GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT CANUCKS
Feb 3, 2024SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (14-21-7-0, 35 pts.) vs. ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS (22-14-3-2, 49 pts.)
SAT, FEB. 3 | 7:00 P.M. | Abbotsford Centre | Abbotsford, BC
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Saturday Sizzle: After a 2-1 win on Friday night against the Abbotsford Canucks, the Barracuda go for the weekend sweep on Saturday in the final game before the AHL’s All-Star break. Dating back to last season, the Cuda have now won three in a row at the Abbotsford Centre and are 5-4 all-time.
Last Time Out: The Barracuda got 30 saves from Georgi Romonav and first-period goals from Nathan Todd and Kyle Rau en-route to a 2-1 win on Friday night against the Abbotsford Canucks. The Barracuda finished the game 3/3 on the penalty kill, managing to allow just one shot during a four-minute double minor late in the game. After the win, the Barracuda are now 3-1 in their last four.
Road Woes: The Barracuda snapped its seven-game road losing streak (0-4-3-0) on Friday and in the process collected their first road win of 2024. The Barracuda are now 9-8 all-time when playing in Canada.
Canucks Connection: Friday marked the return of a pair of former Canucks to Abbotsford, Jack Studnicka and Kyle Rau. Studnicka was traded to the Sharks in mid-December for defenseman Nick Cicek and a sixth-rounder in 2024. He was originally acquired by Vancouver in October of 2023 for goaltender Michael DiPietro and defenseman Jonathan Myrenberg. During his 13-month stint with the Canucks org, Studnicka appeared in 52 games in the NHL, posting nine points (5+4=9) and 16 penalty minutes. In addition, he spent nine games with Abby, all in 2023-24, scoring once and adding six assists. Rau notched 35 points (16+19=35), 24 penalty minutes and a plus-five rating in 68 games with Abbotsford last year, his only with the team. Rau scored the game-winner on Friday against his former team.
Lone Star: The AHL added Shakir Mukhamadullin to the Pacific Division roster for the 2024 AHL All-Sar Classic presented by Tech CU on Wednesday, which will take place on Sunday and Monday (Feb. 4-5) at Tech CU Arena in San Jose. Danil Gushchin was officially ruled out of the event with an upper-body injury so Shakir will be the team's only representative at the event. Among AHL defensemen, he is tied for seventh in assists and points and made his NHL debut against the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 27. The six-foot-four, 190-pounder was originally selected by New Jersey in the 2020 NHL Draft (first round, 20th overall). The Sharks acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Devils last spring that sent Timo Meier to New Jersey.
Back in BC: Friday marked the return of Barracuda forward Jordy Bellerive to his home province of British Columbia. Before being traded to the Barracuda, the native of North Vancouver, BC, had spent his first four-plus years in the AHL playing in the Atlantic Division with Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, never playing west of Cleveland. Since being acquired by the Barracuda, Bellerive has two points (1+1=2) in four games and the team is 3-1.