Category: AHL

Barracuda douse the Heat with 6-4 victory

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@sjbarracuda: The San Jose Barracuda Maxim Letunov (84) puts one on net against Stockton Heat goalie Nick Schneider (30) Saturday night at Stockton Arena 

by Marko Ukalovic

The San Jose Barracuda started off a quick and never looked back as they scored three first period goals en route to a 6-4 victory over their Nor Cal rival the Stockton Heat on Saturday evening at the Stockton Arena. The win snapped the Cuda’s four-game losing streak on the road.

Alex True and San Jose (12-3-1-2) drew first blood before the game was even two minutes old. True scored his fourth goal of the season at the 1:25 mark of the first period, putting the puck past Heat goalie Nick Schneider’s five-hole (6-2-0). Cavan Fitzgerald and Francis Perron received assists.

The Cuda would double their lead 50 seconds later when Maxim Letunov
threaded a pass from the right wing to Manny Weiderer, who stood atop the crease on the near swiped it in to give San Jose a 2-0 lead. Weiderer’s fifth goal of the season came at the 2:15 mark. Jeremy Roy also received the secondary assist. 

Captain John McCarthy concluded the three unanswered goals by San Jose in the first period as he scored his scored fourth goal of the season tipping in a shot by Fitzgerald at the 16:46 mark. It marked Fitzgerald’s second assist on the night. Rourke Chartier also received the secondary assist.

In the second period, Stockton (11-11-1-0) would break through early on when Glenn Gawdin’s initial shot was stopped by Cuda’s goalie Antoine Bibeau (5-2-2) but Matthew Phillips jammed in the loose rebound for his fifth goal of the season at the 2:21 mark. Dillon Dube received the secondary assist.

In what would be the turning point in the game, San Jose regained their three-goal lead when Jeffery Truchon-Viel spun in a puck in from close range at the 4:01 mark.

San Jose extended their lead to 5-1 after Jayden Halbgewachs received a pass wide open in the slot from True and buried it past Schneider for his sixth goal of the season at the 6:24 mark. The goal snapped a seven-game goaless drought for Halbgewachs.

Schneider’s was sent to the showers right after allowing five goals on only 14 shots. Jon Gillies came in mop-up duty for the rest of the game.

Spencer Foo scored the first of his two goals on the night when Alan Quine fed a pass to over to a wide-open Foo on the back door, who swept it past Bibeau for his seventh goal of the season at the 8:56 mark.

In the third period, Stockton made it 5-3 early into the final frame. Scott Sabourin snapped a shot past Bibeau into the short side of the goal for his second goal on the season at the 3:06 mark.

Chartier then finished off the scoring for the Cuda with an empty-netter at the 17:32 mark. Dylan Gambrell and Bibeau were credited with assists.

Foo completed the scoring with his eight goal and second of the evening to make the score look respectable with 49 seconds left in the contest but it was too little, too late for Stockton, who are 1-5 against the Cuda on the season.

Bibeau earned the victory after stopping 26 of 30 Stockton shots, while Schneider suffered the loss and Gillies (4-7-1) took a no-decision after stopping all 12 shots he faced in 32 minutes and 35 seconds of work.

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

With the victory, it was San Jose’s third straight against the Heat and improved their record at Stockton Arena to 3-0 on the season. The win also placed San Jose atop the AHL with a .750 winning percentage

The announced attendance was 3,080.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda return home on Monday, Dec. 3 to host the San Diego Gulls at 7:00 pm at SAP Center.

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Barracuda dominating in Stockton series with fourth win Tuesday; head to Stockton Saturday

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On the San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko:

#1 The SJ Barracuda scored four unanswered goals against the Stockton Heat at SAP Center in a Tuesday matinee scoring four unanswered goals to get the Cuda a 4-2 win over the Heat.

#2 The win snapped the Cuda’s two-game losing streak and moved them back on top in the Pacific Division.

#3 This victory was San Jose’s fourth victory of the season against the Heat and they know their playbook pretty well to achieve that.

#4 The Cuda got their first two goals from Jacob Middleton and Nick DeSimone and it was enough to get them past a battling Heat team who were playing desperate not to lose to San Jose.

#5 Next game up for San Jose on December 1st at Stockton. Once again, can the Barracuda dominate again?

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

Barracuda come back to cool off Heat 4-2

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By Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Barracuda scored four unanswered goals, including three in the second period, to come back from a two-goal deficit to defeat their Nor Cal rival the Stockton Heat 4-2 at SAP Center on Tuesday afternoon.

It was San Jose’s fourth victory over Stockton this season. It snapped their two-game losing streak and they have at least one point in their last four games. They regained the top spot in the Pacific Division.

Stockton (10-10-1-0) turned up the heat on San Jose just 46 seconds into the game. Alan Quine drew first blood when he scored his sixth goal of the season when his shot went past Cuda goalie Josef Korenar (7-1-1) . Dalton Prout and Kerby Rychel received assists.

Rychel made it a two-goal lead for Stockton on the power play early in the second period. With Manny Weiderer in the sin bin for holding, Rychel wristed a shot past Kornear for his 10th goal on the season at the 2:35 mark. Glenn Gaudin and Curtis Lazar received assists on the goal.

San Jose (11-3-1-2) answered back 22 seconds later to start a rally of four unanswered goals. Jon Martin was set up by Francis Perron and snapped a wrist shot past Heat goalie Jon Gillies (4-7-1) for his first goal on the season at the 2:57 mark.

Defenseman Jacob Middleton tied the game less than three minutes after Martin’s goal. Middleton received a pass from Thomas Gregiore and his shot from the left point snuck past Gillies for his second goal of the season at the 5:47 mark. Perron received the secondary assit for a two-point game.

Nick DeSimone gave the Cuda their first lead of the game when he received a cross ice pass from Rourke Chartier. DeSimone skated in a few feet from the blue line and blistered a shot past Gillies inside the left post. Dylan Gambrell received the secondary assist.

Despite being out shot 27-12 through two periods, San Jose was happy trading quality over quantity with three goals on just 12 shots.

Korenar made a great glove save on a point blank chance by Buddy Robinson with 2:25 left play in the game that prevented Stockton from getting the equalizer. 

Keaton Middleton, brother of Jacob, iced the game with an unassisted empty net goal with 17 seconds left in the game for his second goal of the season.

Korenar played a solid game, making 30 saves on 32 shots for his seventh victory. Gillies made 15 saves on 18 shots in suffering the loss.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 0/4 on the power play. Stockton was 1/2.

The game’s faceoff started at 11am. The early start was due to the 2nd annual Cuda Classroom Day where kids from the area were treated to the hockey game.

The announced attendance was 4,353.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda travel up to Stockton take on the Heat on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 6:00 pm PT at Stockton Arena.

Barracuda fall to Eagles 4-3 in a shootout

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By: Marko Ukalovic

In what must have felt like a mini-playoff series, in a game that went back- and-forth all night, the Colorado Eagles received two goals in the shootout to defeat the San Jose Barracuda 4-3 to sweep the two-game weekend series in the third consecutive game between the two clubs at the Budwiser Events Center on Saturday evening.

San Jose (10-3-1-2) would be the team that drew first blood on this night. Jeffery Truchon-Viel scored his third goal of the season at the 4:37 mark of the first period. Dylan Gambrell and Jacob Middleton received assists on the goal.

Colorado (9-7-3-0) evened up the contest right at the end of the period when Tyler Lewis scored his second goal in as many games. Lewis scored his fourth goal of the season with just six seconds left to send the teams tied at 1-1 heading into the first intermission. Michael Joly and Jean-Christophe Beaudin received assists.

In the second period period, the Cuda didn’t waste much time regaining the lead. Zach Frye scored his first goal on the season at the 1:15 mark. Evan Weinger and Jeremy Roy received assists.

The Eagles tied it back up when Justin Kirk also scored his first goal of the season. His unassisted goal came halfway through the period at the 10:20 mark.

San Jose once again went ahead in the third period. Captain John McCarthy scored a power play goal for his third goal of the season at the 6:36 mark. Rourke Chartier, who was reassigned back down to the Cuda, and Maxim Letunov received assists.

However Colorado did not go down quietly getting the equalizer just over five minutes remaining in the period. Martin Kaut scored his fourth goal of the season at the 14:51 mark. Sergei Boikov received the only assist.

Colorado outshot San Jose 5-4 in the overtime session, but had to wait till the shootout to win. Joly and Kaut scored for Colorado, while Gambrell and Manny Weiderer were stopped by Eagles goalie Pavel Francouz (9-4-1).

Francouz made 39 saves on 42 shots to earn the victory. Cuda goalie Josef Korenar (6-1-1) stopped 37 pucks on 40 shots, suffering the hard-luck loss.

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

The announced attendance was 5,289.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda return home to take on their NorCal rival, the Stockton Heat, on Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 11:00 am PT.

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Cuda tear it up on throwback Barons night last Sunday, visit Colorado Friday and Saturday

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On the San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko:

#1 How special was it to have former San Jose Sharks, Jonathan Cheechoo and Douglas Murray, in the house during Cleveland Barons throwback night?

#2 The Cleveland Barons were an NHL team who played in the league from 1976-78. They were the California Golden Seals until the team folded and moved to Cleveland following the 1975-76 season.

#3 The Barons (Barracuda) were taking on the Colorado Eagles and after a 0-0 first, the Barracuda’s Francis Perron scored two goals at 13:04 and 10:33 to put the Cuda in the lead 2-0.

#4 The Cuda added three more goals in the third period–John McCarthy at 6:54, Vincent Parplan at 3:27, and Alexander True 17.9 seconds.

#5 The Barracuda are back to work again after Thanksgiving Day Friday Nov. 23 and Saturday Nov. 24 in Colorado against the Eagles.

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

Cleveland Barons night: Barons (Barracuda) shutout the Eagles 5-0

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By: Ana Kieu

On Cleveland Barons night, the San Jose Barracuda took a step back in Sunday’s game versus the Colorado Eagles and paid tribute to the former NHL team, the Cleveland Barons, who played in the league from 1976-78. Due to the throwback situation, former San Jose Sharks stars Jonathan Cheechoo and Douglas Murray were at the SAP Center to sign autographs until 4:45 pm.

Anyhow, the Cuda’s starting lineup consisted of Lukas Radil, Maxim Letunov, Vincent Praplan, Jacob Middleton, Thomas Gregoire and Josef Korenar.

There’s always room for fighting in hockey, and that was what happened in the early minutes of the opening period. There was some pushing and shoving on the ice. The Cuda went on three power plays and Korenar made some big saves, but the score was in a scoreless deadlock at the end of the period. Shots were 14-5 in favor of San Jose.

The Cuda killed off some penalties and even went on a 5-on-3 power play at one point in the second period. Francis Perron helped the Cuda get on the board with not only one but two goals scored at the 13:04 and 10:33 marks, respectively. The second goal occurred on the power play following a Justin Faulk penalty for delay of game at the 10:01 mark of the period.

The Cuda were up 2-0 and outshot the Eagles 31-7 at the end of the period.

The Cuda exploded in the third period with three goals to put the game out of reach for the Eagles. Cuda captain John McCarthy scored a goal with 6:54 left in the period. Praplan followed up with a power play goal just 3:27 later. Praplan’s goal, which was also his first of the season, occurred after Mason Geertson’s penalty for cross-checking. Alexander True capped off the Cuda’s scoring with a late goal with 17.9 seconds left in regulation.

The Cuda shutout the Eagles 5-0. With the win, San Jose snapped a two-game losing skid.

The Cuda head to Colorado for a rematch against the Eagles on Friday, November 23 at 6:05 pm.

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Coming off a two-game losing streak, the Barracuda look to get after Colorado Sunday

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On the Barracuda podcast with Marko:

#1 The San Jose Barracuda (9-3-0-1) were shutout Saturday night 1-0 by the Tucson Roadrunners (9-3-0-1) at the Tucson Convention Center are the Barracuda, who had won a bunch of games, who are starting to cool off after getting swept in back-to-back games in Tucson?

#2 The Cuda played with tight defense as the Roadrunners got nine shots and the Cuda buttoned down the Roadrunners with some defense in the first period.

#3 The Cuda outshot the Roadrunners 11-9 in the first period.

#4 The Roadrunners’ Hudson Fasching got a goal at 9:04 in the third period his third of the season for the only goal in the game.

#5 Merrick Madsen, goalie for Tucson, stopped 28 shots for the shutout.

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

Roadrunners edge Barracuda 1-0 in sweep of two-game series

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By Marko Ukalovic

The San Jose Barracuda (9-3-0-1) played a more disciplined game 24 hours after a brutal loss, but for the second straight game, they weren’t able to find the back of the night against the Tucson Roadrunners (9-3-0-1) who only needed one goal to sweep the two-game series against their Pacific Division rival in a 1-0 victory at the Tucson Convention Center Arena on Saturday evening. It was the first time San Jose has been shutout in back-to-back games this season.

San Jose tightened up its defense, only allowing nine shots on goal in the first period. The outshot Tucson 11-9, and despite having the lone power play in the period, they would head into the first intermission deadlocked at zero.

The teams exchanged two power plays in the second period, but neither was able to capitalize on their opportunities. Both teams would end up with six shots apiece in the middle frame.

The Roadrunners’ Hudson Fasching broke the scoreless game midway through the third period when he scored his third goal of the season at the 9:04 mark, beating Cuda goalie Antoine Bibeau (4-2-1). Robbie Russo and Daniel Ullstrom received assists on Fasching’s goal.

Roadrunners goalie Merrick Madsen (3-0-0) had a busier night than last night, stopping all 28 shots to earn back-to-back shutouts for the first time in his career. Bibeau also played well, stopping 27 of the 28 shots the Roadrunners threw at him in suffering the tough luck defeat on the road.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 0/5 on the power play, as their woes continue on the man-advantage. Tucson was 0/3.

The announced attendance was 5,777.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda return home on Sunday 11/18 to host the newest member of the AHL, the Colorado Eagles, at 5:00 pm PT at SAP Center on Cleveland Barons Night.

The first 4,000 fans in attendance will receive a Barons replica jersey.

Roadrunners crush Barracuda in 5-0 shutout win

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By Marko Ukalovic

The defending Pacific champion Tucson Roadrunners (8-3-0-1) received two power play goals from Adam Helewka and dominated the San Jose Barracuda (9-2-0-1) from start to finish in a 5-0 shutout victory on Friday evening at the Tucson Convention Center Arena. The loss snapped the Cuda’s four-game winning streak and undefeated record on the road.

The former Cuda forward continued to haunt his former team. Helewka scored the first of his two power play goals at the 7:48 mark of the first period. Mario Kempe and Robbie Russo assisted on Helewka’s goal, who has had a resurgence in the desert–sixth goal on the season.

Michael Bunting gave the Roadrunners a 2-0 when he deflected a shot from the right point by Jordan Gross shot into the upper corner of the goal past Cuda goalie Joesef Kornear (5-1-0). Kempe received the secondary assist on Bunting’s fourth goal of the season at the 17:03 mark.

This was the worst period on the season for San Jose as Tucson had the ice tilted in their favor throughout the period. They outshot the Cuda 17-2 in the opening frame. It was the lowest shot out put on the season for the season. The one and only scoring chance for San Jose was when Maxim Letunov breakaway attempt was stopped by Roadrunners goalie Merrick Madsen (2-0-0) early in the period.

Helewka terrorized the Cuda for his second power play goal of the night and third goal in two games against San Jose. A failed clearing attempt by the Cuda led to a cross-ice pass from David Ullstrom over to Helewka who buried the puck into a wide open net for his seventh goal on the season at the 6:08 mark of the second period.

Kyle Wood had a point-blank chance to get the Cuda on the board during their first power play with under five minutes remaining in the period but shot the puck wide of the net.

Ullstrom made it 4-0 when he sent home a shot past Kornear just seconds after a Roadrunner penalty kill after taking a pass from Bunting at the 14:39 mark of the third period.

Lane Pederson completed the scoring when he was set up nicely by Trevor Cheek and slammed home a shot into an empty net for his third goal of the season at the 17:53 mark.

Madsen had an easy night as he stopped all 19 shots he faced for his first AHL career shut out. Kornear suffered his first loss of the season in a valiant effort, where he was under siege for most of the night, making 33 saves on 38 shots.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 0/4 on the power play. Tucson was 2/5.

Tucscon’s Cam Dineen suffered an upper body injury when he was shaken up on a high hit from San Jose’s Nick DeSimone that resulted in a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for DeSimone.

San Jose is now 5-1 on the road.

The announced attendance was 4,451.

UP NEXT: Both teams square off with each other again on Saturday, November 10 at 6:05 pm PT at the Tucson Convention Center Arena.

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Barracuda coming off big win against Stockton Monday, face Tucson for two on Friday

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On the San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko:

The San Jose Barracuda (9-1-0-1) scored three unanswered goals on Monday night against the Stockton Heat (4-6-1-0) for San Jose’s fourth straight win. The Heat took advantage of a power-play goal at 5:01 of the first period with a goal by the Heat’s Kerby Rychel.

A Barracuda’s Jeremy Roy shot nailed a left pad shot into the Heat goalie Jon Gillies which went into the back of the net for a San Jose tie. But it was the second period for San Jose that turned the trick, scoring three unanswered goals that got them over the hump in the 5-2 win. The Barracuda open up a two-game set with Tucson Roadrunners starting on Friday night (November 9th).

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