Category: AHL

sjbarracuda.com photo: San Antonio Rampage goaltender Spencer Martin (30) and defenceman Josh Anderson (25), the San Jose Barracuda forward Flip Sandberg (43) jockey for position during Saturday afternoon’s matinee at SAP Center in San Jose in AHL action

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE–Trying to rebound after an embarrassing home opener, the penalty kill woes continued for the San Jose Barracuda as the San Antonio Rampage scored a power play goal late in the third period for a 3-2 victory at SAP Center. It was the Barracuda’s second straight loss.

Andrew Agozzino scored the game winning goal for the Rampage with a 1:49 remaining in the third period on a power play goal for his second goal of the season. He knocked home a rebound from the right side of the net on a show by Jordan Schmaltz. San Jose’s Julius Bergman was a victim of a holding penalty with 3:12 left in the third period.

San Jose took control of the game in the 1st period when Alex True scored his first goal of the season on nice feed from Adam Helewka up the middle and beat goalie Spencer Martin top self. Marcus Sorensen got the secondary assist at 4:44 of the first period.

The Barracuda had a chance to increase their lead when Rampage defenseman David Warsofsky was in the sin bin for holding but Sorensen wasn’t able to put home an empty net chance after receiving the puck on a deflection in front of the net.

Just when it look like the Barracuda were going to escape the first period with a 1-0 lead, Rocco Grimaldi evened the scored at one with his first goal of the season when he was able to cash in on a 2-on-1 break when his linemate Andrew Agozzino fed him a cross ice pass that Grimaldi buried into the net beating Barracuda goalie Antoine Bibeau just six second before the end of the second period. Bibeau received the start after coming in to relieve starting goaltender Troy Grosenick the evening before.

Bibeau, who finished the game with 35 saves on 38 shots, stopped a point blank chance off a shot from Rampage forward Reid Petryk four and a half minutes into the second period after a shot from the point found the tape of Petryk.

The Barracuda missed out on a great opportunity to regain the lead when Nicholas Meloche went off for high sticking Brandon Mashinter that earned Meloche a four minute penalty. And 31 seconds later they had a 5-on-3 for almost a full two minutes when defenseman Duncan Siemens for slashing. The closest the came to scoring was when Julius Bergman hit a post with a slapshot from the point. The Barracuda only generated one shot on the entire power play opportunity.

“When you have a 5-on-3, 80 percent of the time you probably should score on those,” said forward Adam Helewka. “Yeah that was a key part of the game.”

The Barracuda regained the lead with 1:48 left in the 2nd period on a power play goal when Filip Sandberg tipped in a Bergman shot from the right point for his first goal of the season. Sandberg was in perfect position to tip home the puck as he was camped out in front of Martin. Meloche was in the sin bin after taking a slashing penalty.

Joe Colborne tied the game with his first goal of the season on the power play at 11:32 of the third/ period when he tipped in a shot from the point by Schmaltz. Sorensen’s holding penalty put the Rampage on the power play.

NOTES: Things got chippy in the third period when separate hits by Sorensen and Rampage’s Chris Butler created some shoving and pussy between the two teams.  No fights broke out and matching minors for roughing were distributed to San Jose’s Colby McAuley and San Antonio’s Felix Girard.

San Jose was out shot 38-18. They went 1/6 on the power play while San Antonio was 2/4.

NEXT UP: The San Jose Barracuda host the Stockton Heat on Wednesday 10/18 at 7pm at SAP Center.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan looks on in the first half during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, September 21, 2017, in Santa Clara, Calif. The Rams won the game 41-39. (Terrell Lloyd via AP Images)

On the 49ers Joe Lami:

1 The 49ers who had a couple of close finishes matter of fact in overtime might be getting close to actually winning one of those games

2 Head coach Kyle Shanahan who prepares his team to the max on offense he had many offensive plays but it always seems like the opposition always seems to execute much better on defending that offense. Shanahan goes back to the chalkboard this Sunday to prepare the 49ers in Washington

3 Rookie linebacker Reuben Foster’s ankle is feeling a lot better he’s up for some playing time in Washington. It will be his first action since he injured his ankle back on Sep 10th.

4 Shanahan said he won’t use Foster for 60, 80, or so plays but Foster will be used on a limited basis

5 Safety Eric Reid will also be looking at limited time he was missed the last three games and is practicing this week. Reid could get in the line up on Sunday in Washington

Joe does the 49ers podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

sjbarracuda.com photo: San Jose Sharks forward Brandon Marhinter (53) battles for the puck with the Stockton Heat’s defenceman Josh Heatley (3)

By Marko Ukalovich

The San Jose Barracuda overcame a 1st period 2 goal deficit to roll past the Stockton Heat 6-4 in their season opener at Stockton Arena. Andrew Mangiapane blasted a slap shot past Troy Grosenick from the left wing on a three-on-two at 7:46 to break the deadlock. At 17:35, the AHL’s Rookie of the Year from a season ago Danny O’Regan evened the score on a backdoor tap-in after a perfect cross-ice feed from Filip Sandberg. 20 seconds later, Garnet Hathaway recaptured Stockton’s lead as he beat Grosenick with a backhand-to-forehand move on the breakaway.

In the second, the Heat extended its lead to 3-1 a minute and 59 seconds into the period as Mangiapane collected his third point of the evening by setting up Mark Jankowski on the power play. After that point, San Jose weathered four more Stockton power plays and O’Regan jammed home his second of the game to get the Barracuda back within one at 11:24. Rudolfs Balcers cashed in on a loose puck atop the crease at 13:15 for his first pro goal, tying the game on the power play after Gillies had initially denied O’Regan’s close-range hat-trick bid.

In the third, tied at 3-3, San Jose took its first lead of the night when Stockton failed to clear the puck from their own end, and Adam Helewka found Marcus Sorensen in the low slot at 6:07. At 5:43, Joe Cramarossa tied the score on a point-shot rebound, but Manuel Wiederer gave San Jose the lead back on the penalty kill as he picked off a pass and beat Gillies through the five-hole on a breakaway at 13:36. Helewka sealed the win with an empty-netter at 18:52.

Grosenick (1-0) earned the victory by making 23 saves on 27 shots, while Gillies (1-1) took the loss after allowing five goals on 26 shots.

NEXT UP: The San Jose Barracuda take on the defending Calder Cup Champion Grand Rapids Griffins in their home opener on Friday October 13th.

sjbarracuda.com photo: The San Jose Barracuda left winger Adam Helewka (46) takes the puck past two Stockton Heat defenders on Saturday afternoon at SAP Center on Saturday

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE–What a difference a day makes. The San Jose Barracuda rebounded less than 14 hours after their terrible pre-season debut to win a thrilling 2-1 game in overtime over the visiting Stockton Heat at the SAP Center. San Jose’s Adam Helewka scored the game winner with less than a minute left in overtime. Helewka used some nifty stick handling to maneuver around defenders before he wristed a shot past Heat goalie Mason McDonald.

The Heat got on the board first with exactly 11 minutes left in the second period when Joel Lowry was able to clean up a rebound from a Spencer Foo shot near the right point that Barracuda goalie Antoine Bibeau initially stopped but wasn’t able to corral the rebound as the puck trickled through his legs that Lowry was able to tap past him for the 1-0 lead.

The Barracuda were on the verge of their second straight shutout until Manuel Wiederer scored just over a minute into the 3rd period. It was McDonald’s first test after he came into the 3rd period replacing starting goalie Tyler Parsons, who left after the 2nd period. Parsons finished with 16 saves, including a couple of point blank chances, before being replaced by McDonald.

McDonald took the loss after allowing two goals on 13 shots in 20 minutes and 46 seconds of action. Bibeau earned the win by making 24-of-25 saves. Both teams were unsuccessful on their power play opportunity in the first period.

NEXT UP: The San Jose Barracuda begin their regular season on the road at the Stockton Heat next Saturday October 7th at 6pm.

sjbarracuda.com photo: San Jose Barracuda goaltender Antoine Bibeau (34) was kept busy all night facing a barrage of shots in a 6-0 loss in Bakersfield in Thursday night’s first pre season game

by Marko Ukalovic

The opening game of the pre-season wasn’t a pretty sight for the San Jose Barracuda as they were blanked by the Bakersfield Condors 6-0 at Rabobank Arena. San Jose couldn’t complain about not getting their chances. They received 4 power plays in the first period only to come up with what the Condor left on the rock. Overall they failed on 5 power play opportunities during the game.

Newly acquired goaltender Eddie Pasquale (1-0) stopped all 17 shots he faced in route to the shut out. Pasquale led the Grand Rapids Griffins to the Calder Cup Championship last season. The Condors are hoping to get that kind of quality goaltending out of Pasquale this season.

The Condors got on the board at 13:51 of the first period when Braden Christoffer back handed in a rebound while being left alone after Barracuda goalie Antoine Bibeau initially stopped Ben Betker’s shot from the left point. Bakersfield added to its lead at 14:38 as Keegan Lowe beat a screened Bibeau through the five-hole along the right half-wall, and then the Condors completed the three-goal first when Josh Currie ripped a shot from close range over the blocker of San Jose’s netminder after receiving a below the goal-line feed from Zach O’Brien. San Jose was outshot in the first 20 minutes 14-to-11.

The carnage continued for Bakersfield in the second period, adding two more goals to go up 5-0. First, Dana Tyrell tipped an Evan Polei shot at 4:26 and then Lane Bauer ended Bibeau’s night and gave Bakersfield a 5-0 lead at 6:06. Down 5-0, San Jose looked to push back physically as Bryan Moore dropped the gloves with 6-foot-5 defenseman Ryan Mantha at 6:47, and then San Jose’s Josh Thrower threw punches with Istvan Sofron at 13:43. Bibeau lasted just 33 minutes and 43 seconds after allowing five goals on 22 shots.

In the third, goalie Stephon Williams worked the final six minutes and 17 seconds of the frame. Williams was forced to make a handful of stellar saves, but Condors’ Kyle Platzer made it 6-0 with a backhand-to-forehand move on a breakaway down the right wing at 11:07. Williams allowed one goal on 14 shots.

NEXT UP: The Barracuda take on the Stockton Heat on Saturday, Sept. 30 at SAP Center at 1:30 p.m for their second and final pre-season game.