GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS WRANGLERS
Feb 10, 2023
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (18-24-0-3) vs. CALGARY WRANGLERS (31-11-2-0)
FRI, FEB. 10 | 7:00 P.M. | Tech CU Arena | San Jose, CA
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Back from the Break: On Friday, the Barracuda return from the AHL’s All-Star break and continue its five-game homestand with the first of back-to-back games against the Calgary Wranglers (Flames). Friday’s visit from the Wranglers will be the first ever to Tech CU Arena. Entering Friday, the Barracuda have dropped three game in a row, all by a single goal.
Calgary Connection: The Barracuda are 0-2 versus the Wranglers this season, getting outscored 12-2 in two games at the Scotiabank Saddledome in November. Dating back to last season, the Barracuda have dropped nine in a row against the Flames top affiliate (Stockton/Calgary) and have not won at home in 10 straight (0-9-1-0), with the last victory occurring on Mar. 10, 2019 (5-4 SOW).
Wranglers Rundown: The Wranglers enter Friday coming off a 2-1 win in its last outing on Feb. 3 (last Friday) versus Bakersfield and have won five in a row on the road. Calgary boasts the AHL’s second best overall winning percentage (31-11-2-0=.780%) and road winning percentage (15-4-1-0=.775%) and have an AHL-best 31 wins. Calgary is fourth in the league on the power play (23.6%), first on the road (28.4%), and first on the penalty kill (86.3%). Additionally, the Wranglers are second in the AHL in goals for (3.73) and goals against (2.52) and second in shots for (32.93).
Players to Watch: Wranglers All-Star forward Matt Phillips, who scored four times in two games earlier this season against the Barracuda, leads the AHL in tallies (24) and game-winning strikes (9) and is sixth in points (48). In 29 career games against the Barracuda, the fifth-year pro has 22 points (14+8=22) and 18 points (12+6=18) in his last 18 games versus SJ dating back to the 2019-20 season. Gilroy native Dustin Wolf, who also represented the Wranglers at the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic, earning Co-MVP honors, is first in the AHL in wins (26), shutouts (4), minutes played (1976), saves (923), and second in the league in goals-against average (2.19), and save percentage (.928). In his career, he is 10-0 versus the Barracuda and 2-0 in 2022-23, blanking San Jose in his last outing on Nov. 8, 4-0 W (24/24).
New Guys: Since joining the Barracuda via trades in January, both Kyle Criscuolo and Martin Kaut have instantly made a difference, collecting a combined eight points in eight games (5+3=8). Both Criscuolo and Kaut notched goals in their Barracuda debuts, and Kaut now has points (1+3=4) in each of his first three games with the team.
Barracuda Breakdown: The Barracuda enter Friday tied with the Bakersfield Condors (39 points) for the final playoff spot in the Pacific, although the Condors have two games in hand. The Cuda are first in the AHL in penalty minutes per game (18.80), T-first in minor penalties (253) and third in times shorthanded (203). Additionally, SJ is 30th in goals for (2.53), and 23rd in goals against (3.36)
Resounding Rookies: Barracuda All-Star Thomas Bordeleau is third among all AHL rooks in goals (18), second in power-play goals (8), first in power-play points (17), and T-eighth in scoring (29). Fellow rookie William Eklund, who is riding a career-best seven game point streak (3+5=8), is T-fourth among first-year players in points (33), and Daniil Gushchin is first among freshmen in shots (127) and shootout goals (3).