GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT CANUCKS
Mar 8, 2025SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (28-20-3-3, 59 pts.) vs ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS (28-23-2-1, 59 pts.)
SAT, MAR. 8 | 7:00 P.M. | ABBOTSFORD CENTRE | ABBOTSFORD, B.C.
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Canucks Connection: After a 3-0 win over the Abbotsford Canucks on Friday, the Barracuda close out their two-game series with Vancouver’s affiliate on Saturday night at the Abbotsford Centre. The Cuda are 3-2 versus Vancouver’s top affiliate this season, and 1-2 in Abby. San Jose is 10-13-1-1 lifetime against the Canucks and 6-7 on the road.
Friday Fun: On the day he signed his first NHL contract, rookie netminder Gabe Carriere made 35 saves to help the Barracuda shutout the Canucks on Friday night at the Abbotsford Centre. For Carriere, it was the first blanksheet of his career. In the victory, Thomas Bordeleau (PP), Danil Gushchin (PP), and Walker Duehr all cashed in.
Powering Up: The Barracuda went two-for-five on the power play on Friday, the team's 13th multi-PPG game of the year, and now rank first in the AHL on the man advantage (22.9%). Additionally, the Barracuda boast the AHL's third-best road PP (22.1%). SJB is one of just two teams (Toronto) with multiple players that have more than nine power-play goals and the only club with three (Luca Cagnoni Danil Gushchin, and Andrew Poturalski). Against the Canucks this year, the Barracuda are nine-for-23 on the advantage (39.1%).
Canucks Check: The Barracuda enter Friday five points ahead of Abbotsford in the Pacific Division and are riding a four-game points streak (3-0-1-0). The Canucks, who were coming off their biggest offensive output of the year on Saturday, 8-4 at Calgary, were shutout for the first time this season on Friday. Abby now has just one win in their last five (0-4-1-0).
Captain Call-Up: The Sharks reassigned Barracuda captain Jimmy Schuldt back to the AHL on Friday after he made his Sharks debut on Thursday in Colorado, his first NHL action in nearly six years, and just the second game of his career. The veteran rearguard made his NHL debut with the Vegas Golden Knights on April 6, 2019, after signing out of St. Cloud State three days prior. Since that point, he has skated in 402 AHL games between the regular season and playoffs with Chicago, Henderson, Rochester, Coachella Valley, and San Jose.
Hot Pot: Andrew Poturalski matched a franchise record and personal best with five points (1+4=5) on Sunday as the Barracuda upended the Henderson Silver Knights, 6-5, in overtime. On Wednesday, Poturalski picked up another two points (1+1=2) and now has nine (3+6=9) over his last four games. Potsy has points in 13 of 16 (9+15=24) and is pacing the AHL in scoring with 60. Additionally, he is second in the league in assists (36), T-fourth in power-play goals (9), and T-fifth in goals (24). The 31-year-old is just one point shy of matching Andrew Agozzino’s single-season franchise points (61) record and two goals short of Agozzino’s goal (26) record, both set in 2022-23. He is two power-play goals shy of matching Danny O’Regan’s single-season PPG record (11), set in 2016-17.
Luca Lightning: Rookie defenseman Luca Cagnoni is pacing the AHL in PP-points (27), second in power-play assists (17), and T-fourth in power-play goals (9). Among league blueliners, he is second in points (42), and T-second in goals (13). The 20-year-old, who has already set a franchise record this season for power-play goals (9) by a defenseman, is just one goal shy of matching the org’s watermark for goals in a season by a rearguard which was set by Tim Heed in 2016-17 and Nick DeSimone in 2018-19.
Real Deal Danil: Danil Gushchin notched his first pro hat trick on Sunday, and the Barracuda’s first this season, and 15th in franchise history. The last Barracuda skater to score three times in a game was Nathan Todd on Feb. 10, 2024, vs. Bakersfield. Gushchin now has six goals in his last six games, eight in his previous 10, and 11 in his last 13. Gushchin, who’s now up to 20 goals, matched his goal total from last season in 17 fewer contests. Gushchin’s nine power-play goals this season is a new personal best and ranks first on the club.
Walk the Talk: After clearing waivers, the Sharks assigned forward Walker Duehr to the Barracuda on Tuesday. In his debut with the Cuda on Wednesday, he collected a pair of points (1+1=2) and on Friday he scored again. In 22 games in the AHL this season, Duehr is averaging a point-per-game (13+9=22). The Sioux Falls, South Dakota, native is the first player from that state to reach the NHL.
Trade Winds: The Sharks sent Barracuda forward Tristen Robins, Fabien Zetterlund, and a 2025 4th-round pick to the Ottawa Senators on Friday for forwards Zack Ostapchuk and Noah Gregor and a 2025 2nd-round pick. Over three seasons, Robins skated in 149 games with the Barracuda, notching 31 goals, 43 assists, 10 power-play goals, one shorthanded goal, and three game-winners. Ostapchuk has split time this season between the Sen and B-Sens, their AHL affiliate. In 15 games in the AHL this year, he has 11 points (2+9=11).