GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT REIGN
Feb 24, 2023
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (21-25-0-4) vs. ONTARIO REIGN (29-18-2-1)
FRI, FEB. 24 | 7:00 P.M. | Toyota Arena | Ontario, CA
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Out in Ontario: After scoring a season-high seven goals on Monday in Abbotsford en-route to a 7-2 win, the Barracuda continue its four-game road trip on Friday against the Ontario Reign (LA Kings) at the Toyota Arena. The Barracuda began its current three-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory over the Reign on Feb. 15 at Tech CU Arena. The Cuda are 3-2 against Ontario this season and 1-1 in Southern California following a 4-2 win on Jan. 6, the last trip to the Toyota Arena. Friday is the second of four meetings against the Reign over an eight-game stretch to close out the eight-game season series.
Monday Mood: The Barracuda exploded for a season-high seven goals on Monday in Abbotsford, including four in the first period, closing out the Canucks 7-2. William Eklund (2+2=4), Derrick Pouliot (0+3=3), Tristen Robins (2+1=3) and Jeff Viel (0+3=3) all notched three or more points in the win, and Strauss Mann made it victories in three in a row by stopping a career-best 37 of 39 shots. The Barracuda finished the game going 2-for-5 on the power play and 5-for5 on the penalty kill. Captain Andrew Agozzino collected a pair of helpers, and C.J. Suess made it goals in three in a row (4). Also, Artemi Knianev picked up the game-winning goal, and Danil Gushchin snuck in the seventh and final tally.
Reign Wrap: The Barracuda enter Friday having won back-to-back games versus LA’s top affiliate. In the most recent matchup on Feb. 15, the Cuda jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead after goals by Danil Gushchin and Kyle Criscuolo, but the Reign would score the next three unanswered, including two in the second as Jacob Moverare and Sam Helenius scored, before Lias Andersson gave Ontario a 3-2 lead in the final 20. C.J. Suess would tie the game at 12:24 of the third, and Gushchin would win it at 2:52 in overtime. Cal Petersen faced 41 shots in loss, while Strauss Mann stopped 23 of 26 in the win. At the time, the victory ended a five-game skid (0-4-0-1) for the Barracuda.
Tale of the Toyota Arena: In the last trip to the Toyota Arena on Jan. 6, the Barracuda buried a season-high four goals in the third period, claiming a 4-2 win over the Reign. In the W, Thomas Bordeleau scored twice, and Darren Brady and Will Riedell (EN) netted their first career AHL goals. Aaron Dell made 28 saves in the win, while Cal Petersen gave up three on 29 in the loss. The Reign got goals from Tyler Madden in the second and T.J. Tynan in the third, both on the power play.
Reign Report: The Reign had its three-game winning streak and seven game point streak (6-0-1-0) snapped on Wednesday at home against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, falling 6-1, and are now tied with the Colorado Eagles for the fourth spot in the Pacific Division at 61 points, and one point behind Abbotsford. After Friday, the Reign will have 21 games remaining in the regular season and 11 at home. The Reign rank ninth in the AHL on the power play (21.9%), second at home (27.5), seventh on the penalty kill (83.5%), fourth at home (85.6%), 13th in goals for (3.18), and sixth in goals against (2.82). Ontario is 13-4-2-1 in one-goal games.
About the Barracuda: San Jose enters Friday four points behind the Tucson Roadrunners and Bakersfield Condors for the final two playoff spots in the Pacific Division. The Barracuda are 1-1 at the Toyota Arena this season and 11-14-3-1 all-time on the road against the Reign. On visiting ice, SJ is 9-12-0-2 and are coming off consecutive wins to begin its four-game road trip. After Friday, the Barracuda will have 12 more road games remaining on its schedule and 22 in total. San Jose is 30th in the league in goals for (2.72) and 24th in goals against (3.36). Against the Reign, the Barracuda have scored four goals in three of the five meetings, including the last two wins. Entering Friday, the Cuda have power play goals in four straight (7/15=47%), and have collected multiple power-play goals in consecutive outings and three of the four. Over its last six games on the PK, the Barracuda are 25/27 (92%). Against Ontario, the Barracuda are 4/19 (21.1%) on the PP and 19/22 (86.4%) on the kill.
Rookie Arrivals: After his four-point effort on Monday, rookie forward William Eklund now ranks T-first among first-year players in power-play goals (9), second in points (41), and fourth in assists (24), and power-play assists (17), and fifth in goals (17). Fellow Freshman Thomas Bordeleau is first among rooks in power-play points (21), second in power-play goals (8) and power-play assists (13), and third in goals (19) and shots (144), and seventh in points (34). Danil Gushchin is first among rookies in shootout goals (4) and shots (144).