San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Cuda coming off a two-game split with Tucson, but still the best in the AHL

Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

On the Barracuda podcast with Marko:

#1 The Barracuda are coming off a two-game split against the Tucson Roadrunners in games from last Friday and Saturday. The Roadrunners got a 4-3 win against the Barracuda on Saturday.

#2 The Roadrunners Jordan Gross scored the game-winning goal with two minutes left at 18:06 in the third period. The Roadrunners were on a mission on Saturday as they weren’t going to cough up that game.

#3 Jeffery Truchon-Viel scored the Barracuda’s first goal of the game–an example why the Barracuda don’t waste too much time to get on the scoreboard first.

#4 Talk about the play when Keaton Middleton, who had the puck only to lose it to the Roadrunners’ Trevor Cheek, a crucial goal for the Roadrunners at 3:20 in the second period.

#5 The Barracuda host the Colorado Eagles on Thursday. The Cuda had trouble with the Eagles earlier this season, can the Cuda get past the Eagles on Thursday?

Marko does the SJ Barracuda podcast each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Roadrunners’ late goal edges Barracuda 4-3 for series split

Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Jordan Gross might want to pencil in a vacation to Silicon Valley during the off-season as he had a weekend to remember. He scored the game-winning goal with under two minutes remaining in the game to help the Tucson Roadrunners defeat the San Jose Barracuda 4-3 on Saturday evening at SAP Center.

Gross rifled a shot from the right point for the game-winner at the 18:06 mark of the third period that beat Cuda goalie Antoine Bibeau (6-4-3) over his left shoulder for his fourth goal of the season. It was his second goal of the night and third in the two-game series. Before this weekend, Gross hadn’t scored a goal in 17 straight games.

San Jose (17-5-1-3) drew first blood early in the first period. Jeffery Truchon-Viel sent in  shot from the left-wing and Evan Weinger cleaned up the rebound, putting the puck past Roadrunners goalie Merrick Madsen (5-3-0) for his sixth goal of the season at the 2:48 mark.

Tucson (16-8-3-1) tied it up just under two minutes later when Jordon Gross scored the first of his two goals. He was able to beat Bibeau from the right corner of the point after Lane Pedersen won a face-off draw. Gross’ third goal of the season came at the 4:43 mark. Brayden Burke also received an assist on the goal.

Dylan Gambrell regained the lead for San Jose halfway through the opening frame when he was set up by captain John McCarthy and Rourke Chartier. He moved into the slot and wristed one past Madsen for his eighth goal of the season came at the 10:37 mark.

Tucson continued the see-saw battle once again getting the tying goal two minutes later when Kyle Capobianco scored his fourth goal of the season when his shot beat a screened Bibeau at the 12:38 mark. Laurence Dauphin received the assist.

In the second period, Tucson gained their first lead of the game when Trevor Cheek scored his fourth goal of the season at the 3:20 mark. Keaton Middleton coughed up the puck in his own zone which resulted in a breakaway for Cheek whose shot was poked checked away by Bibeau, but it deflected off his back and into the net. Robbie Russo and Capobianco received assists.

A key moment in the game came half way through the middle frame when the Cuda were able to kill off a double-minor penalty for high-sticking to Maxim Letunov.

Pederson then went off to the sin bin for holding and San Jose were able to take advantage. Truchon-Viel scored the equalizer seconds after the power play expired on the rebound. The rookie forward’s sixth goal of the season came at the 11:23 mark. Alex True and Thomas Gregoire received assists.

Madsen made 29 saves on 32 shots to earn his fifth win. Bibeau make 33 saves, including three breakaway attempts (two of those were short-handed), on 37 shots in the tough luck loss.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 0/2 on the power play. Tucson was 0/4.

San Jose suffered its first regulation home loss since mid-October. They’re record is now 10-2-0-1 at the Shark Tank.

The announced attendance was 4,609.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda return to action on Thursday, Dec. 27 as they host the Colorado Eagles in a matinée match up at 1:15 pm at SAP Center.

Perron scores game-winner, Barracuda beat Roadrunners 4-3 in OT

Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Francis Perron continues to be the San Jose Barracuda’s best clutch player as he scored the game winning goal in overtime to defeat the Tucson Roadrunners 4-3 in a Pacific Division battle on Friday evening at SAP Center. The Cuda came back from a two-goal deficit and scored the game’s final three goals.

Alex True started a 2-on-1 odd man rush in the neutral zone. He fed a pass over to Perron at the blue line and skated in fired a wrist shot that went off the blocker of Roadrunners goalie Hunter Miska and into the bottom left corner of the net for his team-leading 12th goal on the season a the 1:48 mark of overtime.

“The D-guy (Tucson defender) made a great play actually, a great dive,” said Perron. “I wanted to pass it at first. Then I kinda hesitated after that. Saw the hole on the short side and it went in.”

Lane Pedersen drew first blood for the Roadrunners (15-8-2-1) on the power play. Tyler Steenbergen sent in a shot on goal that hit off Nick Merkley and onto the stick of Pedersen who buried the puck past Cuda goalie Joesef Korenar (11-1-1) for his seventh goal of the season at the 11:01 mark of the first period.

Dylan Gambrell took advantage of a turnover in the Tuscon defensive zone and skated in all alone on Roadrunners goalie Hunter Miska (7-4-4) and put a deke on Miska and scored into an open net to tie the game up at 1-1. The unassisted goal, Gambrell’s seventh of the season came at the 12:29 mark. He has now scored a point in four out of his last five games.

Hudson Fasching gave Tucson the lead just 12 seconds into the second period. Steenbergen fed a pass over to Fasching along the left boards and he skated behind the net and his wraparound backhander beat Korenar top-shelf for his ninth goal of the season.

Jordan Gross put Tuscon up by two goals, thanks to a fortunate bounce. Darik Angeli’s pass from the blue line hit a Cuda defender’s stick and bounced right over to a wide open Gross, who pinched in from the point, and snapped in a wrist shot past Kornear to the short side of the net for his second goal of the season at the 5:33 mark.

Jon Martin brought San Jose (16-4-1-3) right back into the game when he raced in from the left side of the blue to retrieve a loose puck sent in from the neutral zone by Francis Perron. Martin skated in with a backhand, forehand move that deflected off of Miska into the back of the bet for his third goal of the season at the 14:06 mark.

San Jose scored the equalizer when Keaton Middleton pounced on a loose puck and slammed it home for his third goal at the 6:40 mark of the third period. Maxim Letunov and Manny Wiederer were trying to jam in the puck in a mad scramble out in front of the net. The puck leaked out in between the face off circles where Middleton pinched in and cleaned up the rebound. Anti Suomela and Wiederer were credited with assists.

“It tells you something about this group in there when they’re done 3-2,” said head coach Roy Sommer. “Not a lot of teams come back going into the third (period) especially against a team like Tucson. To come back like that, it was fun.”

Merkley had a breakaway opportunity with under two minutes left in the third period after stealing the puck from Middleton at the Cuda blueline, but his chance was stoned away by Kornear.

Korenar made 20 saves on 23 shots to earn his 11th victory of the season. Miska, who had an outstanding game in his own right, made 29 saves on 33 shots in the tough luck loss.

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

Gambrell’s goal also sparked a flurry of teddy bears being tossed onto the ice as it was the annual Teddy Bear Toss Night at SAP Center. The hundreds of stuffed animals caused about an eight minute delay as the team and it’s staff helped put them in bags and get them off the ice so the game could resume.

“We’ve had that game in juniors and college”, said Gambrell. “That was the first time I got that one so it was pretty exciting.”

San Jose currently has the best home winning percentage in the AHL with a record of 9-1-0-1.

Perron now has scored a point in 10 of his last 12 games including three multi-point games over that stretch.

The announced attendance was 4,455.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda and Roadrunners go back at it again on Saturday, Dec. 22 at 6:00 pm at SAP Center.

Gulls dominate the Barracuda in 6-1 win

Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

New building name, still the same old house of horrors for the San Jose Barracuda. They were humiliated by the San Diego Gulls in a 6-1 defeat on Wednesday evening at Pachanga Arena. The loss snapped the Cuda’s 10-game point streak and have lost the last seven games they have played at the arena formerly known as the San Diego Sports Arena.

Joseph Blandisi drew first blood for San Diego in a first period dominated by the Anaheim Ducks affiliate. Blandisi from Sam Steel and raced his way into the Cuda zone, where he beat San Jose goalie Antoine Bibeau (6-3-3) with a backhander for his third goal of the season at the 18:09 mark. Luke Schenn received the secondary assist.

Sam Carrick doubled the lead for San Diego (10-11-1-2) when he scored a short-handed goal after punching home a rebound off an Adam Cracknell shot at the 6:52 mark of the second period. Carrick’s 12th goal of the season was also his third short-handed goal this season as well. It was the first short handed goal San Jose has given up on the season.

San Jose (16-4-1-3) redeemed themselves on their next power play opportunity. Kyle Wood entered the Gulls zone and fed a pass over to Nick DeSimone as he charged toward the high slot and snapped a wrist shot past Gulls goalie Kevin Boyle (7-5-0), who had been stone cold against the Cuda prior to that, for his sixth goal of the season at the 15:54 mark. Cuda point leader Francis Perron received the secondary assist.

In the third period, things unraveled for the Cuda. Matt Berry started the four unanswered goal barrage for San Diego early in the third period. Berry redirected a Jaycob Megna shot past Bibeau into the back of the net for his first goal of the season at the 4:00 mark. Chase De Leo received the secondary assist.

San Diego put the game away with a controversial goal halfway through the final frame. Deven Sideroff sent in a shot on net that created a mad scramble in front of the net. Berry crashed the net where the puck initially went in, but was waved off at first by referee Ryan Hersey. After a replay review, De Leo was credited with his sixth goal of the season at the 10:10 mark.

The Gulls put the nail in the coffin after a San Jose turnover. Giovanni Fiore centered a pass over to Troy Terry, who buried the puck past Bibeau for his ninth goal of the season at the 14:04 mark. Steel received the secondary assist.

Blandisi completed the scoring with his second goal of the night. He made a spin-o-rama move in front of the net that Bibeau poke-checked the puck off of Blandisi’s skate and slid underneath him for Blandisi’s fourth goal of the season at the 18:00 mark.

Boyle made 23 saves on 24 saves to earn the victory. Bibeau, who was under siege for most of the game, suffered the loss making 33 saves on 39 shots.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 1/3 on the power play. It was the fourth consecutive game the Cuda have scored with the man advantage. San Diego was 0/3.

Defenseman Jacob Middleton missed the game with an upper body injury he suffered in the third period against Ontario on Sunday.

Evan Weinger was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. Jeremy Roy and Cavan Fitzgerald were back in the lineup for San Jose.

The announced attendance was 6,225.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda return home on Friday, Dec. 21 to start a weekend series with the Tuscon Roadrunners at 7:00 pm at SAP Center.

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: It’s raining goals! Cuda unstoppable as they host Tucson Friday

Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

On the Barracuda podcast with Marko:

#1 No mercy for the Ontario Reign. The San Jose Barracuda gave it to them with three unanswered goals on Sunday 5-2.

#2 Nick DeSimone, John Martin, and Jacob Middleton scored the three for San Jose. How much have they’ve been during this winning campaign?

#3 The Barracuda are getting the shots on goal against Ontario. They outshot them 11-8 in the first period.

#4 For San Jose, Dylan Gambrell and Francis Perron doubled down with insurance goals.

#5 The Barracuda get another shot at San Diego tonight after losing to the Gulls Saturday.

Marko does the Barracuda podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Barracuda cruise past Reign 5-2

Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

It didn’t take long for the San Jose Barracuda to get the bad taste of San Diego out of their mouth. Less than 24 hours after their shootout loss to the Gulls, San Jose scored three unanswered goals to start the game in route to a 5-2 victory over the Ontario Reign on Sunday evening at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

Nick DeSimone drew first blood for San Jose (16-3-1-3) when he collected the puck at the blue line, skated in toward the net from the left-wing and snapped a wrist shot past Reign goalie Peter Budaj (3-5-2) for his fifth goal of the season at the 8:51 mark of the first period. Alex True and Jon Martin received assists.

Martin gave the Cuda a 2-0 lead at the 13:00 mark when he was able to spun a wrist shot from distance off the crossbar into the back of the net for his second goal of the season. Zach Frye and True received assists.

San Jose outshot Ontario 11-8 in the first period as Cuda goalie Josef Korenar (10-1-1) wasn’t tested much in the opening frame.

In the second period, San Jose scored its third unanswered goal on the power play. Jacob Middleton fed a pass over to True in the slot, who beat a diving Budaj, who ended up on his stomach, into the back of the net for his ninth goal of the season at the 3:25 mark. Kyle Wood picked up the secondary assist.

Ontario would make things interesting as they scored the next two goals to close the gap to a one-goal deficit. First, Kyle Clauge was able to take advantage of a failed clearing attempt by San Jose as he shoveled in a loose puck from atop the crease past Korenar for his second goal of the season at the 14:40 mark. Then Matt Moulson fired a shot past Korenar from between the faceoff circles for his eighth goal of the season with just 18 seconds left in the middle frame.

Dylan Gambrell gave the Cuda an insurance goal at the beginning of the third period. He batted an airborne puck out of mid-air past Budaj for his sixth goal of the season at the 1:02 mark. Thomas Gregoire and DeSimone received assists.

Francis Perron added to the party and closed out the scoring when True, on his way to a career-high, four-point night, found Perron open in the low slot and he buried the puck past Budaj for his 11th goal of the season at the 9:12 mark.

Korenar finished the game, making 24 saves on 26 shots for his 10th victory of the season. Budaj suffered the loss, making 33 saves on 38 shots.

GAMES NOTES: San Jose was 1/5 on the power play. Ontario was 0/2.

Jeffery Truchon-Viel and Jamie Devane exchanged fisticuffs with each other late in the third period as the Reign’s frustrations had boiled over at that point.

The announce attendance was 7,771.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda conclude their three-game road trip with a stop back down to San Diego to take on the Gulls on Wednesday at 7:00 pm at Pachanga Arena.

Barracuda fall to Gulls in shootout 4-3

Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

The San Diego Gulls never say die attitude helped erased a two-goal deficit and eventually win 4-3 in a shootout over the San Jose Barracuda on Friday evening at Pachanga Arena. Despite the loss, San Jose has earned a point in nine straight games.

San Jose (15-3-1-3) drew first blood on the power play just 36 seconds into the game. Jayden Halbgewachs fed a pass over to Alex True below the right circle and True buried a point-blank shot past Gulls goalie Kevin Boyle (6-5-0) for his eighth goal of the season. Vincent Praplan received the secondary assist.

The Cuda would double their lead when captain John McCarthy pick-pocketed the puck off Troy Terry’s stick that led to a 3-on-1 odd man rush along with Kyle Wood and Antti Suomela up the ice. Suomela’s cross-ice pass would deflect off a Gulls defender, as he went sliding onto his stomach, and into the back of the net for Suomela’s first career AHL goal at the 11:35 mark.

San Diego (9-11-1-2) cut the lead in half just under two minutes later when Max Jones swiped in a rebound off a Sam Carrick shot past Cuda goalie Antoine Bibeau (6-2-3). Jones won a battle along the corner and was rewarded with his sixth goal of the season at the 13:28 mark.

Jones evened up the game in the second period for his second goal of the season. After a failed clearing attempt by San Jose kept the puck in their own zone, Isac Lundestrom fed Jones who sniped a shot over Bibeau’s left shoulder for his seventh goal of the season at the 3:57 mark.

The middle frame featured two fights that happened over the final 11 minutes of the period. Jeremy Roy went toe-for-toe with Carrick and then Jon Martin and Like Schenn exchanged fisticuffs.

San Jose regained the lead early in the third period when Dylan Gambrell rifled a shot from the right point over the shoulder of Boyle for his fifth goal of the season at the 6:43 mark. Wood and Keaton Middleton received assists.

The Gulls scored the equalizer on the power play when Carrick bounced a pass off a Cuda defender past Bibeau for his 11th goal of the season halfway through the third period at the 10:03 mark.

In overtime the Cuda had a golden chance to leave San Diego with a win, but McCarthy and Halbgewachs weren’t able to connect on their 2-on-1 odd man rush.

Adam Cracknell scored the game-winning goal in the fifth round of the shootout.

Boyle made 28 saves on 31 shots to earn the victory. Bibeau suffered the tough luck loss making 25 saves on 28 shots.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 1/4 on the power play. San Diego was 1/5.

The announced attendance was 10,911.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda head to Ontario to conclude their two-game SoCal trip as they take on the Reign on Sunday, Dec. 16 at 5:00 pm.

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: They can’t be contained, Barracuda light up the lamp with heavy offense

sanjosebarracuda.com photo: San Jose Barracuda veteran leftwinger John McCarthy (17) leads the Cuda into San Diego to face off against the San Diego Gulls on Saturday night

#1 What does that tell you when the San Jose Barracuda (14-3-1-2) are able to score two goals in the first period in the first 39 seconds to open the game against the Bakerfield Condors?

#2 The Cuda are red-hot. They’ve won five straight and are first in the Pacific Division they get ready for the San Diego Gulls Saturday night at 7 PM.

#3 Rourke Chartier–he’s got a future he took a shot in the second period for his fifth point in four games against the Condors.

#4 The Cuda found themselves in front 4-0 and the team never let up this is a team that just simply dominated the Cuda, who are the best in the AHL at 8-1-0-1.

#5 The Barracuda head down to sunny San Diego for a Saturday night faceoff. Marko sets the game up for us.

Marko does the San Jose Barracuda podcasts for http://www.sportsradioservice.com each Wednesday

Barracuda sweep the home and home series with 4-0 shutout win over the Condors

Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

There are fast starts and then there are fast starts by the San Jose Barracuda. They scored two goals in the first 39 seconds of the game to coast their way to a 4-0 shut out victory over the Bakersfield Condors on Sunday evening at SAP Center. The win is the fifth in a row for the Pacific Division leaders.

Dylan Gambrell got off the schneid when he tipped in a Kyle Wood shot from the point past Condors goalie Shane Starrett (5-1-0) 23 seconds into the game. Gambrell’s fourth goal of the season set a San Jose (14-3-1-2) franchise record for quickest goal to start a game. Vincent Praplan received the secondary assist. The goal snapped an 11-game goalless streak for Gambrell.

Jayden Halbgewachs set up Manny Wiederer 16 seconds later as Wiederer sent a wrist shot past Starrett for his seventh goal of the season at the 0:39 mark.

Francis Perron intercepted a cross ice pass in the Cuda zone and skated in all alone on a breakaway and buried the puck past Starrett for his team-leading 10th goal and 22nd point of the season at the 3:57 mark. The Cuda had three goals on the first three shots. Perron is currently on a four-game point streak.

Bakersfield (11-9-0-0) had a chance to get on the board with seconds left at the end of the first 20 minutes with a mad scramble in front of the net, but Cuda goalie Josef Korenar (8-1-1) found the puck through all the traffic.

Korenar made a key moment in the game in the second period while Bakersfield was on the power play. Tyler Benson had a wide-open net to shoot at, but Korenar maneuvered his way over to make a spectacular save to deny Benson. Korenar made another save second after that led to a successful penalty kill.

San Jose blew the game the open on the power play toward the end of the middle frame for a 4-0 lead. Nick DeSimone found an open Rourke Chartier. who snapped a shot past Starrett for his second goal of the season at the 17:36 mark. Chartier now has five points in four games against the Condors. Perron received the secondary assist.

Korenar was excellent in between the pipes for his ninth victory of the season stopping all 31 shots he faced for his second shutout of the season. Starrett suffered his first back to back losses of the season making 18 saves on 22 shots.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 1/4 on the power play. Bakersfield was 0/4

This was the eighth straight game San Jose has earned at least one point. They are now 8-1-0-1 (best in the AHL) at SAP Center including winning the past six in a row.

It was Kansas City Blades night at the Tank. The Blades were the San Jose Sharks minor league affiliate in the IHL from 1991-96.

The announced attendance was 3,073.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda travel down to San Diego to take on the Gulls on Saturday, December 15 at 7:00 pm.

Barracuda take down Condors 4-2 for fourth win in a row

Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

The San Jose Barracuda scored four answered goals and never looked back in a dominating 4-2 victory over the Bakersfield Condors at Rabobank Arena on Saturday evening. It was the Cuda’s fourth win in a row and it kept them atop of the Pacific Division standings with 31 points.

San Jose (14-3-1-2) drew first blood just before halfway through the first period. Dylan Gambrell skated around behind the net with a wrap around attempt where the puck ended up on captain John McCarthy’s stick and he tapped it in past Condors goalie Shane Starrett (5-1-0) for his sixth goal of the season at the 8:33 mark. Jacob Middleton received the secondary assist,

The Cuda spent most of the period short-handed, but were able to kill off all four of Bakersfield’s (11-9-0-0) power plays, including a double-minor called on Manny Wiederer for high-sticking. San Jose goalie Antonie Bibeau (6-2-2) made some key saves on all four opportunities. San Jose was outshot 13-8 in the first 20 minutes.

Jeffery Truchon-Viel doubled the lead for San Jose early in the second period. He stole the puck on a failed clearing attempt. He sent the puck back to the right point where Jeremy Roy shot the puck in on net where Truchon-Viel pounced on a rebound and put it into the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season at the 4:02 mark.

Alexander True continued his hot streak half way through the middle frame to give San Jose a commanding 3-0 lead. Linemate Francis Perron threaded a pass from below the goal line past two Condor defenders’ sticks over to True, who buried it past Starrett for his seven goal the season at the 10:05 mark. True has scored in three consecutive games, including six goals over his last seven games. Jon Martin received the secondary assist.

Wiederer scored his sixth goal of the season when he tipped in a shot from Nick DeSimone, who fired a shot from the right point at the 6:15 mark of the third period. Rourke Chartier received the secondary assist.

Logan Day spoiled the shutout bid for Bibeau when he scored his fourth goal of the season at the 15:31 mark. His second goal in three games came from the right point as Bibeau was screened with traffic in front of the crease. Brad Malone and Patrick Russell picked up assists.

Joe Gambardella completed the scoring when he scored his ninth goal of the season on a shot that went top self past Bibeau at 18:47 mark to make the game respectable. Russell and Ethan Bear received assists.

Bibeau was excellent between the pipes, making 33 saves on 35 shots. Starrett, the second-year netminder, suffered his first loss of the season, making 14 saves on 18 shots.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 0/1 on the power play. Bakersfield was 0/7.

Notorious Cuda killer Josh Currie had to leave the game late in the third period when a puck deflected off of DeSimone’s stick and hit him in the face.

Perron leads the Cuda in the following offensive categories: First on the Barracuda in points (21), goals (9), assists (12) power-play goals (5) and shooting percentage (31.0%).

Vincent Praplan returned to the ice after missing the past five games with an injury.

The Barracuda boast the Western Conference’s best road winning percentage (7-2-1-1 = .700) and have collected points in their last four road contests. In addition, San Jose’s +11 goal differential on road ice is the best in the Pacific Division.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda return home on Sunday, December 9 to conclude the home and home series with the Condors at 5:00 pm PST at SAP Center.