GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT ROADRUNNERS
Mar 19, 2022SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (19-29-2-2) vs TUCSON ROADRUNNERS (18-28-4-1)
SAT., MAR. 19 | 7:00 P.M. | TUCSON CONVENTION CENTER | TUCSON, AZ
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Rundown: The Barracuda and Roadrunners return to the ice on Saturday for the third game of three over four days and the final meeting on the six-game season series. The Barracuda earned a point on Friday by erasing a two-goal deficit in the third to force overtime but would eventually fall 4-3 in a shootout. The Barracuda are now 3-1-0-1 against the Coyotes affiliate this season, having earned points in four-straight games (3-0-0-1).
Marching Along: The Barracuda have now picked up points (4-0-1-2) in seven of its first eight games to begin March, including a pair of wins over Tucson. The Barracuda sit six points behind the San Diego Gulls for the last playoff spot in the Pacific Division. The Gulls are coming off a 3-1 win over Henderson on Friday and have won four in a row.
Trudging Tucson: The Roadrunners snapped its seven-game skid (0-5-2-0) with a 4-3 shootout victory on Friday, just its second shootout win this year in six tries. Tucson boasts an AHL-worst -67 goal-differential and is 30th in goals-against (3.94) and goals-for (2.63). The Roadrunners’ power-play went 1-for-8 on Friday and now ranks 10th in the league (20.7%), while its penalty kill is last in the AHL (74.9%), allowing a pair of goals on Friday on six kills.
Powering Up: The Barracuda went 2-for-6 on the power-play on Friday and have now notched multiple power-play goals in seven of its last 11 games. The Barracuda’s power-play now ranks fifth in the league (21.7%). On the other side, the penalty kill went 7-for-8 on Friday and is now 44-for-49 over its last 13 games (90%).
Stay in your Lane: Barracuda forward Lane Pederson scored in his third consecutive game on Friday and now has goals in five of his last six. Pederson has lit the lamp in all three games this year against his former team and has nine points in nine games since joining the Barracuda on Feb. 23.
California Connection: Cali natives Jake McGrew (10, 11) and Evan Weinger (10) each reached double-digit goals on Wednesday, joining six other Barracuda skaters to hit the 10-goal plateau. The Barracuda are now 13th in the AHL in goals-for (3.15) and have scored 3+ goals in nine-straight games. McGrew notched an assist on Friday and is now riding a career-best four-game point streak (3+2=5).
Sizzlin’ Sash: Sasha Chmelevski picked up an assist on Friday and has 10 points (2+8=10) over his last seven games and seven assists in his last four outings. The third-year pro is second on the team in scoring (11+22=34) and has already set career-highs this season in points, assists, power-play goals (5), game-winning goals (3), shootout goals (2), and shots (117).
Montana Tough: Rookie d-man Montana Onyebuchi dropped the gloves on Friday for the third time in as many games and now leads all rookies in fighting majors (10) and penalty minutes (104). Onyebuchi is 18 PIMS shy of matching Alex Gallant’s (122) rookie record which was set in the team inaugural season (2015-16)
Sommer Time: On Jan. 8, 2022, head coach Roy Sommer picked up AHL victory #800 with a 6-3 win over the Henderson Silver Knights. The Oakland, Calif., native has been behind the bench for 1,727 games in the AHL, going 807-708-50-162 (W-L-T-OTL/SOL) over that span. During the 2015-16 season, the Barracuda’s first in San Jose, Sommer surpassed Fred “Bun” Cook (636 wins) for the most wins in AHL history, notching a 4-2 victory on Feb. 10, 2016, over Ontario. Sommer collected his 700th win on Dec. 3, 2017, at Bakersfield (2-1 W).