GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS CANUCKS
Jan 14, 2023SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (15-20-0-2) vs. ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS (21-10-1-1)
SAT, JAN. 14 | 6:00 P.M. | Tech CU Arena | San Jose, CA
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Tale of the Tape: After a 5-2 loss to the San Diego Gulls on Wednesday to close out a four-game roadie, the Barracuda return to Tech CU Arena on Saturday to take on the Abbotsford Canucks (Vancouver Canucks) for the first of back-to-back games and the first game of its three-game homestand. The Barracuda are 0-2 against the Canucks this season after falling in a pair of games at the Abbotsford Centre on Dec. 20th and 21st.
Wednesday Wrap: The Barracuda jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on Wednesday in San Diego after goals from Jeff Viel and William Eklund, but in the second period, the Gulls managed to level score with a power-play goal from Pavol Regenda and then a full-strength tally from Bo Groulx. In the third, with the game tied, Hunter Drew gave San Diego its first lead at 15:67, and then Rocco Grimaldi would tack on a pair of shorthanded empty netters to seal the win. Eetu Makiniemi suffered the loss, his sixth in a row, allowing three goals on 22 shots, while Lukas Dostal, picked up the win, turning aside 29 of 31. The Barracuda finished the road trip with a 1-2-0-1 record and have now dropped its last three (0-2-0-1).
About Abbotsford: After beginning the year with a 7-7-1-1 record through its first 16 games, the Canucks are 14-3-0-0 in its last 17 and enter Wednesday with an 8-2 record in its last 10 and have wins in consecutive games after sweeping Henderson at home this past weekend. Abbotsford boasts a 9-7-1-0 record on visiting ice, third best winning percentage in the Pacific Division (.559). The Canucks are seventh in the AHL in goals for (3.58) and 12th in goals against (3.03). Additionally, Abby ranks second in the league in shots against (27.39) and have the league’s eighth best power play (22.7). The Canucks are 10-0-0-0 when leading after the first period, 13-0-0-1 when leading after the second period, 10-2-1-1 in one-goal games and have the second-best winning percentage in the league when scoring first (11-1-0-1=.885). Among AHL clubs, the Canucks have been on the PK just 118 times (27th) which ranks first in the Pacific Division. Canucks defenseman Christian Wolanin, the team’s 2023 AHL All-Star Classic representative, is first in the AHL in assists (35), T-second in power-play assists (16), and T-third in points. Among AHL defenders, he is T-first in points, power-play assist, power-play points (17), and assists.
Head-to-Head: The Barracuda are 3-6-1-0 all-time versus Vancouver’s affiliate and 1-2-1-0 at home. Saturday will be the Canucks first visit to Tech CU Arena, and the first of four games in San Jose between the teams over the next eight. In the last meeting on Dec. 21 in Abbotsford, the Barracuda twice took one-goal leads after tallies by Andrew Agozzino and Max Veronneau and had a 2-1 lead going into the second period, but the Canucks would score three times in the second and a pair of empty netters in the third to pick up a 5-2 win. Phil Di Giuseppe (2+3=5) and Justin Dowling (2+3=5) lead the way with five points in two games of head-to-head play, and goaltenders Arturs Silovs and Collin Delia each have a win.
Sluggish Starts: Despite scoring the first two goals on Wednesday in San Diego, the Barracuda have scored the first goal of the game in just three of its last 22 outings, going 7-14-0-1 during the stretch. So far this year, SJ have netted the first goal in just 12 of its 38 contests, tied for the fewest in the league. In addition, the Barracuda have a -27 goal-differential in the first period, which is also tied for last in the league.
Spiky Fish: The Barracuda rank first in the AHL in minor penalties (215) and second in times shorthanded (172), penalty minutes per game (18.78), and majors (23). Jeff Viel is second in the AHL in minor penalties (25), penalty minutes (95), and fourth in majors (5).
Rookie Arrivals: Barracuda All-Star Thomas Bordeleau is pacing all AHL freshmen in goals (17), power-play goals (8), and power-play points (14) and is T-fourth in scoring (25), along with fellow teammate William Eklund. Bordeleau (17), Tristen Robins (9), Gushchin (9), Eklund (9), Brandon Coe (3), and Ozzy Wiesblatt (1) have accounted for 48 of the Barracuda’s 92 goals scored (52%), the most among any rookie class this season. Wiesblatt (Rd 1, 31st overall), Bordeleau (Rd 2, 38th Overall), Robins (Rd 2, 56th Overall), Gushchin (Rd 3, 76th Overall), and Coe (Rd 4, 98th Overall) were all part of the Sharks historic nine-forward draft class in 2020. The Barracuda (24.37) and Canucks (25.54) are the youngest teams in the Pacific Division.