BARRACUDA OUTLASTED BY WILD, 4-3
Feb 21, 2019Des Moines, IA - For just the second time in franchise history the San Jose Barracuda (28-13-2-4) battled the Iowa Wild (28-16-6-4) (Minnesota Wild) at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines and despite erasing three separate one-goal deficits, San Jose would give up a late power-play tally and fall 4-3 to the Wild on Thursday night.
After San Jose failed to score on a four-minute power-play at 4:09, the Wild found a way to draw first blood at 11:12 as Mitch McLain (7) moved in un-harassed to the high-slot before snapping a shot past Antoine Bibeau at 11:12. Just 16 seconds later, veteran sniper T.J. Hensick (1) bounced in his first as a member of Team Teal to even the score at 1-1.
In the second, Iowa regained its lead as Mike Kapla (2) pounded a one-timer past Bibeau from atop the left circle at 9:42. 48 seconds later the Barracuda would again answer as San Jose held in an Iowa clearing attempt before Dylan Gambrell (12) poked a loose puck past Kaapo Kahkonen from atop the crease. After Nate Prosser was called for boarding at 11:18, Cal O'Reilly (9) would bury a two-on-one shorthanded feed from Kyle Rau, but John McCarthy (8) would tie the game 59 seconds later as Prosser's penalty was near it expiration. The tally for San Jose's captain extended the Barracuda's power-play goal streak to five games and snapped McCarthy's 18-game goalless drought.
In the third, after the Barracuda were called for interference penalty, Matt Read (14) swiped in a blocker-save rebound along the left side of San Jose's net at 15:07 to make it 4-3. The Barracuda would pull Bibeau with under two minutes to play but failed to tie the game.
Bibeau's (11-8-5) stellar effort went without fruit as San Jose's netminder suffered the hard-luck loss after giving up four goals on 31 shots. Kahkonen (16-9-6) earned his second win over San Jose by making 31 saves on 34 shots.
The Barracuda are back in action on Friday in Iowa as they look for redemption against the Wild. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. PT and you can listen to all the broadcast action on the Sharks + SAP Center App, sjbarracuda.com/listen and watch at watchtheahl.com.
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