GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT WRANGLERS
Nov 8, 2022SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (4-3-0-1) vs. CALGARY WRANGLERS (4-5-0-0)
TUES., NOV 8 | 6:00 P.M. | Scotiabank Saddledome | Calgary, AB
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Oh Canada: After an 8-2 loss on Sunday, the team's fourth in a row, the Barracuda wrap up its two-game road trip in Calgary on Tuesday. Lifetime, San Jose is 5-4 when playing in Canada. In six seasons against the Stockton Heat, the Barracuda boasted a 35-26-4-3 mark versus the Flames’ top affiliate, including a record of 17-12-3-2 on the road. A year ago, the Barracuda were 1-7-1-0 against the Pacific Division Champs. Beginning Sunday, SJ began a stretch in which the club will play five games over the next seven days and a franchise record 13 in the month of November.
California to Calgary: On May 23, 2022, the Calgary Flames announced it’d be moving its AHL club from Stockton, CA, to Calgary, AB, Canada, and on Aug. 2, 2022, the Flames revealed the team would be called the Calgary Wranglers. The name was once used by the Western Canadian Junior Hockey League (WCHL) team, existing from 1977-87. During the shortened Covid-19 campaign (2020-21), the Heat temporarily relocated to Calgary.
Notable Names: After reaching the Western Conference Finals a year ago and racking up 97 points, best in the Pacific Division, the Wranglers welcome back several pieces from its 2021-22 squad, including the AHL’s Top Goaltender (Baz Bastien Memorial Award) from a year ago Dustin Wolf, the club’s leading point and goal scorer Matt Phillips, 2019 first rounder and AHL All-Rookie Team member Jakob Pelletier, 2020 first-rounder Connor Zary, former Barracuda defenseman Nick DeSimone, and the AHL’s Top Coach (Louis A.R. Pieri Award) from last year Mitch Love. The Wranglers lost some notable names this offseason too, including the team’s third leading goal scorer from 2021-22 Justin Kirkland (Anaheim/San Diego), fourth leading goal scorer Luke Philp (Chicago/Rockford), third leading point scorer Glenn Gawdin (Anaheim/San Diego) and captain Byron Froese (Vegas/Henderson). The team also lost defensemen Juuso Valimaki (Arizona), Kevin Gravel (Nashville/Milwaukee) and Andy Welinski (Rangers/Hartford). The Wranglers did add former Sharks and Barracuda d-man Nicolas Meloche, veteran Brett Sutter, former Golden Knights prospect Ben Jones, and veteran netminder Oscar Dansk.
Killing It: Despite giving up a pair of power play goals on Sunday, the Cuda still rank second in the AHL on the PK (91.9%). San Jose began the season a perfect 25-for-25 on the PK, the best start in franchise history and were just three kills away from matching the team’s franchise watermark for consecutive penalties killed off.
Rookie Arrivals: Rookies Thomas Bordeleau (4), Tristen Robins (4), Brandon Coe (2), William Eklund (2), and Danil Gushchin (2) have accounted for 14 of the Barracuda’s 20 goals scored this year (.70%). The most among any team’s rookie class this season. Bordeleau (Rd 2, 38th Overall), Robins (Rd 2, 56th Overall), Gushchin (Rd 3, 76th Overall) and Coe (Rd 4, 98th Overall) were all part of the Sharks' historic nine-forward draft class in 2020.
Fighting Fish: After wracking up a franchise record 84 penalty minutes on Saturday against Tucson, the Barracuda now rank first in the AHL in PIMS-per game (27.88), t-first in majors (9), t-first in misconducts.