GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS CANUCKS
Feb 3, 2023SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (18-22-0-3) vs. ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS (24-15-2-2)
FRI, FEB. 3 | 7:00 P.M. | Tech CU Arena | San Jose, CA
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Home Sweet Home: After a 5-4 loss at Bakersfield last Saturday in the final game of a three-game road trip, the Barracuda return home to Tech CU Arena on Friday to kick off a five-game homestand, beginning with a pair of games against the Abbotsford Canucks (Vancouver Canucks) before the All-Star break. The Barracuda finished January with a 5-4-0-2 record after Saturday’s defeat and are set to embark on a nine-game month of February. The Barracuda are 1-3 versus the Canucks this season but are coming off a 3-2 win in the last meeting on Jan. 15 at Tech CU Arena.
Canucks Connection: In the last matchup against the Canucks on Jan. 15, William Eklund opened the scoring with a pair of power-play goals, and Derrick Pouliot, in just his second game back from a 24-game absence due to injury, potted his first of the year which turned out to be the game-winner in a 3-2 victory. The Barracuda finished the game going three-for-three on the power play and Eetu Makiniemi collected the W by making 32 saves. Phil Di Giuseppe and Vasily Podkolzin scored for Abby, while former Sharks draft pick Jake Kupsky took the loss in the nets. Prior to Jan. 15, the Barracuda had given up at least five goals in each of the three games versus the Canucks, getting outscored 17-6, and had lost five in a row against Vancouver’s affiliate dating back to last year (0-4-1-0).
Last Time Out: The Barracuda had its four-game point streak snapped on Saturday in Bakersfield, falling 5-4 to the Condors at Mechanics Bank Arena in front of 7,893 fans. The Cuda twice erased one-goal deficits in the first 40 minutes but trailed 3-2 going into the third period. In the third, the Condors netted a pair of goals in the first 5:13 to take a 5-2 lead, but Adam Raska would snap a 30-game goalless drought by scoring twice in a 12-second span to make it 5-4. The Barracuda would outshoot Bako 14-6 in the final period but couldn’t get the tying goal. In the loss, SJ went 0/4 on the PP, 2/3 on the penalty kill, and gave up a shorthanded goal. Luke Johnson and William Eklund each scored, and Aaron Dell suffered the loss.
New Guys: Since joining the Barracuda via trades in January, both Kyle Criscuolo and Martin Kaut have instantly made a difference, collecting a combined six points in six games (4+2=6). Both Criscuolo and Kaut notched goals in their Barracuda debuts and Kaut now has points (1+2=3) in each of his first two games with the team.
About Abbotsford: The Canucks are coming off a 6-1 win at San Diego on Wednesday, snapping a three-game skid. Abbotsford sits just a point behind Colorado for the third spot in the Pacific Division but since beating the Barracuda 5-1 on Jan. 14 at Tech CU Arena are just 2-5-1-1 over its last nine. Before its last nine games, the Canucks had won eight of nine and 15 of 18. When scoring first, the Canucks boast the second-best winning percentage in the league (14-2-0-2=.833%) and are 13-1-0-1 when leading after the first and 16-0-0-1 when leading after the second. Additionally, Abby is 10-4-2-2 in one-goal games. The Canucks rank eighth in goals for (3.51), 15th in goals against (3.07), seventh in shots for (31.35), and second in shots against (27.09). Abbotsford is a plus in goals and shots in every period.
Barracuda Breakdown: The Barracuda enter Friday outside of the Pacific Division playoffs after Saturday’s loss in Bakersfield. The Condors took down the top team in the AHL, the Calgary Wranglers, on Thursday at home and now have won four in a row. Both teams stand at 39 points, but the Condors have a game in hand. The Barracuda are 30th in the AHL in goals for (2.60), 23rd in goals against (3.37), and enter Friday having won back-to-back games at home.
Players to Watch: All-Star defenseman Christian Wolanin is second in the AHL in assists (42), fourth in scoring (47), second in power-play assists (21), and T-third in power-play points (22). He ranks first among defensemen in all those categories. Netminder Arturs Silovs is T-second in the league in wins (17), minutes played (1805), fourth in saves (710), T-fourth in shutouts (2), and is 2-0 against the Barracuda with a 1.50 GAA and .940 SV%.
Power of Pouliot: The Barracuda are 10-6-0-2 with defenseman Derrick Pouliot in the lineup this year and 8-16-0-1 without him. In addition, when #55 has played this season, the Barracuda are 89% (66/74) on the PK as opposed to 74% (145/181) without him.
Resounding Rookies: Barracuda All-Star Thomas Bordeleau is third among all AHL freshmen in goals (18), second in power-play goals (8), first in power-play points (17), and sixth in scoring (29). Fellow rookie William Eklund is T-fourth among first-year players in points (31) and Daniil Gushchin is first among freshmen in shots (122) and shootout goals (3). Former Sharks draft pick Linus Karlsson is third on the Canucks in points (32) and third among rookies. Additionally, Karlsson is first among first-year players in game-winning goals (4).