Category: AHL

California AHL rivals, Reign and Barracuda, face each other for the 4th time this month, Reign takes home the crown with a 3-0 win

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Photo: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—The San Jose Barracuda followed Thanksgiving with another match against their cross-state rival, the Ontario Reign, whom they have now faced four times this month. Tonight, the Reign refused to give up their crown and defeated the Cuda 3-0 over the course of seven minutes (all in the final period).

Roster update: This afternoon, the Cuda welcomed forward Marc-Olivier Roy who closed a professional tryout agreement with the club. Roy, originally selected 56th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2013, was acquired from the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL and currently has 16 points (five goals and 11 assists).

The first period remained utterly silent, with the exception of strong defensive plays from both teams. Neither team took a penalty, and the board remained numberless. The Cuda picked up a man-advantage (the only one of the match) just over two minutes into the second period when Reign forward Paul LaDue was benched for tripping. Cuda defenseman Jeremy Roy took a shot off the far post which would have been his third goal of the season. The Cuda fired two more shots which were deflected off the post, keeping the game scoreless. At 18:13, both Jon Martin (San Jose) and Stepan Falkovsky (Ontario) were sent to the penalty box for roughing. This resulted in a two-minute four-on-four play, on which neither team gained an advantage offensively.

The Reign turned things around in the third period (which began with the remaining 13 seconds of the four-on-four play) when Stepan Falkovsky appeared from left point and scored at 1:57, giving the Reign the lead. Less than three minutes later, at 4:25, Brett Sutter fired the puck from the slot to make the score 2-0. Wanting in on the action, Justin Auger took a pass from Mike Amadio and found the back of the net (and his way past Cuda goaltender Parker Gahagen) at the seven-minute mark. The Cuda remained scoreless through the remaining 13 minutes of play, taking their third loss to Ontario this month.

Gahagen made his professional debut tonight and, even though he allowed three goals on 27 shots, he fought hard and his determination never wore thin. Ontario’s Cal Petersen, the No. 2 AHL goaltender, stopped all of the San Jose’s 23 shots, got his second career shutout and a second consecutive win over the Cuda.

San Jose, now 7-8, will host Pucks and Paws Night on Sunday afternoon (3pm) as they take on the San Diego Gulls.

In case you were wondering how the Cuda celebrated Turkey Day, check out the photo below from their team dinner in Ontario on Thursday night:

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Credit: @sjbarracuda

SJ Barracuda cash in on the power play to upend the Rampage 5-3

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Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic & Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Julius Bergman’s first goal of the season couldn’t have come at a better time as it proved to be the game winning goal in a 5-3 San Jose Barracuda rebound victory over the visiting San Antonio Rampage at SAP Center.

Special teams played a huge role in the game as the Barracuda took advantage of their power play opportunities throughout the game, while the Rampage were stymied by the Barracuda’s penalty kill.

Forward Rourke Chartier started the scoring off with his second goal of the season when he blasted a shot from the left point past Rampage goalie Sam Brittain for a power play goal just five minutes into the first period. The Barracuda coming into the game had a woeful power play as they were just 8-for-59 (13.6%) before Chartier’s goal. Calvan Fitzgerald and Jeremy Roy received the assists on the play.

“It’s always good getting on the board first,” said head coach Roy Sommer. “Our power play was effective I guess enough. We scored three goals. We haven’t done that in a while since the Texas game. We just got pucks to the net, kept it pretty simple and was effective.”

The Rampage would tie it up just 45 seconds into the second period when Brandon Ranford scored his seventh goal of the season after getting the rebound off a shot from Sam Blais that found his stick and put it past backup goalie Antoine Bibeau from the left slot.

The Barracuda would continue their success on the power play when Rampage defenseman Mason Geertsen threw a vicious elbow to the head of the Chartier that earned him a major penalty and a game misconduct ending his night just 1:49 into the second period. The hit also ended Chartier’s night as well as he went off the ice with an upper body injury and did not return to the game.

“It’s unfortunate cause he’s just coming back off an injury,” said John McCarthy on Chartier’s injury. “To see a hit like that, you never want to see that so we hope he gets back quickly.”

Defenseman Jeremy Roy made the Rampage pay when he scored his third goal on the season while the Barracuda had a 6-on-4 advantage during a delayed penalty at 3:16 of the second period. Marcus Sorensen picked up his seventh assist. McCarthy then tipped in a Fitzgerald slap shot from up at the point seconds before the major penalty on Geertsen expired to increase the lead to 3-1. It was McCarthy’s 2nd goal on the year.

The Barracuda were able to kill off a 5-on-3 power play opportunity the Rampage had midway through the second period when Michael Brodzinki and Brandon Bolig went to the sin bin 90 seconds apart. McCarthy was stopped on a shorthanded breakaway during the 5-on-3 kill.

The Ramapage didn’t go away into that gentle Thanksgiving Eve night as they scored the next two goals. Forward AJ Greer cut the lead to 3-2 when he scored on a pretty backhander with less than four minutes remaining in the second period after taking a cross-ice pass from Andrew Agozzino and was able to put a deke on Bibeau scoring into an empty net. The Barracuda turned the puck over at the blue line that led to the 3-on-2 rush that produced Greer’s fourth goal on the season. Nicholas Meloche tied the score with his first goal on the season at 6:54 of the third period after taking a pass from Blais and wristing a shot top-shelf past Bibeau from the right slot.

Bergman’s heroics came late in the third period when he rifled in a shot from the right point that beat Brittain through the five-hole to give the Barracuda the lead with 8:50 reaming. Brandon Mashinter gathered the puck from behind the net and slung a pass back up to Bergman setting up the defenseman’s first goal of the season.

Fliip Sandberg iced the game with an empty-net goal with 45 seconds left in the game to seal the deal for the Barracuda. It was his fifth goal of the season, tying him for the team lead with Sorensen.

Bibeau stopped 27 out of 30 shots to earn his fourth victory of the season. While Brittain, who made his first start of the season, received the loss with 25 saves on 29 shots.

NOTES: The Barracuda were 3-7 on the PP, the Rampage were 0-4. The Barracuda improved their record to .500 at 7-7-0-1. They now have 15 points and are tied with the San Diego Gulls for fifth place in the Pacific Division.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda head down to Southern California to take on the Ontario Reign on Friday evening at 7 pm.

San Jose Barracuda Podcast with Ana Kieu: Barracuda gear up for San Antonio tonight; Cuda have won three of last five

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 photo credit: sjbarracuda.com

On the SJ Barracuda Podcast with Ana:

1. Ana predicted that the Reign would split the set with the Barracuda. They’re both rivals, to say the least. Just how tough of an opponent are they?

2. The Barracuda played one of those games against the Reign in Ontario. Give us your three takeaways from that road game.

3. Ana also predicted that the Barracuda would win 5-1 over the Rampage last Wednesday. They’re gearing up for their game at 7 pm tonight. Do Ana still think that they’re going to finish the six-game homestand with a win?

4. Also Ana give us the three keys for the Barracuda vs. Gulls game at home on Sunday, November 26.

5. How excited do you think the fans get when the Barracuda offer $2 beers and $1 hot dogs at the Tank?

6. The Barracuda’s time change for their game against the Condors on March 2, 2018?

7. Also it’s promotion night at the Barracuda it’s wallpapers for #WallpaperWednesday?

8. Is rookie forward Alex True making an impression on the Barracuda?

Ana Kieu does the SJ Barracuda podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Barracuda Center Alex True – Profile

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By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—Born into hockey, as he describes, Alex True has had a stick in his hand for as long as he can remember; he was placed on skates for the first time when he was two years old and has never looked back since.

20 years old, True, the son of a former Danish hockey player, was reared in Copenhagen. From a very young age, he would watch his father skate and join him at home to watch different Danish teams on TV. As he got older, his knowledge of the NHL increased. His mother is a native of San Diego, which prompted True to root for the three California NHL teams (Sharks, Kings, and Ducks).

In 2013-14, True joined his first official hockey team, Rungsted Ishockey, in his native Denmark; he appeared in 11 games that season. The following season (2013-14), he came to North America to play for the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). He had 12 points (six goals and six assists) in 35 games.

In 2015-16, True, then 18, nearly tripled his number of points from the previous season with Seattle; he had 32 (14 goals and 18 assists) in 65 regular season games and added an additional 10 (six goals and four assists) in 18 playoff games. That same year, he served as an alternate captain for Team Denmark in the U20 World Junior Championships.

Last season was True’s career-peaking year. He collected 40 points (25 goals and 15 assists) in 66 games and was appointed Seattle’s “Most Dedicated Player.” In 20 playoff games he had 22 points (12 goals and 10 assists) and a plus-11 rating. Leading his team to the WHL Championships (which included a Memorial Cup run) has been his biggest career accomplishment thus far, he noted. He was also named captain of Team Denmark in the U20 World Junior Championships.

True is honored to be a part of the Sharks franchise and receive the opportunity to learn and grow holistically, from improving on the ice to bonding with his Barracuda teammates on the road, who continue to support one another as they work their way up to the NHL. It is no shocker that True, like his nonlocal teammates, appreciates the warm California weather above all else, making it bearable to be outside and explore surrounding cities on off days.

Barracuda Defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald – Profile

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By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—Cavan Fitzgerald is commencing his first season of professional hockey with the Barracuda this year, which he could not be more excited for.

“Getting to where I am today [with the Sharks] has been the biggest accomplishment of my hockey career,” he said after a morning practice.

The 21 year-old defenseman grew up in Boston and was influenced by his two older brothers (now 24 and 26), both of whom played hockey growing up. He left home for the first time at age 14 to play hockey in Nova Scotia, Canada, during which he lived with his grandparents. In 2013, he began his career with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (having played for the Shawinigan Cataractes and the Cape Breton Tradesmen before that, splitting time between the two teams). He had 31 points (four goals and 27 assists) in 40 games with Halifax in 2014-15 as a rookie.

After the first seven games of the following season (2015-16), Fitzgerald was ranked second on the team in goals (with three) and T-3rd in the QMJHL. His Halifax career would come to a close after three more games for a total of 50. During this time, he played alongside current Sharks forward and 2015 draft pick Timo Meier and, with his rankings, he was tied with Jeremy Roy, who is now one of his fellow defenseman on the Barracuda.

Fitzgerald attended the Sharks’ training camp in 2015 as a tryout before inking a three-year entry deal with the franchise that October.

“The Sharks are an unbelievable team, San Jose is an unbelievable city. It means the world to be a part of this organization. Every step of the way, you can’t take for granted.”

When becoming a pro hockey player, one is not only encouraged to improve on the ice on a day-to-day basis. Independence plays a big role in self growth off the ice, according to Fitzgerald, who is living on his own for the first time and learning the fundamentals of household basics, such as cooking, he noted. Also, he admitted that he seldom misses the snow. San Jose has a lot in store for him as both hockey season and his residence continue.

Reign Took Their Crown Back, Beat Barracuda 4-1

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Photo: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—The Barracuda faced the Reign again for the second match of this week’s doubleheader. After receiving a shutout defeat yesterday, the Reign took their crown back and overthrew the Barracuda 4-1 this afternoon.

The Reign accelerated offensively after failing to score yesterday. Matt Luff notched the first goal just over two minutes into the match, but the Barracuda tied up the score five minutes later when Jon Martin sniped the puck directly past Reign goaltender Cal Petersen’s left side, his first goal of the season (assisted by Nick DeSimone). The Reign failed to take advantage of their two power play opportunities, leaving the score tied 1-1 after 20 minutes. San Jose had 14 shots while Ontario had 13.

The Barracuda outshot the Reign in the second period as well, but they were unable to score, even on the man-advantage. That being said, their defensive strength translated from the previous day and they managed to hold the Reign scoreless through the second period.

The Reign kicked things into overdrive in the final 20 minutes, though the Barracuda kept their momentum through the third period. The Reign simply managed to succeed on every chance they took. Michael Mersch notched a power play goal just under two minutes in, this time on the power play. Luff scored his second of the game at the 12:10 mark. The Barracuda had a power play opportunity beginning at 13:42, but were still held scoreless. Troy Grosenick was pulled from the Barracuda’s net, and Andrew Crescenzi put up the Reign’s fourth goal at 17:30.

Overconfidence was not the issue (given the Barracuda’s 40 shots on goal compared to the Reign’s 28), nor was a lack of effort or mistakes being made. The Barracuda’s effort remained strong as ever; the Reign just located the back of the net and put forth more momentum than the previous day.

“It was a tiring game. I don’t think we deserved the outcome that happened, but it’s just how it goes,” noted Martin (who also noted it felt good to “get the first goal [of the season] out of the way”).

Roy Sommer concurred, insisting that all the Cuda needed was “more fate.”

On a separate note, one could argue that center Rourke Chartier, who is returning from a six-month hiatus due to injury, has some shoes to fill as Danny O’Regan was called up to the Sharks yesterday.

“Whoever takes Danny’s spot needs to produce,” Sommer said. “They are going to see a lot of minutes, as Danny was our number one minute guy as far as power plays and penalty kills.

“Rourke is going to get even better [as the season progresses]; tonight was only his fourth game, but he’s got some good practice underneath him, his conditioning is good. He should be able to handle [stepping in].”

The Cuda are back at home on Wednesday, November 22 to face the San Antonio Rampage.

Roy Scores First Pro Goal To Help Cuda Steal Crown From Reign, Beating Ontario 1-0

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Photo: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—It’s rivalry weekend! The Barracuda had their first match of a weekend-long doubleheader against the Ontario Reign on Saturday afternoon. In hopes of a retaliation against the Reign’s 4-2 win on November 1, the Cuda stole their crown and shut them out 1-0.

Roster updates: Danny O’Regan was called up to the Sharks this morning from the Cuda, and Johnny Brodzinski, brother of Cuda defenseman Michael Brodzinski who scored a hat trick against the Cuda, was called up to the Kings from the Reign yesterday.

Both the Reign and Cuda defense were strong in the first period, and the Cuda appeared to be good on offense as a number of their shots were aimed directly between the posts of the net (in contrast with the Reign, most of whose shots ended up hitting the wall), though Jack Campbell managed to shut them all out. At the end, the Cuda outshot the Reign 11-9 and the score was 0-0, neither team having taken advantage of the power play.

Offense picked up in the second period as defenseman Jeremy Roy scored just after the 2:00 mark with an assist from Tim Clifton. This was Roy’s first goal of the season, as well as his first professional one. The Cuda held the Reign scoreless throughout the second, who outshot them by one. However, the Cuda were not able to succeed on the man advantage yet again. The Cuda kept a 1-0 lead through the third period.

“Jeremy is getting better and better every game,” Coach Roy Sommer said after the match. “This is why [the Sharks] drafted him… his thing is producing points. He did that in juniors, that’s why he was such a high pick (31st overall in 2015). He’s not only defensive. He gets out of trouble, but he’s also got some offense to his game.”

Cuda goaltender Antoine Bibeau recorded his second shutout of the season (side note: I asked Bibeau, in French, how he feels after a shutout. He responded that it provides him with feelings of great satisfaction and contentment); Bibeau blocked all of the Reign’s 31 shots, whereas Reign goaltender Jack Campbell stopped 30 shots out of 31 (which still exemplifies strong netminding).

The Cuda, who are now 6-6, are back on tomorrow against the Reign at 3:00 p.m.

Barracuda Captain John McCarthy – Profile

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Photo: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—“When you play hockey for a living, obviously you need to treat it professionally, but also have fun with it, too,” John McCarthy, Captain of the San Jose Barracuda, remarked at practice on Tuesday morning.

McCarthy, 31, hails from just outside Boston. His father played hockey for College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and his older brother played up until high school. The siblings grew up playing hockey together, though John was the only one who went on to play at the college level (for Boston University) and, now, the professional leagues.

McCarthy grew up a Bruins fan, and he particularly looked up to Cam Neely, a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee. McCarthy did not know it at the time, but in his early 20s, he would be playing alongside a familiar face from watching television and live games at TD Garden: Joe Thornton.

“He was the guy when I was growing up with the Bruins,” McCarthy recalled, also noting that when he was first called up to the NHL eight years ago (2009-2010 season), he roomed with Thornton on his first road trip with the Sharks.

McCarthy attributes his professionalism in the AHL and NHL to his veteran teammates with whom he played his first few seasons in the big league (beginning in 2009-2010).

“[My older teammates] taught me how to approach the game. Come to the rink every day ready to work, get better every day,” he said.

Now, as the Barracuda captain and one of the team’s oldest players, McCarthy has become an influence for his younger teammates, guiding them as they work toward an NHL career.

“[Establishing an NHL career] is about not being overbearing… if [my younger teammates] want my insight on something, they can feel free to ask me. There’s plenty of situations where [questions] come up,” he stated. “In order for us to succeed, we have to outwork the other team. Our team has a completely different landscape than last year.”

McCarthy then referred to Barclay Goodrow, Ryan Carpenter, Kevin Labanc, Timo Meier, Tim Heed, and Joakim Ryan, all of whom were called up to the Sharks as regulars this season. Their call-ups impacted the Cuda as, McCarthy noted, they were all key players.

“Our game is more of a working game, more of a forechecking game, more of a ‘playing on the inside’ game. We can’t depend on the power play to get us wins like last year.”

Keeping this mentality through every game, McCarthy said, is one of the keys to success for both the Barracuda as a team and for each of the up-and-coming players individually.

Entering his third year as a Bay Area resident (during the season), McCarthy appreciates the snowless, seldom rainy Northern California weather, the cities surrounding San Jose (San Francisco, Santa Cruz, to name a few), and the staunch, passionate Sharks fans all around.

San Jose Barracuda Podcast with Ana Kieu: Barracuda looking to pick up a couple wins Sat and Sun against Ontario

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photo by San Jose Barracuda: San Jose Barracuda forward Marcus Sorenson (20) sets up for the draw as the Barracuda host the Ontario Reign this Saturday and Sunday at SAP Center in San Jose

On the SJ Barracuda podcast with Ana:

1. The Barracuda reassigned Colby McAuley to the Allen Americans last Thursday. What are Ana’s thoughts on the team’s decision?

2. Last season, defenseman Jeremy Roy tore his ACL in his left knee, which ended his season with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL. He could’ve returned to the QMJHL, but the Sharks decided San Jose was the best place for him to continue his development. How about the Sharks’ judgment?

3. How much of an impact has Kevin Labanc had on the Barracuda after his return to the AHL?

4. The Barracuda played two games against the Manitoba Moose at SAP Center. Rourke Chartier made his season debut in Game 1. Ana tells us more about the first game on Saturday afternoon.

5. The Barracuda continued a back-to-back set against the Moose on Sunday afternoon. Give us a quick recap of Game 2.

6. The Barracuda host the San Antonio Rampage tonight, visit the Ontario Reign Friday night, and return home to host the San Diego Gulls Saturday afternoon. What do they need to do to ensure a successful next three games?

7. Get Ana’s predictions on those three games?

Ana Kieu does the San Jose Barracuda Podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Categories AHL

Barracuda Claim Territory, Overthrow Moose 4-1

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Photo: @sjbarracuda

By Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE—The Barracuda retaliated against the Manitoba Moose big time this afternoon, overthrowing them 4-1 after a 5-2 loss the previous day.

The Cuda’s defensive game went up from yesterday in the first period. The Cuda took a few slick shots, but each was a “close but no cigar” type of situation; they just could not make it past Moose goaltender Eric Comrie, who is said to be an NHL starter for Winnipeg in the near future. In other words, the Cuda were strong on defense, not so much on offense despite two power play opportunities. The total of nine shots were comprised of two from Radim Simek, two from Adam Helewka, and one each from Rudolfs Balcers, Brandon Bollig, Danny O’Regan, Jacob Middleton, and Alexander True.

The second period started off strong defensively, and the Cuda took a 1-0 lead after O’Regan scored at the 4:10 mark with helpers from Middleton and John McCarthy. San Jose held on until 16:33, when Manitoba’s Patrice Cormier notched a power play goal to tie the score 1-1 after 40 minutes of play.

“[Comrie] is really good, I think I was just able to get through the defensive zone there have get a point-blank shot, and those are tough [for goalies] to stop,” O’Regan said of his goal.

The third period was the game-maker. The Cuda amped up their offensive game big time and scored three goals in these 20 minutes, despite a no-goal call for O’Regan, who made a shot attempt close to the two minute mark. Marcus Sorensen made a wrist shot at 1:53 after receiving a pass from Balcers (who would put up three assists before the 60 minute mark hit). Rourke Chartier, who was out six months due to injury, notched his first goal of the season “Logan Couture-style,” Coach Roy Sommer described, referring to the Sharks forward who currently leads the team in points with 14. Chartier’s goal was assisted by Balcers and Brandon Mashinter. Balcers also assisted Radim Simek’s empty-net goal at 17:22, as did Sorensen.

“He’s good,” Sorensen said of Balcers. “When he skates hard, he’s creating a lot of space for other people [to score]. It is fun to see him play.”

Balcers, who has one goal and 10 assists this season, added, “I didn’t expect that I was going to struggle with scoring goals this season, but I’m happy that assists come and that the other guys score.” Sommer noted that Balcers, in the past, has been more adept at putting up goals rather than assists.

Tonight’s starting goaltender, Antoine Bibeau, earned his second win with the Cuda. He only gave up one shot in the entire 60 minutes (he had 17 saves on 18 shots, and has above a .925 save percentage overall).

“[Tonight] was probably the best game I’ve played defensively, especially going into the third period,” Bibeau shared following the match. “It felt to me like a playoff game, how we were playing. We played hard, played everything right… We didn’t show up just to be here [today], we showed up to win a game.”

Forwards Kevin Labanc and Brandon Bollig were spot on about the fact that the key to success is playing with a two-way mindset, having confidence both offensively and defensively, though not so much confidence that effort subsides. Bollig added that attitude impacts the game significantly, which few could argue against. The momentum from yesterday’s third period translated well into today’s match, overall.

“We were a lot tighter,” Sommer said after the match. “We took time and space away [from the Moose], which made us play a lot better than last night.”

How can the Cuda carry on this kind of energy, cultivating wins, without becoming overly confident? I asked Adam Helewka, and he answered, “We just have to keep our game simple, not too pretty, and keep making the plays we made tonight, but at the same time, we just want to get pucks and bodies to the net.”

By “pretty,” Helewka suggested that making too many passes, and playing or shooting from the outside of the opposing team’s defense, would convey a “showy” type of game rather than competitive.