CARDWELL COMPLETES IMPROBABLE OT WIN OVER KNIGHTS
Mar 2, 2025San Jose, Ca. - The San Jose Barracuda (28-20-2-3) trailed 5-3 with under four minutes to go in regulation on Sunday night at Tech CU Arena, but they would get two extra-attacker goals from Danil Gushchin before Ethan Cardwell completed the 6-5 come-from-behind overtime win against the Henderson Silver Knights (22-30-3-0).
In the victory, Andrew Poturalski matched a franchise record with five points (1+4=5) and is now pacing the AHL with 58, and Gushchin potted his first hat trick of his career. Knights forward Alex Holtz also scored four times in the loss, the most ever by an opponent.
Similar to Saturday, the Barracuda were all over the Knights early, and on their 11th shot of the game, Lucas Carlsson (9) opened the scoring as he beat Akira Schmid through the five-hole. Later in the frame, at 15:43, Poturalski (23) made it goals in back-to-back as he put home a rebound off Schmid’s pad to give the Barracuda a 2-0 lead. The Knights would calm the waters with under a minute left in the first when Holtz (2) snapped in a rebound on the power play.
In the second, Gushchin (17) would be credited with the Barracuda’s third goal after Knights’ defenseman Lucas Johansen batted an air-born puck into his own net while San Jose was on the man advantage. Gushchin would then be called for a cross-check, his second minor of the game, and Holtz (3) would pot his second on the PP at 15:54. Holtz (4) would complete the hat trick two minutes later and tie the score by beating Georgi Romanov upstairs at 17:49.
Tied at 3-3 in the third, the Knights would go on their third power play of the game and Holtz (5) would complete the natural hat trick with his fourth goal at 12:10. Then, the Knights went up 5-3 when Kai Uchacz (12) scored on a breakaway after a Barracuda giveaway at the offensive blue line. Down by two, San Jose would pull goaltender Romanov at 16:11 and Gushchin (18) would score from the right-wing circle with a low shot along the ice at 16:41. Then, with under a minute left, Gushchin (19) from the same spot would tie the score at 19:28, again with his net empty.
In overtime, on the only shot of the OT period, Cardwell (8) would beat Schmid as he chipped the puck past a Knights defender and lifted in a wrister.
The Barracuda close out their four-game homestand on Wednesday as they host the San Diego Gulls at 7 p.m. For tickets go to sjbarracuda.com/tickets.