GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS SILVER KNIGHTS
Jan 3, 2023
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (13-18-0-1) vs. HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS (12-19-0-2)
WED, JAN. 4 | 7:00 P.M. | Tech CU Arena | San Jose, CA
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Home for Henderson: After a 4-1 loss to the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Saturday, the team’s eighth consecutive defeat, the Barracuda conclude its four-game homestand with the fourth meeting of the season against the Henderson Silver Knights (Golden Knights). San Jose’s losing skid began in Henderson on Dec. 14 (5-0 L) after beginning the season 3-0 versus the Golden Knights affiliate.
Head-to-Head: The Barracuda are 6-13-0-1 all-time against the Silver Knights and 5-4-0-1 at home. In two games at Tech CU Arena, the Barracuda are 2-0 versus HSK, picking up a 4-0 win on Oct. 22, the club’s first ever at its new home. In the last meeting on Dec. 14, the Silver Knights scored three times in the first and twice in the first 44 seconds of the second period, rolling to the 5-0 win. Byron Froese scored twice, Brendon Brisson collected three assists, and Laurent Brossoit made 31 saves to earn the shutout.
Silver Lining: The Knights enter Wednesday coming off a 3-0 loss versus San Diego on New Year’s Day and have dropped four of five (1-3-0-1). Henderson is 21st in the league in penalty minutes (12.70), the fewest in the AHL’s Pacific Division, and boast the league’s best penalty kill (88.1%). The Barracuda (2.50) and Silver Knights (2.52) rank last in the AHL in goals for. Henderson is eighth in the league in goals against (2.76) and shots against (29.15). After Wednesday, the Silver Knights travel to the Abbotsford Canucks for a pair of games at the Abbotsford Centre.
Sluggish Starts: The Barracuda have given up the first goal in 16 of its last 17 games, going 5-12 during the stretch and have netted the first goal in just 10 of its 32 outings this season, the second fewest in the league. In addition, the Barracuda have a -27 in the first period, also the second worst in the AHL.
Spiky Fish: The Barracuda rank first in the AHL in minor penalties (196) and second in times-shorthanded (155), penalty minutes per game (19.75), and majors (20). Jeff Viel is first in the AHL in minor penalties (25), second in penalty minutes (90), and fourth in majors (4).
Rookie Arrivals: Rookie forward Thomas Bordeleau is pacing all AHL freshmen in goals (15), power-play goals (7), power-play points (13) and is T-fourth in scoring (22). Fellow rookie William Eklund is T-third among first year players in scoring (8+15=23) and Danil Gushchin is T-third in power-play points (11), and first in shots (95). Bordeleau (15), Tristen Robins (9), Eklund (8), Gushchin (8), Brandon Coe (3), and Ozzy Wiesblatt (1) have accounted for 44 of the Barracuda’s 80 goals scored (55%), 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.