GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT ROADRUNNERS (3-26-17)
Mar 26, 2017SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (39-14-2-4) VS. TuCSON ROADRUNNERS (24-28-7-0)
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Tucson Arena – Tucson, Ariz. (4:05 p.m.)
Tonight’s Matchup: On Sunday, the San Jose Barracuda and Tucson Roadrunners wrap up a two-game weekend set at Tucson Arena. San Jose is 5-0-0-0 against the Roadrunners this season in five matchups and 3-0-0-0 in the Old Pueblo. The Roadrunners have gone just 9-19-4-0 since Jan. 1, while San Jose has put together a record of 23-7-1-1. Sunday’s matchup is the final of four games in Tucson and game six of an eight-game season series.
Sparkling Special Teams: On Saturday, San Jose strung together a dominant special teams performance, potting three power play goals (3/5), a shorthander and were perfect on the penalty kill (6/6). The Barracuda sit at second place in the AHL on the man advantage (25.7%) and sixth place on the penalty kill (84.4%). San Jose is second in the League in shorthanded goals (12) only behind Texas (13).
Top Of The Class: The San Jose Barracuda sit atop the AHL with a .712 winning percentage. San Jose set a league long 14-game winning streak from January 25 to March 1 and a 15-game point streak from January 25 to March 4, sweeping the month of February with an 11-0 record. The Barracuda have points in 22 of their last 25 games.
Heed Check: Among AHL blueliners, San Jose’s Tim Heed is fourth in points (13+36=49), sixth in goals, third in assists, T-fifth in power-play goals (8), T-fourth in game-winning goals (4) and is T-21st overall in the league in points.
Ryan Rolling: Among AHL defenseman, Barracuda d-man Joakim Ryan is T-eighth among AHL defensemen in points (8+31=39), T-fourth in game-winning goals, sixth in assists, and is seventh in the AHL in plus/minus (+23).
Dynamic Danny: On Friday, Barracuda forward Danny O’Regan was reassigned back to the AHL. Among freshman, the All-Star is first in points (20+32=52), T-second in assists, sixth in goals, second in power-play goals (8), and is T-16th in points overall in the AHL.
Troy Trending: Barracuda All-Star netminder Troy Grosenick leads the AHL in shutouts (9), second in goals-against average (2.08), second in save percentage (.927) and T-second in wins (27). Before Wednesday, Grosenick’s last regulation loss came on January 20.
About Last Night: The San Jose Barracuda potted three power-play goals and added a shorthander to top the Tucson Roadrunners 5-2, at Tucson Arena on Saturday night. The win moved San Jose to a perfect 5-and-0 against the Roadrunners and 3-and-0 in Tucson. Ryan Carpenter (10) snapped his six-game goalless drought and reached double-digit tallies on the power play at the nine-minute mark. Julius Bergman’s point shot was blocked by Adin Hill, but Carpenter jammed home the rebound to net the lone goal of the period. San Jose killed off a late Roadrunners power play and ended the period outshooting Tucson 10-to-1.
After Troy Grosenick made a tremendous swooping glove save to keep the score at 1-0 San Jose, the Roadrunners tied the game moments later as Branden Troock (3) poked a loose puck over Grosenick’s right pad at 4:41. Tucson took its first lead at 7:51 as Jamie McBain found Eric Selleck (5) with a long stretch pass and Selleck fired a shot from the high slot as he split San Jose’s defense at 7:51. The Barracuda tied the game with their 12th shorthanded goal of the season when Buddy Robinson found Rourke Chartier (16) backdoor at 4:16. Carpenter (11) gave San Jose the lead back during a four-on-four at 17:17 with a redirect on a Joakim Ryan point shot. Under a minute left in the period, Ryan found John McCarthy (17) from below the goal line and McCarthy beat Hill top shelf at 19:26.
Mirco Mueller (2) added onto San Jose’s lead and sealed the victory with a five-hole point shot at 2:38 of the third.
Grosenick (27-9-3) earned the win by making 16 saves on 18 shots while Adin Hill (14-13-6) suffered the loss after allowing five goals on 30 shots.