GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS CANUCKS
Nov 30, 2024SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (11-6-0-0) vs ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS (10-9-0-1)
SAT, NOV. 30 | 6:00 P.M. | TECH CU ARENA | SAN JOSE, CA
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Canucks Connection: The Barracuda go for the weekend sweep of the Abbotsford Canucks on Saturday night at Tech CU Arena after a 5-3 win over Vancouvers’ affiliate on Friday. A year ago, the Barracuda went 1-2-0-1 against Abby and 0-1-0-1 at home. All-time against the Canucks, the Barracuda are 8-11-1-1 and 3-6-1-1 at home. Abbotsford had won four in a row prior to Friday.
Sunday Funday: The Barracuda squandered a 3-0 lead on Friday at Tech CU Arena, before scoring a pair of goals in the last five minutes to upend the Canucks, 5-3. With the win, the Barracuda now boasts the Pacific Division’s best home record at 7-2. Captain Jimmy Schuldt finished the game with a career-best three assists and Lucas Vanroboys notched his first two-goal game. Filip Bystedt (1+1=2), Scott Sabourin (1+1=2), Justin Bailey (1+1=2), and Shakir Mukhamadullin (0+2=2) also finished with multiple points. Yaroslav Askarov (7-3-0-0) made 33 saves en route to his seventh win of the year.
Eye Eye Captain: Last week head coach John McCarthy and general manager Joe Will named Jimmy Schuldt the club’s sixth captain in franchise history. Schuldt, 29, is in his first season with the Barracuda after helping guide the Coachella Valley Firebirds to back-to-back Calder Cup Finals. The sixth-year pro was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Vegas Golden Knights on April 4, 2019. Prior to turning pro, the rearguard spent four years at St. Cloud State, serving as the team’s captain for three of the four seasons. Andrew Poturalski, Lucas Carlsson, Colin White, and Scott Sabourin were named alternate captains. Schuldt recorded a career-high three assists on Friday in the win over Abbotsford.
Ask & You Shall Receive: The Sharks reassigned prized goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov to the Barracuda on Tuesday. Askarov went 1-0-1 in two games during his recall, posting a 1.96 GAA and a .926 SV%. The Omsk, Russia, native earned his first win as a Shark on Monday against the LA Kings, 7-2, as he made 22 saves. Among AHL goalies, the 22-year-old ranks T-second in shutouts (2), third in save percentage (.937), fourth in goals-against average (2.02), and T-third in wins (7). Askarov was named the AHL’s Goalie of the Month in October after going 5-0 with a pair of shutouts. The former 11th overall pick by the Nashville Predators was traded to the Sharks on August 23, 2024, in exchange for forward David Edstrom, a 2025 conditional first-round pick, and goaltender Magnus Chrona.
Collin Cookin’: Despite being held off the scoresheet in the last three games, Barracuda rookie Collin Graf is T-fifth in the league in scoring (19), and assists (14). Among freshmen, he is second in points and assists and T-third in plus/minus (+8). Graf, who was considered the top undrafted college free agent available last spring, was inked by the Sharks to an ELC on April 4, 2024. The National Champion at Quinnipiac in 2022-23 appeared in seven games last season with the Sharks, collecting two assists.
Hot Pot: Andrew Poturalski buried the shootout game-winner on Sunday, the second of his SOGW of his career and first since the 2022-23 season with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Poturalksi is T-seventh in the AHL in scoring (17), and T-sixth in goals (7). Sharks signed the two-time Calder Cup Champion to a two-year contract in July.
Do the Cagn Cagn: Among AHL rookies, 19-year-old defenseman Luca Cagnoni is T-fourth in scoring (16) and assists (11). Additionally, he is T-fifth in goals, T-second in power-play points (8), and power-play assists (7). Among AHL defensemen, he is T-second in points and goals (5) and T-third in assists.