-1-1 on their five-game home stand.

The announced attendance was 2,924.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda head out on the road to begin a four-game road trip beginning with a two-game weekend series in Stockton as they take on their Nor Cal rival the Heat on Friday 2/16. Face off is scheduled for 7 pm PT.