GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS CONDORS
Dec 10, 2019SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (8-11-0-2) vs BAKERSFIELD CONDORS (9-10-2-1)
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 11 | 7:00 P.M. | SAP CENTER | SAN JOSE, CA
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | BIOS
Wednesday Night Rivalry: On Wednesday, the Barracuda return to the friendly confines of the SAP Center as they welcome in the Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers) for the fifth meeting on the 12-game season series. Since earning wins in the first two matchups of the season, the Barracuda have since dropped the last two games against the Condors, including a 4-3 decision on November 29th at The Tank.
Last Time Out: On Saturday, the Barracuda took a 3-0 first-period lead but the Ontario Reign managed to score the game’s next four goals, including three in the final 20 minutes. After Thomas Gregoire, Joel Kellman and Jayden Halbgewachs scored in the first, Alex True tied it up with just a minute and 35 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. After neither team managed to score in the extra session despite combining for seven shots on net, the Reign collected the second point in the shootout.
About Bako: The Condors enter Wednesday coming off a 7-3 loss at Stockton on Saturday and sit at the fifth spot in the Pacific Division (9-10-1-2 = 21 pts). Bakersfield boasts the AHL’s ninth-best PK despite giving up a pair of power-play goals on Saturday and are averaging 2.82 goals-per-game (21st in the AHL) and 3.41 goals-against-per-game (6th in the AHL). Sophomore forward Tyler Benson leads the Condors in scoring (5+12=17) and leads Bakersfield in points against San Jose this season (3+3=6).
Blichfeld Beasting: Rookie forward Joachim Blichfeld scored twice on Friday and added a pair of assists on Saturday and now leads the Barracuda in goals (9) and co-leads the team in points (17) and power-play goals (3). Among AHL rookies, Blichfeld is second in points-per-game (.89) among skaters who have appeared in seven or more games, T-seventh in scoring, T-sixth in goals and T-fourth in power-play goals. Last year, Blichfeld led the WHL in scoring (53 goals, 61 assists) and was named the WHL Player of the Year (Four Broncos Trophy) as a member of the Portland Winterhawks. The Sharks selected the Denmark native with the second-to-last pick (210th) in the 2016 NHL draft.
Maxed Out: Sophomore forward Max Letunov had his career-high seven-game point streak snapped on Saturday (two goals, nine assists), but the second-year pro co-leads the Barracuda in points (17) and power-play goals (2) and is first in game-winners (2). The Sharks originally acquired Letunov from the Arizona Coyotes in a draft-day trade in 2016.
Blueline Bolster: After collecting a goal and a pair of assists for his second career three-point game, sophomore blueliner Thomas Gregoire now co-leads the Barracuda in points (17), ranks first in assists (14), third in power-play goals and T-second in points-per-game (.89). Among AHL defensemen, Gregoire is T-fifth in points, T-sixth in assists, and second in points-per-game among skaters who have appeared in 17 or more games. Gregoire enters Wednesday riding a three-game point streak (1+5=6).
Youth Movement: The Barracuda are the AHL’s youngest roster with an average age of 22.79-years-old. No other team in the league is under 23-years-old. In fact, six players on the 'Cuda roster are 21-years-old or younger, including two players under 21 (Sasha Chmelevski [20] and Ivan Chekhovich [20]).