GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS WRANGLERS
Nov 17, 2024SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (8-5-0-0) vs CALGARY WRANGLERS (12-3-0-0)
SUN, NOV. 17 | 3:00 P.M. | TECH CU ARENA | SAN JOSE, CA
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Saddle Up: After a 6-2 loss on Saturday night at Tech CU Arena, the Barracuda look for the weekend split with the Calgary Wranglers on Sunday in the second game of back-to-back. Last season, the Barracuda went 5-3 versus the Wranglers and 3-1 at home. The Flames affiliate boasts the Western Conference’s best record through the first month at 12-3-0-0 (.800) and the best plus/minus (+22). The Barracuda are 2-2-0-0 this season when coming off a loss and 2-2-0-0 in the second game of back-to-back.
About Saturday: Danil Gushchin scored twice on Saturday night at Tech CU Arena, including a goal 90 seconds into the game, but Los Gatos native Devin Cooley made 31 saves to pick up his ninth win of the year, as the Wranglers upended the Barracuda, 6-2. Collin Graf and Andrew Poturalski collected assists on both Gushchin goals to extend their point streaks to five games. William Stromgren (0+3=3) and Walker Duehr (1+2=3) finished with three points apiece for the Wranglers and Rory Kerins notched his league-pacing 11th goal of the year.
Ask & You Shall Receive: Yaroslav Askarov made a career-high 48 saves on Wednesday en-route to a 2-1 win over the San Diego Gulls. The 22-year-old turned aside all 20 shots he faced in the opening period and would make 19 consecutive stops to close out the game after giving up a power-play goal in the second. Askarov was the AHL Goalie of the Month in October after going 5-0 with two shutouts.
Collin Cookin’: Rookie forward Collin Graf was named the AHL’s Rookie of the Month for October after collecting points in his first seven games (3+7=10). On Saturday, he picked up two assists and now has points in 12 of his first 13 this season. Among rookies, he ranks first in the league in points (17) and assists (13) and is T-second in plus/minus (+7). Graf, who is riding a five-game points streak (1+6=7) entering Sunday, is T-second in the AHL in overall scoring and assists.
Hot Pot: Andrew Poturalski’s goal-scoring streak ended at three games on Wednesday, but the veteran forward still managed to pick up an assist and added two more on Saturday to extend his points streak to five (4+5=9). Poturalksi now has points in nine of his last 10 (7+7=14) and ranks T-fourth in the AHL in scoring (16), T-third in power-play goals (3), and T-fifth in goals (7). The Sharks signed the two-time Calder Cup Champion to a two-year contract in July.
Calgary Check: After dropping their first game of the year on Oct. 11 vs. Abbotsford (3-4 L), the Wranglers went on to win their next nine from Oct. 13 to Oct. 31. Calgary is second in the league in goals against (2.13) and fourth in goals for (3.60) and are the AHL’s best third-period team (+14). The Wranglers are 6-0 when scoring first this season, 6-0 when leading after 20 minutes, and 8-0 when leading after two periods. The Wranglers have the fourth-best penalty kill (47/54=87.0%) entering Sunday. Forward Rory Kerins, who was the AHL Player of the Month for October after notching 11 points in 10 games, is T-first in the AHL in goals (11) and T-fourth in points (15). After a three-point performance on Saturday, Walker Duehr is T-third in AHL scoring (16) and Jakob Pelletier is T-fourth (15).
Wranglers on the Road: The Wranglers enter Saturday 5-0 away from the Scotiabank Saddledome, outscoring the opposition 20-7. Calgary boasts the best road power play (5/16=31.3%) and the sixth-best road penalty kill 16/18=88.9%).
Cat Like: Former Shark’ and Los Gatos native Devin Cooley is 9-2-0-0 to begin his tenure with the Calgary Wranglers this season, the best start of his career. Cooley, who signed a two-year deal with the Flames on July 1, 2024, was selected the Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending on Nov. 10 after stopping 81 of 83 shots over four appearances, notching two shutouts and a .64 goals-against average and .976 save percentage. The Jr. Sharks alumnus was traded from Buffalo to San Jose on Mar. 8, 2024, for a 2025 7th-rounder. He would appear in his first six NHL games with his hometown team, collecting his first NHL win on Apr. 6, 2024, vs. St. Louis. Cooley ranks T-first in the AHL in wins (9), first in shutouts (3) and SV% (.953), and second in GAA (1.51).