Tag: Sports Radio Service

Utah HC Posts Third Consecutive Home Win With 2-1 Victory Over Chicago

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Utah Hockey Club left wing Lawson Crouse (67) takes the puck up ice against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Tue Feb 25, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse each found the back of the net, and Karel Vejmelka stopped 21 of 22 shots, as Utah nails down third consecutive home win.

Coming off of a 2-1 home victory against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday, Utah HC returned to the ice on Tuesday to square off against the Chicago Blackhawks, whom they defeated 5-2 on opening night in October.

Prior to the puck drop, local recording artist Yahosh Bonner, fresh off of starring in the lead role of Coalhouse Walker Jr. in the musical “Ragtime!,” the inaugural production at The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater in Pleasant Grove, set the tone for the game with his powerful performance of the national anthem.

At 12:47 of the first period, Utah forward Kevin Stenlund went to the penalty box for holding against Connor Bedard to give Chicago its first power play of the evening. Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones converted the man advantage on a snap shot for his 7th goal of the season, assisted by Ryan Donato and Teuvo Teravainen, as Chicago took a 1-0 lead into the locker room.

Chicago goaltender Arvid Soderblom was stingy in net for the first two periods, but with 44 seconds remaining in the second, Utah captain Clayton Keller found the back of the net to tie things up with his 21st goal of the season, assisted by Michael Kesselring and Logan Cooley.

Kesselring’s assist was his 17th of the season establishing his new single-season high. Last season he registered 16 assists in 65 games for the Phoenix Coyotes. Cooley’s assist gave him at least one point in each of Utah’s last 8 home games.

Utah forward Lawson Crouse gave his squad the lead at 12:12 of the third period with a backhand shot, his 9th goal of the season, assisted by Josh Doan and Olli Määttä. The goal turned out to be the game-winner, Crouse’s second of the season, matching his 2023-2024 total. Crouse also scored against the Blackhawks on opening night.

Chicago put heavy pressure on Utah in the closing minutes of the game with their goaltender pulled, but Karel Vejmelka stood tall to protect the victory. Vejmelka has now won 3 games in a row, allowing just 4 goals during that span for a 1.40 GAA and .942 save percentage.

In the locker room, Lawson Crouse talked about how his team has been handling pressure recently. “As our identity progresses forward, we keep taking steps in the right direction. It’s a lot of fun when we play this way. Everyone is on board.

Everyone that’s contributing and creating team success pushes everyone to be the best they can possibly be.” Describing his game-winning goal, Lawson added, “We attacked as a unit, and Doaner made a great play to find me in the middle. There was a lot of open ice, and I think the key player on that play was McBain just being at the net, and that allowed me to have that extra second to get the shot off.”

Captain Clayton Keller, Tuesday night’s other scorer, talked about his squad’s perseverance. “It’s huge. We didn’t have our best stuff to start the game, but we stuck with it. They played hard. They made us work for everything. It’s good to get the win there.

It was a tight game all the way through, so a huge win for us.” Talking about Crouse’s goal, Keller said, “It’s huge. He’s such a great teammate. He’s scoring, not scoring, and has been through the ups and downs. He’s a guy that you love being around at the rink.

Just a great teammate. Anytime another guy has success, it’s awesome.” When asked about holding onto the lead for the final eight minutes, Keller added, “Just keep playing our game. Keep going. I think we’ve taken strides in learning from previous mistakes when we’ve had the lead. Playing a little bit more loose. That’s part of the way that we kind of stuck with it. We had a lot of possession and chances in the third there.”

Head coach André Tourigny was happy with his team’s consecutive home win and offered particular praise for the play of Crouse. “He’s playing with more conviction. He has less doubt in his head, he plays a little bit more free-minded. He shoots quickly and you can see he doesn’t overthink the game. So, I like the way he played, the pace he played with, and I think that line was excellent again tonight. Obviously, they got the big goal as well, but the pace and the key moments were really good.” With regard to the whole team, he said, “They want it. There’s a good feel on the bench right now. There’s a feel of competitiveness, there’s a feel of care, and there’s a feel of passion. I like the way it feels and the guys are all in on winning. They don’t give a damn about who, but us.”

Speaking about Vejmelka, who also won Sunday’s 2-1 contest against the Canucks, Bear noted, “He stopped the puck and that’s a good quality for a goalie. He did a really good job in both games and found a way to make the last stop. Even during 6-on-5, they had two good looks, and [Vejmelka] came up big. I like the way he plays…He was really solid [against Vancouver] and looking at this body of work since he got hurt, I think he really stepped up and has allowed us to be in the hunt.”

Summarizing the game, he concluded, “It was huge. I think we’re at the point as a team where we’re in the zone and it’s like next man up. We need to find a way to win games and I think tonight, we did a lot of good stuff, offensively and defensively. The puck was not going in and we had a little bit of a tough time to make the next play offensively in terms of execution, but we stayed with it, and I think the guys were focused. Even if the execution was not at our best, we stayed with it, and we played with confidence. We had confidence in our play without the puck and confidence if we kept pegging away and putting the puck behind and putting pucks at the net. Something will go in and it did.”

Utah will go for its fourth consecutive home win on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. They have won five of their past seven games and trail the Calgary Flames by three points in the Western Conference Wild Card chase.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Sounds unusual and strange as A’s no longer use Oakland moniker for first time since 1968

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Sacramento A’s catcher Shea Langeliers sporting a Rickey Henderson T shirt at Surprise Stadium in Surprise AZ before their game against the Kansas City Royals on Mon Feb 24, 2025 (Sacramento A’s X photo)

On That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury the Sacramento A’s open this first week at spring training in Mesa for the first time since 1968 without the Oakland moniker while it was expected it still sounds and feels very strange to those are following the A’s in Oakland and those who are following the club in Sacramento.

#2 Amaury, talk about the talk in spring training that baseball is moving down the list as a sport that no longer one of the most popular sports in America. That it’s viewership and interest has fallen and it might fall even worse now that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and ESPN are no longer working together.

#3 Amaury, matter of fact when you go to ESPN’s headline banner on the main page of their website MLB no longer appears as one of the major sports in the banner. It now just shows NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAAM, and More Sports you have to now hunt for MLB on the banner. MLB is buried on the main page banner and ESPN barley mentions MLB in it’s news reports through it’s programming.

#4 How much responsibility does Manfred hold since he has two MLB teams playing in minor league parks for the 2025 regular season, the Tampa Bay Rays are going up for sale and they might move to Orlando, the A’s will not play any post season games in their interim park in Sacramento but at a neutral site if they make to the playoffs, the players are not happy that Manfred is using the robo umpire and they prefer the human umpire, and baseball could move to a salary cap after the 2026 season something the players oppose and could trigger a players strike.

#5 Just how confident are the San Francisco Giants in starting a 42 year old Justin Verlander and how successful will Verlander be in helping the Giants contend. There are those who say Verlander who suffered neck and shoulder pain last season at best could be a ten game winner. Some other critics say that Verlander is washed up.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame

Sacramento Kings podcast Tony Renteria: Kings can make it two straight wins; Take on Jazz in Utah on $2 night Wed at the Delta Center

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The Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) attempts to shoot over the Sacramento Kings center Jonas Valanciunas (right) in first half action at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Feb 24, 2025 (AP News photo)

On the Sacramento Kings podcast with Tony Renteria:

#1 Sacramento Kings Zach LaVine scored 42 points for his best game since joining Sacramento on Monday night at Golden 1 to head lead the Kings to a 130-88 win against the Charlotte Hornets.

#2 Lavine scored eight 3 pointers and had made 16 baskets out of 19 in the Kings first home floor victory against the Hornets since 2021. LaVine also scored in double figures in all of his eight games for Sacramento.

#3 DeMar DeRozan scored 18 points with seven rebounds as the Kings improved their overall record to 29-28. Malik Monk had 13 points, Keegan Murray had ten points and Domantas Sabonis had seven points with ten reounds and seven assists.

#4 For the Hornets Miles Bridges had 23 points. LeMelo Ball and Nick Smith Jr scored 13 points each. Jusuf Nurkic and Moussa Diabate scored 12 points each as the Hornets once again go down loosing 12 of their last 14 games.

#5 The Kings travel to Utah to take on the Jazz at the Delta Center on Wed Feb 26th for a 7:00pm PST on $2 night for fans attending. The Jazz sit in dead last in the Western Conference with a 14-43 record. The Kings are tenth in the Conference and are 14-14 on the road.

Tony Renteria does the Sacramento Kings podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento Kings podcast with Barbara Mason: Kings pick up satisfying win over Hornets 130-88; Sac’s Lavine leads with 42 points

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Guard LeMelo Ballo (1) of the Charlotte Hornets shoots the ball over Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) in the first half at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Mon Feb 24, 2025 (AP News photo)

#1 Sacramento Kings Zach LaVine scored 42 points for his best game since joining Sacramento on Monday night at Golden 1 to head lead the Kings to a 130-88 win against the Charlotte Hornets.

#2 Lavine scored eight 3 pointers and had made 16 baskets out of 19 in the Kings first home floor victory against the Hornets since 2021. LaVine also scored in double figures in all of his eight games for Sacramento.

#3 DeMar DeRozan scored 18 points with seven rebounds as the Kings improved their overall record to 29-28. Malik Monk had 13 points, Keegan Murray had ten points and Domantas Sabonis had seven points with ten reounds and seven assists.

#4 For the Hornets Miles Bridges had 23 points. LeMelo Ball and Nick Smith Jr scored 13 points each. Jusuf Nurkic and Moussa Diabate scored 12 points each as the Hornets once again go down loosing 12 of their last 14 games.

#5 The Kings travel to Utah to take on the Jazz at the Delta Center on Wed Feb 26th for a 7:00pm PST. The Jazz sit in dead last in the Western Conference with a 14-43 record. The Kings are tenth in the Conference and are 14-14 on the road.

Join the Sacramento Kings podcasts with host Barbara Mason Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sharks Fall 2-1 in OT to Jets, Winnipeg Win Streak at 10; San Jose loss steak reaches six

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Winnipeg Jets Mark Scheifele (55) scored the game winning goal in overtime on San Jose Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg on Mon Feb 24, 2025 (Canadian press via AP)

By Mary Walsh

The San Jose Sharks fell 2-1 in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets, despite holding a lead for more than 40 minutes. The win was the tenth in a row for the Jets. For the Sharks, it was the sixth loss in a row. Josh Morrissey and Mark Sheifele scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck made 17 saves for the win. William Eklund scored for the Sharks and Vitek Vanacek made 33 saves in the loss.

Vitek Vanacek was a big part of the reason that the Sharks hung in there for as long as they did. After the game, William Eklund said, of the goaltender: “Yeah, he was outstanding tonight.” Of his teammates, Vanacek said that “I think the guys played really well.” The Sharks came away from the loss disappointed but not ashamed of their effort.

After the game, Sharks Head Coach Ryan Warsofsky said that the team:

“Worked extremely hard, each and every period, with things we talked about this morning. To fall short is a kick in the gut. Disappointed we don’t get the result but I’m really extremely proud of our group. Back to back, get in late last night, to have that type of effort against arguably the best team in the League.”

William Eklund started the scoring with a power play goal at 15:07 of the first period. Macklin Celebrini made a cross-ice pass to Eklund for a slap shot from the face-off dot. Celebrini and Will Smith got the assists.

Winnipeg outshot San Jose 10-6 in the first period. The teams took matching roughing minors near the middle of the period. The Sharks had the only power play of the period. The Jets outshot the Sharks 10-8 in the second period and 13-3 in the third. The Sharks had two power plays in the second period and killed one penalty. The Sharks had the only penalty in the third period and killed that.

Eklund’s goal gave the Sharks a lead that lasted until the final minute of the third period, when Josh Morrissey tied the game with the Jets’ net empty. Morrissey caught a bounce off of the side board and put the puck in the net on the short side from the top of the faceoff circle.

1:33 into overtime, the Jets extended their win streak when Mark Sheifele picked up a rebound right in front of Vanacek and poked it over the line. Assists went to Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor.

The Sharks next play on Thursday in Montreal against the Canadiens at 4:00 PM PT.

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Barracuda host Condors Wednesday; San Jose defeated Bakersfield in last meeting

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San Jose Barracuda goaltender (32) Aaron Dell saved 26 shots, faced 30 shots and allowed four goals in a two goal loss to the Coachella Valley Firebirds at Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms CA on Sun Feb 23, 2025 (Coachella Valley Firebirds photo)

San Jose Barracuda podcast with Marko Ukalovic:

#1 The Coachello Valley Firebirds had a game plan and executed it well against the San Jose Barracuda on Sunday at Thousand Palms with a 5-3 win. The Firebirds scored twice in the first and second periods the Birds had a 4-2 advantage heading into the third period.

#2 Taking a review of Sunday’s scorers for the Firebirds first period Jani Nyman scored an unassisted goal at 48 seconds and Gustav Olofsson scored at 5:41. Barracuda answered right back with a goal from Danil Gushchin at 16:44 cutting Coachella’s lead to 2-1.

#3 Jagger Firkus scored the first goal of the second period at 7:42 and Ben Myers scored at 15:33 to help the Firebirds take a 4-1 lead. The Barracuda’s Andrew Poturalski scored his 21st goal of the season and cut the Firebirds lead to two goals 4-2.

#4 The Barracuda made a valent effort when Colin White scored at 19:14 to get San Jose within one goal making it 4-3. The Firebirds would add the last goal of the game coming away with a two goal 5-3 win when Logan Morrison scored at 19:58.

#5 Next up for the Barracuda the Bakersfield Condors on Wed Feb 26 a 7:00pm face off at Tech CU in San Jose. The Barracuda came away with a 5-4 win over the Condors in their last meeting Sat Feb 15th. How do you see this match up on Wednesday night.

Marko Ukalovic does the San Jose Barracuda podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Sacramento A’s relocation podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Strange feeling watching A’s of Sacramento in first pre season game

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Fans watch the Sacramento A’s take on the San Diego Padres in Peoria Arizona during the first A’s game that was played since 1968 that was not by an Oakland team on Sat Feb 22, 2025 (photo LV Sports Biz)

Sacramento A’s podcast with Jerry podcast:

#1 Peoria Arizona the first game for the former Oakland Athletics now better known now as the Sacramento Athletics playing their first pre season game since leaving Oakland against the San Diego Padres it may not have sunk in yet but you can best bet there are fans who are not too happy even though it’s done deal.

#2 The A’s who are constructing a $1.75 billion, which they aim to play in in 2028 at the old Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Vegas. The A’s who play their first game of the regular season in Sacramento on Mon Mar 31st it’s gotta feel strange but A’s fans have to get used to it this is going to go on up until 2028.

#3 A’s owner John Fisher is still working out how to get some of that nearly $2 billion worth of cash for his share of the construction costs. The A’s president Sandy Dean said that the funds will come through from the Fisher family pooling their efforts together and from loans coming from Goldman Sachs and US Bank. When is the question will it happen?

#4 The grounds rules for the Las Vegas ballpark are public will own the park and the property of the park that will be transferred by the A’s to the Las Vegas Stadium Authority including $100 million in development costs before the SB1 funds are released. The public will hold $50 million until the final work on the park is completed.

#5 The A’s are heavily depending on sellouts they will depend heavily on tourists to fill the bill as they need to sell out every event at the Tropicana for the next 30 years to pay for the park. The A’s had projected that 70% of the fans coming to the park will be locals but previously said they depended on tourism.

Jerry Feitelberg filled in for Daniel Dullum who does the Sacramento A’s podcasts each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: El Tiante “El Unico”

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The author Amaury Pi Gonzalez (left) interviewing former Boston Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant in 1977 (photo from Amaury Pi Gonzalez)

El Tiante “El Unico”

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

As a kid, my father Joaquin would take me to Estadio de El Cerro in Havana to watch the Cuban Winter Professional League. Considered the premier professional baseball in Latin America (1878-1961), many American Major League Stars would travel to Cuba after their regular season here in the US and go to the largest island in the Caribbean.

Bill Werle, ex-major league pitcher who pitched for the Tigres de Marianao in Cuba, was a scout here in the United States when he told me, “Many of us that were not superstars in the major leagues traveled to Cuba because that was the best level of baseball and we got to paid very well.”

My memories are filled with great games at Estadio de El Cerro, now called Estadio Latino Americano. Leones del Habana (Havana Lions) was our team in my family. There, I remember an older man named Adolfo Luque managing the team. Havana Lions.

The same Luque that In 1923, was a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, and in 1923 he ended the season with 27-8 and a 1.93 ERA, starting 37 games and completing 27 of those. The Cy Young Award was given in 1956, 33 years after Luque’s 27 wins.

One of Luque’s pitcher was Luis Tiant, aka El Tiante. He would spin like a top on the mound, the hitter ciould see Tiante’s number on his Red and White Leones del Habana uniforme before he took a cut and missed.

Tiant was one of my favorite pitchers since I was a kid in Cuba; also, other pitchers like Cuban-born Camilo Pascual, who I knew for many years here in the US, Jim Bunning, and others, not all pitchers but position players like Jackie Brandt, Bob Allison, Al Spangler, Marvin Breeding and my all-time US Hall of Famer, Brooks Robinson who I remember as a skinny third baseman for the Elefantes del Cienfuegos(Cienfuegos Elephants) and many others. Cubans and Americans.

One of my dreams came true in the 1970s when I first met one of my boyhood idols, Luis Tiant. This time, he was in Oakland, as he was coming with the Boston team to play the Athletics. Talking to Tiant was one of my biggest treats as a Major League reporter and broadcaster.

Luis was always happy and enjoyed every minute of talking baseball, especially when I told him I was 10 years old the first time I watched him pitch in Cuba, and yes, that I was Cubano also.

Mexican Major Leaguer and third baseman Aurelio Rodríguez once ruined a no-hitter that Tiant was throwing after 7 2/3 innings. Tiant was always honest and talkative when he spoke regarding the Rodríguez hit that ended his no-no; “It was not a lucky hit; the man hit the ball pretty well.”

As a member of SABR, I have written about Luis Tiant, but when I heard of his death at 83 last year, I was shaken up bad; although we were not family, he felt like family to me.

A great man who is now pitching as a baseball Angel in heaven. Tiant’s heart was bigger than life. He loved to go to Cuba and take goods for the people there who lacked everything and specially giving chocolates to the kids.

He was never a friend or sympathizer of Fidel Castro or the communists in Cuba, but Luis Tiant was “cien por ciento Cubano”- ‘one hundred percent Cuban’—and loved his motherland.

One of my favorite Tiant quote: “The fastball is the best pitch in baseball.It’s like having five pitches, if you move it around” – Spanish: La bola de velocidad es el mejor lanzamiento en béisbol, es como tener cinco lanzamientos, si la lanzas por diferentes lados” -Luis Tiant. ‘ If you don’t speak Spanish, my title in this column, El Unico” means The Only One”

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 to 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame

Cooley and Guenther Lead Utah HC to 2-1 Victory Over Vancouver

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Vancouver Canucks left winger Kiefer Sherwood (44) moves the puck against the Utah Hockey Club right winger Dylan Guenther (11) in the second period at Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Sun Feb 23, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Tom Walker

SALT LAKE CITY–Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther each found the back of the net, and Karel Vejmelka stopped 15 of 16 shots, as Utah wins first game back at Delta Center following the 4 Nations Face-Off.

It had been 17 days since Utah Hockey Club last played on home ice in a 3-2 overtime victory against the Philadelphia Flyers. Since then they have split four games on the road, going 2-1 prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off and then losing Saturday’s matchup against the Kings in Los Angeles wherein Barrett Hayton recorded the first hat trick in Utah HC history, the first of Hayton’s career.

With two power play goals in the game, Utah had converted four straight times with the man advantage. Defenseman Sean Durzi returned in that game from a 52-game absence and assisted on one of Hayton’s goals. Upon returning to Salt Lake City, Durzi suited up for his first game at Delta Center since opening night on October 8 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Out of the lineup on Sunday night was defenseman Juuso Välimäki who was waived earlier in the day due to the returns of John Marino and Sean Durzi from long-term injuries. If Välimäki clears waivers, he will likely be assigned to Utah’s AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. Though named to Finland’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off, he was a healthy scratch for all three of their games in the tournament.

Following a scoreless first period, Vancouver went on the power play early in the second when Logan Cooley went to the sin bin for hooking against Jake DeBrusk. DeBrusk cashed it in at 1:43 of the frame for his 21st of the season, assisted by Elias Pettersson and Pius Suter. Cooley redeemed himself just two minutes later with his 16th of the season, tipping in a shot from John Marino with an additional assist to Clayton Keller.

At 13:01 of the third period, Vancouver’s Derek Forbort went to the penalty box for holding against Michael Corcone. On the ensuing power play, Dylan Guenther tipped in a perfect pass from Nick Schmaltz for his 21st goal of the season, with Keller picking up his 43rd assist.

In net, Karel Vejmelka turned away 15 of 16 Canuck shots to earn his 13th victory of the season.

After the game, Dylan Guenther addressed the importance of beginning the four-game homestand with a win. “Yeah, it’s huge. I mean, everyone was kind of on a back to back, so we’re all a little tired, but just finding ways to win games I think builds our confidence in those tight ones and just use that moving forward.” Speaking of the team’s power play, Guenther continued, “I thought … we did a pretty good job on all three in the first, just couldn’t score. And then, I mean, just a really nice play by Schmaltzy. I didn’t even really see it, to be honest, but I was just kind of posted up there and he gave me a nice pass.”

Utah has struggled to maintain leads in the third period, and head coach André Tourigny talked about the final five minutes of tonight’s game. “I think we did a good job. I think there’s always things you can do a little bit better. But I like our mindset, I like our composure, our compete level, our urgency. So I like a lot of stuff. I’m happy.” Addressing the stingy defense, Tourigny said, “It’s (the) effort of everybody. Normally, when you have that kind of a defensive performance, it’s because you (also) play really good offensively. Possess the puck, you put it on their heels. I cannot say that about the way we played offensively today. I think we didn’t have our execution. We didn’t generate as much speed as we do lately. But I like the point of how we played defensively. We blocked shots, we were stingy in our neutral zone, stingy in our (defensive) zone. So there’s a lot of positive (in) the way we played without the puck today.”

Utah has three more games on this homestand beginning with the return of the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Utah’s inaugural season opening night opponent whom they defeated 5-2 in October.

Barracuda fall 5-3 to Firebirds, snapping a season-long win streak

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San Jose Barracuda vs Coachella Valley Firebirds on Sunday February 23, 2025 at Acrisure Arena at Thousand Palms CA

By Madison Montez

Coming into Saturday’s game, the San Jose Barracuda were looking to extend their winning streak to two games but just didn’t quite make it losing to the Coachella Firebirds 5-3 . The last time these two teams faced off was a month ago on January 22nd where the Barracuda won at home in a shootout. San Jose were looking to continue their win streak against Coachella for the season but fell short.

Coachella got started early, scoring 48 seconds into the game. Jani Nyman scoring his 23rd goal of the season. They extended their lead to two when Gustav Olofsson scoring his second goal of the season. Ville Ottavainen and David Goyette registering the assists.

San Jose cut into Coachella’s lead with Danil Guschin scoring his 15th goal of the season. Pavol Regenda and Colin White registering the assists.

Three seconds after San Jose killed a penalty, Coachella extended their lead again at 7:42 of the second. Jagger Firkus scoring his 11th of the season, John Hayden and Eduard Sale registering the assists. Firebirds made it 4-1 when Ben Meyers scored his 19th of the season. David Goyette and Nikolas Brouillard registering the assists.

The former FireBird cut the lead in half when Andrew Poturalski scored his 21st goal of the season. Lucas Carlsson and Ethan Cardwell registering the assists.

San Jose didn’t back down without a fight, scoring with 46 seconds left in the game. Colin White scoring his 8th goal of the season. Luca Cagnoni and Pavol Regenda registering the assists.

Logan Morrrison sealed the win scoring his 11th goal of the season with two seconds left. Ben Myers registering the lone assist.

THREE STARS OF THE GAME:

  • 1. Ben Myers, 1G, 1A
  • 2. David Goyette, 2A
  • 3. Jagger Firkus, 1G

The Barracuda will be back in action against the Bakersfield Condors on Wednesday. They will be looking to get back in the win column after losing the last game of the road trip. The last time these two teams faced off was on January 11th where the Barracuda lost 5-4 in overtime. Brandon Coe, Scott Sabourin, and Ethan Cardwell all registering goals in the loss.