GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS HEAT (3-17-17)
Mar 17, 2017Stockton Heat (26-24-4-1) vs. San Jose Barracuda (37-12-2-4)
Friday, Mar 17, 2017 SAP Center at San Jose
Tonight’s Matchup: On Friday, the Barracuda and Stockton Heat kick off a home and home at SAP Center. San Jose is 3-1 against the Heat at home this season and 5-3-0 overall. The Heat sit one point behind the fourth-seeded Bakersfield Condors but is coming off a 3-2 loss on Wednesday night in San Diego. The Barracuda are 5-1-0 against the Heat since dropping the first two games of the 12-game season series. San Jose is 18-1-1-1 over their 21 games and hold the best home (20-4-1-2 = .796), road (17-8-1-2 = .661) and overall winning percentage in the AHL (37-12-2-4 = .727).
Win And The ‘Cuda Are In: The Barracuda have three scenarios on Friday that will clinch a playoff berth. (a) A regulation win vs. Stockton, OR (b) an OT win vs. Stockton AND a Bakersfield loss (reg/OT/SO) at Tucson, OR (c) a SO win vs. Stockton AND a Bakersfield regulation loss at Tucson
League Leader: The San Jose Barracuda sit atop the AHL with a .727 winning percentage. The Barracuda set a league long 14-game winning streak from January 25 to March 1 and a 15-game point streak from January to 25 to March 4, sweeping the month of February with an 11-0 record. The Barracuda have points in 20 of their last 21 games and have gone 22-5-1-1 since January 1.
Heeding up: On Tuesday, the San Jose Sharks reassigned defenseman Tim Heed back to the Barracuda. Among AHL blueliners, Heed is third in points (12+34=46), eighth in goals, second in assists, sixth in power-play goals (7), T-second in game-winning goals (4) and is T-20th overall in the league in points. Heed has points in ten of his last 12 games.
Straight To The Banc: Rookie forward Kevin Labanc has spent the majority of his freshman season in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks. In 49 games with San Jose (NHL), the former Barrie Colt’ totaled 22 points (7+12=19), 22 penalty minutes and a plus-nine rating. In 15 games for the Barracuda, Labanc has 18 points (6+13=18), 20 penalty minutes and a plus-four rating. The Staten Island, New York, native led the OHL in scoring last season with 127 points (39+88=127).
Ryan Rising: Among AHL defenseman, Barracuda blueliner Joakim Ryan is T-11th among AHL defensemen in points (7+27=34), T-seventh in assists, and is third in the AHL in plus/minus (+27).
Dynamic Danny: On Sunday, Danny O’Regan became just the 10th player in the AHL this season to reach 50 points. Among rookies, O’Regan is first in points (19+31=50), first in assists, T-fourth in goals, T-second in power-play goals (7), and is T-tenth in points overall in the AHL. Over his last five games, the Boston University product has three goals, two assists, two game winners and a shootout winner.
Troy Trending: Barracuda All-Star netminder Troy Grosenick leads the AHL in shutouts (9), second in goals-against average (2.06), second save percentage (.929) and second in wins (25). Grosenick’s last regulation loss came in San Diego on January 20.
San Jose’s Last Time Out: The San Jose Barracuda scored three first-period goals on Tuesday in Bakersfield and held on for a 4-3 over the Condors at Rabobank Arena. Julius Bergman (3), Rourke Chartier (14), Jon Martin (2) and Jacob Middleton (1) scored for San Jose while Troy Grosenick made 26 saves on 29 shots to earn the win.
Stockton’s Last Time Out: The Stockton Heat erased a two-goal deficit in San Diego on Wednesday but third period Corey Tropp goal proved too much as the Heat fell 3-2 the Gulls at Valley View Casino Center. Garnet Hathaway (5) and Michael Kostka (2) scored for the Heat, and David Rittich took the loss after allowing three goals on 33 shots.