GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS STARS
Mar 17, 2023SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (25-28-1-4) vs. TEXAS STARS (31-17-7-3)
FRI, MAR. 17 | 7:00 A.M. | Tech CU Arena | San Jose, CA
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Marching Along: After a 6-2 morning win on Wednesday against the Henderson Silver Knights, the Barracuda continue its three-game homestand on Friday with the first visit of the season from the Texas Stars (Dallas Stars). The Barracuda and Stars are set to square off again on Saturday and four times over the next eight games. A year ago, the Barracuda went 2-2 against Dallas’ top affiliate and 1-1 at home. All-time, the Cuda are 15-8-1-2 against Texas, and 9-3-0-1 at home. Since the Stars joined the Central Division in 2018-19, the Barracuda 8-4 and 4-2 at home. This season, the Barracuda are 2-2 against the Central Division and boast a lifetime record of 34-16-2-2 and 17-10-0-0 at home.
About Wednesday: Ozzy Wiesblatt scored just 27 seconds into Wednesday’s game against the Henderson Silver Knights as the Barracuda went two-for-two on the power play, four-for-four on the penalty kill and got multiple points from Andrew Agozzino (2+1=3), Martin Kaut (1+2=3), Artemi Kniazev (0+3=3) and Danil Gushchin (1+1=2) and 21 saves from Aaron Dell en-route to the 6-2 win.
Cuda Chronicles: The Barracuda enter Friday one point behind the Tucson Roadrunners for the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division. Entering Friday, SJ has seven more home games left on its schedule and 14 total. After Wednesday’s six-goal outburst, the Barracuda have averaged 4.08 (49 GF) goals for per game over its last 12 and have notched 4+ goals in nine of those contests. The Cuda are 27th in the AHL in goals for (2.86) and 23rd in goals against (3.36).
Star Bright: The top-seed in the Central Division, the Texas Stars, are in the midst of a six-game road trip and have dropped consecutive games in regulation for the second time in two weeks and the third time this year. The Stars are 5-5 over its last 10 and 1-4 in its last five. On Wednesday, Texas was dealt a 2-1 loss at Bakersfield and were held to just 16 shots, scoring with six seconds left in regulation while its net was empty. The Stars enter Friday with the fifth-best road record in the AHL (16-9-6-1=.609%) and are T-fourth in road goals scored (106). The Stars rank third in the AHL in goals for (3.59), ninth in goals against (2.91), and third in shots for (32.48) and shots against (27.97). Additionally, the Stars are seventh on the penalty kill (83.0%) and 15th on the power play (19.3%). First-year Stars forward Riley Barber ranks second in the league in goals (27) and T-seventh in points (54). The against the Pacific, the Stars are 8-7-1-0.
El Cap: Barracuda captain Andrew Agozzino collected three more points (2+1=3) on Wednesday, reaching 50 points for the fifth time in career and the first time since 2018-19 when he was a member of the Colorado Eagles. His team-leading 24 goals is the third-best single season total of his career and the best since 2018-19 when he notched 26. Since missing five games from Jan. 7 to Jan. 15, the 11-year vet has 23 points (13+10=23) in his last 19 games, collecting points in nine-straight from Feb. 11 to Mar. 8 (6+7=13). Agozzino has points in 11 of 12 (9+8=17) and three goals over his last two games. He is just one goal shy of matching Barclay Goodrow’s (2016-17) single-season franchise record of 26 goals in a season and eight points shy of matching Danny O’Regan’s (2016-17) single-season points record of 58.