Tag: AHL

The Rockford IceHogs celebrate one of their seven goals in the 7-2 win over the San Jose Barracuda at Teach CU Arena on Friday OCT 13, 2023. (San Jose Barrcuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

The Rockford IceHogs took advantage of a five-minute power play scoring two goals in what turned a close game into a laugher during a 7-2 victory over the San Jose Barracuda in the season opener for both teams on Friday evening at Tech CU Arena.

The opening 20 minutes featured a physical battle with both team throwing hits to get themselves acquainted with one another. ‘Cuda starting goalie Magnus Chrona stoned Josh Healey on a short-handed breakaway opportunity at the 9:46 mark.

Rockford (1-0-0-0) drew first blood with the power play goal just halfway past the first period. The IceHogs only needed eight second to convert when Joey Anderson fed a rink wide pass through the crease and Anders Bjork buried a one-timer past Chrona for his goal of the season at the 10:47 mark.

The IceHogs doubled its lead with an even strength goal at the 14:05 mark. Joey Anderson found Mike Hardman with a backdoor pass and Hardman tapped in an easy one for his first goal of the season. Bjork received the secondary assist on the play.

San Jose (0-1-0-0) responded less than two minutes later with an even strength goal. Ethan Cardwell whipped a no-look backhand pass through the crease and Brandon Coe beat IceHogs goalie Drew Commesso with a one-timer for his first goal of the season at the 15:58 mark.

The game changing moment came at the 3:12 mark of the second period when Ozzy Wiesblatt was given a five-minute major penalty for a high hit on Kale Howarth, who was injured on the play and did not return to the game. The officiating crew ruled the hit to be a check to the head and Wiesblatt’s night was over on a questionable call that looked to have been a clean hit delivered by Wiesblatt.

“Not really,” said ‘Cuda head coach John McCarthy when asked if he received any explanation from the officials. “That’s what they saw. They said it was contact to the head. We gotta deal with it. It set us on our heels on the scoreboard, but also momentum wise.”

Rockford took full advantage as they scored twice during the five-minute penalty. Michal Telply cleaned up a rebound off a blocked shot from the point to score his first goal of the season at the 5:16 mark to regain a two-goal lead for the IceHogs. David Gust made it 4-1 29 seconds later when he drove in a point-blank shot through the five-hole of Chrona for his first goal of the season.

Cole Cassels had a chance to cut the IceHogs lead in half when he was awarded a penalty shot after being tripped up by Louis Crevier on a breakaway attempt at the 15:51 mark. However, Cassels’ shot rung off the far post.

Gust scored his second goal of the game after he finished a two-on-one odd man rush with Brett Seney. Gust received the cross-ice pass and made a move around Chrona before tapping home the puck inside the net at the 12:05 mark of the third period.

Ryder Rolston scored his first goal of the season for Rockford after slamming home a puck into an open net after receiving a pass from Jalen Luypen at the 14:06 mark.

Bryce Kindopp closed out the scoring for Rockford with an unassisted empty net goal at the 15:58 mark.

‘Cuda defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin scored his goal of the season with San Jose on a 5-on-3 advantage. Danil Guhschin found him at the right point and Mukhamadullin fired a wrist shot past Commesso at the 16:51 mark.

Commeesso finished then night stopping 34 of the 36 shots to earn his first victory of the season. Chrona made 27 saves on 33 shots in the losing effort.

“We left him (Chrona) (hung) out to dry. We didn’t give up a ton of chances, but the quality of the chances we gave up was high. Bad reads, bad reads in the offensive zone. (We) put ourselves in a bad spot there. It wasn’t on him,” McCarthy said.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 1-for-4 on the power play. Rockford went 3-for-5.

The Three Stars of the Game were: 1) Gust 2) Coe 3) Bjork.

UP NEXT:San Jose and Rockford conclude their two-games series on Saturday 10/14 at 2:00pm at Tech CU Arena.

The San Jose Barracuda enjoy their final game of the season with a 4-2 win over the Tucson Roadrunners at Tucson Convention Center Arena on Saturday APR 15, 2023. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

Ending the season on a positive note is always good thing despite not accomplishing their main goal.

The San Jose Barracuda barely missed out on reaching the AHL Playoffs this season, but they went out with high hopes for next season with a 4-2 victory over the Tucson Roadrunners in their season finale on Saturday evening at the Tucson Convention Center Arena.

San Jose ended the 2022-23 season with a record of 31-34-2-5 to finish the year with 69 points in eighth place in the Pacific Division under first year head coach John McCarthy. It was quite the improvement from last season where the ‘Cuda finished dead last in the AHL with just 46 points.

The Barracuda drew first blood 57 seconds into the second period when Danil Gushchin, who had a hot final two weeks of the season, scored an unassisted goal, his 22nd of the season. Gushchin finished the game with three points (1G, 2A).

Tucson (30-33-8-1-69 points) answered back less than six minutes later with an even strength goal. Michael Kesselring scored 15th goal of the season at the 6:13 mark. Milos Keleman recorded the only assist on the play.

San Jose regained the lead with 50 seconds left in the middle frame with an even strength goal. Kyle Criscuolo netted his 17th goal of the season. ‘Cuda captain Andrew Agozzino and Gushchin set up Criscuolo’s goal.

The Roadrunners scored the equalizer early in the third perido when Michael Lomabardi scored his first goal in a Roadrunners uniform at the 4:28 mark. Micah Miller recorded his first point for Tuscon with the lone assist.

Nick Cicek scored the eventual game winning goal for San Jose with 40 seconds left in the final frame. Criscuolo and Guschin recorded assists on the game winner from Cicek.

CJ Suess completed the scoring with an empty net goal, his 10th of the season, with four seconds left in the game to seal the deal for San Jose.

‘Cuda goalie Strauss Mann, who made his second consecutive start, finished the night stopping 22 of the 24 shots to earn back to back wins for the first time this season. Mann finished with a record of 8-7. Roadrunners goalie Tyler Parks was once again on the losing end as he made 32 saves on 35 shots.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 0-for-4 on the power play. Tuscon was 0-for-6.

With the sweep of the series, San Jose won the season series over Tucson 5-3.

The Three Stars of the Game were: 1) Gushchin 2) Cicek 3) Lombardi.

Sports Radio Service thanks the readership for checking out our coverage of the San Jose Barracuda this season and we look forward to providing coverage of the 2023-24 season that will include the AHL All-Star Weekend which will happen the weekend of February 4-5, 2024, in San Jose, California.

San Jose’s Strauss Mann makes a save against the Tucson Roadrunners in his team’s 4-3 win at the Tucson Convention Center Arena on Friday APR 14, 2023. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

Danil Gushchin scored two goals, including the eventual game-winner as the San Jose Barracuda defeated the Tucson Roadrunners 4-3 on Friday evening at Tucson Convention Center Arena.

San Jose snapped its two-game losing streak with one more game remaining in the regular season. Tucson has lost six in a row earning just three points in their last six games (0-3-2-1).

What was supposed to be a battle for the seventh and final playoff spot in the Pacific Division between the two teams, turned out to be meaningless games for both teams at the opening faceoff with Tucson clinching seventh place last weekend when it picked up a point in an overtime loss against the Texas Stars. It held the tiebreaker over San Jose with more regulation wins (25-22).

Tucson (30-32-8-1-69 points) drew first blood in the first period when Nathan Smith was left all alone in front of the crease where he used a forehand to backhand move to beat ‘Cuda goalie Strauss Mann with a shot from point blank range. Smith’s 12th goal of the season came at the 7:45 mark.

San Jose (30-34-2-5-67 points) evened the score on the power play late in the opening frame. Gushchin found ‘Cuda captain Andrew Agozzino with a back door pass that Agozzino tapped home into an empty net for his team leading 26th goal of the season at the 14:51 mark. By doing so, Agozzino set a new franchise record for the most goals in a regular season as he eclipsed the mark set by Barclay Goodrow during the 2015-16 season.

The Barracuda gained its first lead just under four minutes later with an even strength goal. This time Agozzino returned the favor as he set up Gushchin who skated in from the left wing and beat Roadrunners goalie Tyler Parks with a low wrist shot to the short side for his 20th goal of the season at the 18:38 mark.

Both teams played a tight checking second period as only a total of 13 shots were produced with each goaltender keeping the puck of its own respective nets.

Tucson evened the game 80 seconds into the third period. A giveaway by the ‘Cuda led to Josh Doan beating Mann with a wrist shot from close range for his third goal of the season.

San Jose regained the lead at the 7:52 mark with an even strength goal. Moments after their fifth power play ended a shot from the right slot by CJ Suess caromed off the end boards and deflected into the back off the net off a Roadrunner player’s stick that was camped out in front of the crease. It was Suess’s ninth goal of the season.

Gushchin scored his second goal of the game with the ‘Cuda on the man advantage just past the halfway mark of the final frame. Agozzino centered a pass out the faceoff circles where Gushchin blasted a slapshot past Parks for his 21st goal of the season at the 10:27 mark to give San Jose a much needed insurance goal.

Cameron Hebig gave the Roadrunners hope of a comeback when he scored a shorthanded goal at the 15:03 mark. Hebig cleaned up a big rebound off of a shot by Vladislav Kolyachonok for his ninth goal of the season.

Tucson’s had a chance at the end with a power play opportunity and Parks pulled for an extra attacker but their bid for the equalizer was thwarted when Steven Kampfer was called for a tripping penalty with 28 seconds remaining.

Mann (7-7) finished the game stopping 34 of the 37 shots to earn the victory. Parks (8-8-2) made 25 saves on 29 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 2-for-6 on the power play. Tucson was 0-for-4.

The Three Stars of the Game were: 1) Gushchin 2) Agozzino 3) Ethan Frisch.

UP NEXT: San Jose play their season finale against Tucson on Saturday 4/15 at 7:00pm at Tucson Convention Center Arena.