Jets Bounce By Sharks 5-3

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Photo credit: @hockeynight

By Matthew Harrington

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks’ five-game win streak came to an end at the SAP Center on Thursday night, with the Winnipeg Jets beating their hosts 5-3. Joe Thornton tied Marcel Dionne for 10th all-time in career assists, Joonas Donskoi picked up his 100th career point and Evander Kane had a pair of points in the loss to his former team. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves and Nikolaj Ehlers had a hat trick to give the Western Conference leaders their 48th point of the year.

The Jets scored first in a wild first period that saw a combined five goals, starting on a miscue by Brent Burns. The defenseman’s point shot went right into defenseman Dustin Byfuglien’s shin pad, resulting in a breakaway. The burly blueliner buried the puck for his 4th goal of the year just 51 seconds into the game.

San Jose tied the game after Joe Thornton and Evander combined on alittle give and go 45 seconds later, with the former Jet Kane scoring to knot the score at 1-1. Thornton’s assist was career assist 1040 for Jumbo, moving him into a tie with former Los Angeles Kings great Marcel Dionne for 10th place all-time in assists.

Joe Pavelski would tip a Kevin Labanc shot past Hellebuyck on the power play 11:27 into the period, his team-leading 22nd goal of the season scored from just outside the crease.

The Jets would again prey on the Sharks luck after a dump-in by Blake Wheeler caromed off the stanchion harmfully back into the slot, where Ehlers could score the easy tally with 7:28 left in the first. Mason Appleton gave his team the lead with a drive-by goal just 1:12 later for his first of the year.

The Sharks looked like they were back on the comeback after Donskoi scored his 6th of the year with just seconds left in the period on a opposite side redirection from a Kane pass. The Sharks’ forecheck forced Hellebuyck to turn the puck over behind his net, and Kane’s hard work on the boards pried the puck loose. Kane was potent all evening against his former team, firing 10 shots on goal to go with four hits. He played for Atlanta and Winnipeg from 2009 to a midseason trade to Buffalo in the 2014-15 season, playing in 361 games and amassing 222 points.

The Jets would put the dagger in the Sharks with just over three minutes left in regulation after a turnover on a breakout put the puck on the stick of a Jets forward on a 2-on-0. Martin Jones played the puck aggressively, allowing Ehlers to score his second of the night. He also would add the hat-trick after being awarded an empty net goal after a Sharks player impeded with his path to the vacant cage. Blake Wheeler assisted on all of Ehlers’ goals.

The Sharks look to get back to their winning ways with a pair of home games before the holidays, with the Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes coming to town for Saturday and Sunday tilts, respectively.

49ers hope to keep win streak going vs. Bears

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Photo credit: bleacherreport.com

By Jeremy Harness

This is a familiar trend for the 49ers.

They have long been out of the playoff picture, but they are hoping to get some carryover effect going for next season by going on a winning streak toward the end of this year.

The big difference here is that Jimmy Garoppolo is not under center for the 49ers at this point of the season, having been lost for the season with an ACL tear. Rather, it is undrafted Nick Mullens, who has opened eyes around the league with his surprising play.

That continued as the team scored an upset win over the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday, the first time since 2013 they have done so. Mullens will have a tougher defense to face this Sunday, as the Khalil Mack-led Chicago Bears will visit Levi’s Stadium.

As for the injury report, the 49ers are getting healthier. Running back Matt Breida has been limited in practice this week with the ankle injury he suffered weeks ago and is expected to play Sunday. Meanwhile, safety Jaquiski Tartt, who is nursing a shoulder injury, was also limited in practice this week but is expected to see the field against Chicago.

Linebacker Malcolm Smith has also been limited due to soreness in his Achilles tendon, while cornerback K’Waun Williams has been limited while nursing a knee ailment.

For the Bears, former 49er Aaron Lynch has been on the injury report with an elbow ailment, which has limited him in this week’s practices. The same goes for safety Eddie Jackson, who has an ankle injury, but is expected to play Sunday.

San Jose State names Scott White as new linebackers coach

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

Scott White, a 2018 San Jose State Spartans football staff analyst, accepted a promotion to linebackers coach on Thursday. Brent Brennan, the Spartans football head coach, made the announcement.

White brings 10 seasons of college coaching and noteworthy recruiting experiences to his new position with Spartans. Most notably, he was a UCLA football assistant for eight seasons (2010-17) who worked with head coaches Rick Neuheisel and Jim Mora, Jr.

“We are very excited about Scott White taking over as our new linebackers coach. He is a young coach with a lot of energy and knowledge that comes from his days at UCLA,” says Brennan.

“He’s also an outstanding recruiter. During his time at UCLA, he successfully recruited the best high school and junior college student-athletes and then nurtured, developed and molded them into NFL players over and over again.”

White was a quality control coach for the Bruins’ defense and special teams during the 2010-12 seasons, promoted to linebackers coach in 2013, and promoted again in 2015 to special teams coordinator/linebackers coach for the next three seasons.

He coached some of the nation’s top linebackers at UCLA. Eric Kendricks, currently with the Minnesota Vikings, was the 2014 Butkus Award and Lott Impact Trophy winner. In 2013, current Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Myles Jack became the first player in Pac-12 Conference history to be named the conference’s “Freshman of the Year” on offense and defense. Anthony Barr, the Vikings’ 2014 first-round draft choice, was a first-team All-America and finalist for the 2013 Butkus Award.

As a special teams coordinator, he oversaw the growth of UCLA kicker Kaimi Fairbairn, the 2015 Lou Groza Collegiate Placekicking Award winner and current placekicker for the Houston Texans.

One of the top college recruiters nationally, he was recognized by 247Sports as its 2016 Pac-12 Recruiter of the Year. That same year, Rivals.com named him to its list of National Top-25 Recruiters.

The 2006 graduate of the University of Washington was a four-year starter on the 2003-06 Huskies teams. He was a team captain and second-team All-Pac 10 Conference linebacker as a senior.

He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Seattle Prep School in 2007. After two seasons, White was named the linebackers coach at Central Washington University for the 2009 season. The Wildcats posted a 12-1 win-loss record, were #1 in scoring defense, #3 in rushing defense and #4 in passing defense among all NCAA Division II schools.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be here, represent San Jose State University, work with this staff and these great kids,” says White, who replaces Bojay Filimoeatu, who was recently named to the Utah State coaching staff.

San Jose State looks to rebound at Cal on Friday night

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

San Jose State men’s basketball is set to take on its second straight Pac-12 opponent this Friday night as they take on the Cal Golden Bears inside Haas Pavilion. Tip-off is set for 7 pm PT. Justin Allegri will have the radio call for KLIV 1590 AM, while Kate Scott and Mike Montgomery will broadcast on the Pac-12 Network.

Game #11
San Jose State (3-7) at Cal (4-6)
Friday, Dec. 21, 7:00 pm PT
Haas Pavilion (11,877)
Berkeley, Calif.

Live stats
Fans can view live stats of all SJSU men’s basketball games, home and away, by accessing the “Live Stats” feature at www.sjsuspartans.com. Click on the link on the men’s basketball schedule page to follow the action.

What would a win mean?
SJSU is looking for their first win over Cal since 1977. They are also looking for their first win over a Pac-12 opponent since defeating Washingtong State 88-76 on Nov. 27, 2016. A win would also be the fourth of the season, tying the team’s 2017-18 total for the whole year.

Heads held high
Despite falling to Stanford 78-73 in their last outing, the Spartans have a lot of momentum on their side after playing one of their best games of the Jean Prioleau era. SJSU shot 45.6 percent for the game and outshot the Cardinal 48.3-45.2 in the second half. The Spartans held the lead for all, but :02 seconds in the first half and regained the lead in the second half until the 12:15 mark. Late turnovers and several missed free throws proved costly down the stretch as the Spartans fell by five.

Michael Steadman and Oumar Barry became the first Spartan duo since Ryan Welage and Brandon Clarke to record a double-double in the same game. Welage and Clark achieved the feat against Washington State on Nov. 27, 2016 in Pullman.

Five players (Steadman, Barry, LeCense, Ivey and Baumann) scored in double-figures. It was the second time SJSU had five players do so this season, and first agaist a D1 opponent.

Steady Steadman
JUCO transfer Michael Steadman has made a big impact this season as a leader on and off the court. The 6’10″ forward is averaging a team-high 13.5 points per game and ranks fourth in the Mountain West with 9.4 rebounds per game. He also ranks 35th nationally in both total and defensive rebounds per game. Steadman has four double-doubles on the season, ranking third in the conference and has scored in double figures in 9-of-10 games, including seven straight.

Staff shakeup
Prioleau made some changes to his staff in the offseason as he brought in former NC State All-American Julius Hodge as an assistant coach and promoted director of operations Ryan Cooper to assistant coach.

Another SJSU-Cal meeting
SJSU and Cal have met 22 times with the Golden Bears holding a a 19-3 advantage, including a 19-1 mark in Berkely. The teams last met on Dec. 11, 2011 in an 81-36 blowout loss. The Spartans are looking for their fourth win in the series and first since Dec. 27, 1977 (76-74).

The Golden Bears, led by second year head coach Wyking Jones, will be facing their second straight MW opponent after falling to Fresno State 95-73 on Dec. 19. Cal is 4-6 overall with wins over Hampton (80-66), Santa Clara (78-66), San Diego State (89-83) and Cal Poly (67-66).

Big game Baumann
Sophomore Noah Baumann is once again displaying his impressive 3-point shooting ability this season after finishing in the top 40 in the MW in 3-point percentage as a freshman. He is currently 22-for-40 from 3-point range (.550) and ranks second in the MW in 3-point percentage. He also ranks 10th in the conference with 2.2 3’s per game. Baumann is averaging 15.3 PPG in the last three outings (Bethune-Cookman, NAU, Stanford).

Baumann was a key cog for the Spartans in their two wins over B-CU and NAU. Against B-CU, after the team went 0-10 from 3-point range in the opening half, Baumann drained 3-of-5 attempts in the second half and finished with a then-season-high 12 points to help lead the Spartans to a victory.

Baumann followed up with his best performance as a Spartan in the win over NAU. He scored a career-high 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 18 in the second half to lead the Spartans to victory. He finished 5-of-6 from 3-point range and made four free throws in the final :37 seconds to close out the game.

Oumar coming on strong
Senior center Oumar Barry is playing his best basketball as a Spartan as of late. Against Bethune-Cookman, he finished with a then-career-high 13 points and seven rebounds. He followed that up with his most dominating performance at SJSU as he recorded his first career double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds, his first-career game with double digit rebounds. Barry also blocked two shots and was 7-of-10 at the free throw line to help the Spartans to a victory.

Barry followed up with another double-double against Stanford (15 points, 10 rebounds). After playing 38 career games without recording a double-double, he now has two in the last two games.

What’s next on the Bay Area road trip?
After playing at Cal, the Spartans will bookend their nonconference slate on Dec. 29 against Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif., completing their road trip against Bay Area opponents.

Stanford Cardinal football podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Love leaves Stanford and the Sun Bowl and prepares for NFL draft

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bleacherreport.com file photo: Stanford Cardinal running back Bryce Love is setting his sites on the 2019 NFL Draft and foregoing the Sun Bowl on New Years Eve between the Cardinal and the TCU Horned Frogs

On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Stanford running back Bryce Love chose to participate in the Hyundai Sun Bowl against Pittsburgh. Love has been hampered with injuries all season.

#2 Love said that he wants to be completely healthy for the 2019 NFL draft.

#3 Will Love be a high draft pick?

#4 Love had an incredible 2017 with 2118 yards rushing, 19 touchdowns, this season he had only 739 yards

#5 The Big game, the Sun Bowl, is upon us between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Stanford Cardinal on New Year’s Eve Monday, Dec. 31st.

Jerry has the Stanford Cardinal podcast each Thursday and Daniel Dullum has game recap coverage of the Sun Bowl on New Years Eve at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Not Just the Shots: Cal beaten decisively at Fresno State, 95-73, as all goes south except their shooting

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By Morris Phillips

On Wednesday, the Cal Bears had 28 made baskets on 49 percent shooting, and their opponent, host Fresno State had 29 made baskets on 51 percent shooting.

Sounds like a close game with both teams dialed in on the offensive end, right?

Hardly, the Bears did little right with exception of shooting the basketball, and were beaten start to finish by the Bulldogs, 95-73. As the game approached halftime, the Bears grew stagnant offensively, and Fresno State took off, leading by as many as 25 points in the second half.

“At the end of the first half is when we stopped sharing the ball and that’s where they made their run,” said Cal coach Wyking Jones. “It is concerning because that’s how we played at the beginning of the season. I would think that we would have learned at this point that we have to move the ball to be good.”

The Bears did little right outside of three, quality performances offensively from Justice Sueing, Paris Austin and Andre Kelly. Fresno State drove to the basket at will against Cal, leading to their stellar shooting numbers as well as a whopping 38 free throw attempts, of which they converted 29. The Bulldogs also enjoyed a healthy advantage on the glass (36-27) while getting at least two made 3-pointers from three, different guys in their starting lineup.

Fresno State stayed hot, winning for the sixth, consecutive time despite two weeks of inactivity for study and final exams.

“We had six guys in double-figures and I think we had a low turnover rate until the end, we got a little bit sloppy at the end,” first-year head coach Justin Hutson said. “Cal is a 40% 3-point team and to go 3-for-15 and 20% was a big difference for us tonight.”

The Bears’ offense never gained traction, even as Cal battled evenly with Fresno State approaching halftime. Justice Sueing’s layup with 3:31 remaining brought Cal within 34-31, but the Bulldogs finished the half on a 10-1 run to seize control.

Grant Anticevich replaced the concussed Connor Vanover in the Bears’ starting lineup, but suffered his second straight below par game, missing four of his five shots.

New Williams scored 19 points to led Fresno State, he was one of six Bulldogs to score in double digits, including all five starters.

Fresno’s 95 points was the team’s high for the season, although they had scored at least 90 three times previously.

The Bears return home Friday to face San Jose State at 7 pm at Haas Pavilion.

Run Out Of Town: Thunder Rout Kings, 132-113 Despite Hield’s Career-Best Effort

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By Morris Phillips

SACRAMENTO — What would Paul Westhead think?

The former Lakers, Nuggets, Loyola Marymount and Oregon coach, the “Guru of Go” would have an acute appreciation for Wednesday’s Thunder and Kings game at Golden 1 Center. With the breakneck pace, running and shooting, the two teams attacked each other relentlessly in transition and in halfcourt situations for 48 minutes. Defense? Yeah, they played a little, not like the 79-year old coach’s 1990-91 Nuggets, still the NBA’s most porous outfit, that allowed 130.8 points per game.

So what advice would Westhead offer the two teams, already married to the run-and-gun game, and committed getting up a shot in half the duration of the 24 second clock?

Of course, Westhead would offer that less memorable but essential element: make the opponent uncomfortable. Sure, every team will accept an invitation to run, but on their terms. In order for the system to work as it came closest at LMU, the opposition must be made to feel uncomfortable–and out of breath. Sort of a careful-what-you-ask-for conundrum cooked up for the NBA hardwood.

On Wednesday, the resolute Thunder made the short-handed Kings feel uncomfortable, especially in the game’s decisive, second quarter.

Paul George had 15 of his game-best 43 points in the second quarter in which the Thunder saw their 3-point lead swell briefly to 20. George ended the first quarter complaining to the officials that he was fouled by the smaller De’Aaron Fox on a drive to the hoop. While the replay showed Fox dislodged the ball from George cleanly, and the non-call was correct, the 6’11” All-Star simply doubled down his efforts, scoring on similar drives three times in the opening moments of the second.

“One of the things we wanted to do is play closer to the rim,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said after he sensed his club settled for too many 3-point shots in their October 21 loss at Sacramento. “I felt we needed to play closer to the basket.”

With George and Russell Westbrook attacking the basket, the Kings found themselves getting pushed around in the paint. The Kings allowed their fourth opponent in the last five games to score at least 130 points, and this time, the rebounding disparity was especially glaring.

“We’ve got to get better individually guarding the basketball, and we’ve got to get a little bit more active in our help,” coach Dave Joerger said of his Kings, who were outrebounded 66-43 by the Thunder.

The King trailed by 71-52 at the break, and only briefly reduced Oklahoma City’s margin to single digits in the second half. Down 88-80 with 3:47 remaining in the third, the Kings’ rally stalled. Then George opened the fourth with nine, consecutive points and the Thunder ran away, their eight win in the last 11 games.

The Kings played without Iman Shumpert, Bogdan Bogdanovic and William Bagley and briefly turned to seldom used Ben McLemore in the second to provide a spark defensively. Sacramento fell to 16-15, and into a tie for 10th place with Memphis in the jam-packed Western Conference.

The Kings were led by Buddy Hield, who scored a career-best 37 points in 35 minutes. Hield had seven made threes, but missed 14 of his 25 shot attempts. Fox added 28, and Willie Cauley-Stein had 13 points, seven rebounds.

The six players to see action off the Kings’ bench combined to miss 17 of their 21 shot attempts. Besides McLemore, Skal Labissiere and Frank Mason saw floor time in the absence of Shumpert, Bagley and Bogdanovic.

The Thunder got 19 points, 17 assists and 11 rebounds from Westbrook, a triple-double for the superstar that highlighted the evolving nature of his game.

The Kings look to avoid falling back to .500 on Friday night in a matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies at Golden 1 Center. Game time at 7:00 pm.

Jazz send the Warriors down to defeat, 108-103

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Photo credit: nba.com/warriors

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Warriors traveled to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Wednesday night. The Warriors knew they would have their work cut out for them if the Jazz would be able to play their style of game. The Jazz did that as they played a slow tempo, half-court game that featured them using as much of the 24-second clock before making a shot and, on defense, slowing down the Warriors’ fast-paced game.

The Jazz’ big man, Rudy Gobert, kept the Warriors from getting to the rim all night long. The Jazz hounded Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry. Curry, to his credit, was able to put points on the board as he led the team with 32 points. He made five three-point shots in nine attempts. Klay failed to make a three and Durant was made two threes in seven tries.  The Jazz hit 16 threes in 42 attempts. Kyle Korver made four, and Jae Crowder killed the Warriors as he made five treys to lead the Jazz to the win.

The game was close for three quarters. Utah won the first quarter 24-21. The Warriors made two threes in the first 12 minutes of play. Steph hit one, and Jonas Jerebko knocked down the other. The Warriors got the offense going in the second quarter as they outscored the Jazz 34-32 and trailed by one at the end of the first half 56-55. Curry led the Warriors with 21 and Durant added 12. Thompson was held to four. The Warriors’ bench added 8. Gobert led the Jazz with 11 points and 11 boards. Joe Ingles and Jae Crowder each had 9.

In the third quarter, the Jazz hit seven three-point shots. The Warriors defense shut down the Jazz near the basket, but they could not stop the outside shooting. Kyle Korver and Jae Crowder kept making three and the Warriors finished the third quarter trailing 84-80. The Warriors could not hit a bucket to start the fourth quarter. The Jazz increased the lead to 11, 98-87. The Warriors made a comeback at this point. They went on an 11-2 run to make it a 2-point game 100-98. The Jazz increased the lead to 106-100 with less than 1:50 left to play. Durant hit a three to make it 106-103 with 17 seconds left. The Warriors had the ball and had a chance to tie if they could make a three. They got the ball into Curry’s hands. Curry was going for a three when the ball was knocked out of his grip. The referees ruled it would be the Warriors’ ball with 2.8 seconds left. After a review of the play, the refs reversed the call, and the ball went over to the Jazz. The Warriors fouled Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell made both free throws and the game was over. The Jazz won 108-103.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss the Warriors drop to 21-11. The Jazz’ record is now 15-17 for the season and has won four straight while at home.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 32. Kevin Durant had 30. Klay Thompson finished with 12, and no other Warrior was in double figures. Draymond Green had 8 points and 12 rebounds. Kevon Looney had four. The Warriors’ bench tallied 17 points, and their output did not help the Warriors’ effort. The Jazz had six players in double figures. Joe Ingles led the jazz with 20. Gobert finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 blocked shots. Donovan Mitchell had 17, Jae Crowder 18. Korver 12, and Derrick Favors 12.

The stats showed how the Jazz stymied the Warriors’ offense. The Warriors recorded only 18 assists. This would indicate that they were not able to move the ball as well as they normally do. The Jazz had 30 for the night. The Jazz outrebounded the Warriors 52-48 The Warriors had 10 steals and 9 blocks on defense. The Jazz countered with 7 steals and 7 blocks. The Warriors committed 12 turnovers. The Jazz turned the ball over 16 times.

The loss was the first of the season for the Warriors when they held the opponent below 40% shooting.

Kevin Durant passed Gary Payton to move into 32nd place in scoring.

Up Next: The Warriors return home to face the Dallas Mavericks Saturday night at Oracle Arena. Game time will be at 5:30 pm.

Gulls dominate the Barracuda in 6-1 win

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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.

Raiders battle Broncos on Christmas Eve in home finale at the Coliseum

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Photo credit: broncoswire.usatoday.com

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
SRS Contributor

OAKLAND — The Raiders return to the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in what will be the team’s home finale to a rough 2019 season. The Silver and Black will host the Denver Broncos on Christmas Eve in a AFC West matchup on Monday Night Football with the kickoff set for 5:15 p.m. PT on ESPN.

Oakland holds a 62-52-2 all-time record against the Broncos, with the Raiders looking to make it three in a row over Denver at home.

Last week, the Raiders (3-11) traveled to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals, but lost 30-16 at Paul Brown Stadium in Week 15.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr continued to move up the franchise record book. Carr passed Rich Gannon for the most consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception against the Bengals. Now sitting at 299 attempts, bested Gannon’s mark of 277 set back in 2001.

In fact, Carr hasn’t thrown an interception in nine-straight games after throwing for 263 yards on 21-of-38 passes and one touchdown. Through 14 games, Carr has 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Entering Monday night’s game with 3,697 passing yards, Carr is 303 yards shy from his first 4,000-yard passing season.

Wide receiver Jordy Nelson led the Raiders with six catches for 88 yards.

Lee Smith, who is better known for his blocking, has been more of a scorer in recent weeks, hauling in a touchdown for the third-straight game.

Defensively, safety Karl Joseph led the team with eight tackles (six solo) and his first sack of the season. Fellow safety Erik Harris recorded his first-career interception.

The Broncos (6-8) enter Week 16 losing to the Cleveland Browns 17-16 at home last Saturday. The slim loss eliminated Denver from playoff contention in the AFC, and puts them one loss away from back-to-back losing seasons. Denver finished 5-11 in 2017.

Denver is looking to complete the season sweep over Oakland, after defeating the Raiders 20-19 at Denver Stadium at Mile High in Week 2. The Broncos rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit, capped off by kicker Brandon McManus’ 36-yard game-winning field goal just inside the right upright with 6 seconds to play.

Broncos rookie running back Phillip Lindsay, who was named to the AFC Pro Bowl team on Tuesday, rushed for 107 yards on 14 carries against the Raiders in Week 2.

On the season, Lindsay has rushed for 991 yards to go along with nine touchdowns on 182 carries in 14 games (seven starts) for the Broncos.

Linebacker Von Miller continues to be a terror on defense. The former Defensive Player of the Year leads the the team with 14.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, and was voted to his eighth Pro Bowl team. Fellow linebacker Bradley Chubb is second on the Broncos with 12.0 sacks and was named an alternate to the Pro Bowl.

Chubb, the Broncos’ top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, is 2.5 sacks away from tying Jevon Kearse’s (14.5) NFL record for rookies, set in 1999 with the Tennessee Titans.