SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (40-28-2-2, 84 pts., 6th PAC) vs. HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS (39-21-7-5, 90 pts., 3rd PAC)

BEST-OF-THREE SERIES: 0-0

WED, APR. 22, 2025 | 7:00 PM | LEE'S FAMILY FORUM |  HENDERSON, NV

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PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Just like a season ago, the Barracuda finished as the Pacific Division’s sixth seed and will draw the Henderson Silver Knights in the Division Quarter-Final Round. The best-of-three series begins on Wednesday at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson. The Barracuda swept the Ontario Reign a season ago in round one before being eliminated in the Division Semi-Final, three games to one, by the Colorado Eagles.

HENDERSON HOOK UP: The Barracuda went 1-3 versus Vegas’ affiliate during the regular season, suffering a weekend sweep in Henderson just 11 days ago. It marks the second time these teams have met in the playoffs, and the first time since the Knights’ inaugural year in 2020-21, when Henderson swept the Barracuda in a best-of-three Pacific Division Playoffs Semi-Final Series. Prior to this season, Henderson had missed the playoffs the last three years. HSK was one of the AHL’s hottest teams post-All-Star break, going 20-4-4 during that span. Knights goaltender Carl Lindbom went 16-1-2 over his final 20 appearances, including a 4-1 win over the Barracuda in the last meeting on April 11. The former seventh-round pick of Vegas finished the regular season second in goals-against average (2.16), save percentage (.926), and tied for fifth in wins (24).

FIL THE THRILL: Filip Bystedt closed out the regular season on Saturday, notching a career-best three assists in the Barracuda’s 4-3 overtime win over Bakersfield. The sophomore center finished his second North American pro campaign by pacing the Barracuda in points (60), assists (38), game-winning goals (6), and overtime goals (2). He also ranked second in goals (22). The 22-year-old, selected by the Sharks in the first round in 2022, is just the fourth player in franchise history to reach 60 points in a season, and the second in a row (Andrew Poturalski – 73). A year ago, he led the Barracuda in goals (3), notching a pair of power-play markers and a shorthanded tally.

PLAYOFF PEDIGREE: Filip Bystedt, Luca Cagnoni, Gabriel Carriere, Lucas Carlsson, Igor Chernyshov, Patrick Giles, Braden Hache, Donavan Houle, Quentin Musty, Lucas Vanroboys, and Colin White all return this year from last season’s playoff team. A year ago, White led the Barracuda in playoff scoring (1+5=6). Barracuda forward Jimmy Huntington won a Calder Cup in 2024 (Hershey), defenseman Jett Woo in 2025 (Abbotsford), and goaltender Laurent Brossoit won a Stanley Cup with Vegas in 2023, defeating White, who was a member of the Florida Panthers. The Barracuda enter the playoffs with 209 combined Calder Cup games played as a team.

WHITE HOT: Despite not playing in the final two regular-season games, Colin White still managed to record 20 points (10+10=20) over his final 14 outings of the year. The veteran forward missed 26 games during the season for various reasons but still managed to finish second on the team in points (48) and power-play goals (8), and tied for third in goals (21). The Boston native skated in 21 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Panthers in 2023, recording a pair of assists. Last year, he led the Barracuda in playoff scoring (1+5=6), recording points in every game before getting hurt in Game 3 of the Division Semi-Final Round against Colorado.

TROPHY FISH: Barracuda rookie forward Kasper Halttunen, aka “Tuna,” led the Barracuda in goals (5) and points (6) versus the Silver Knights during the regular season and finished the regular season with a three-game goal streak against the Knights, scoring five goals during that span. The former second-round pick notched his first pro hat trick against Henderson on Feb. 15. A year ago, the Finnish winger helped the London Knights capture a Memorial Cup championship, notching 21 points (15 goals, six assists) in 17 games, including eight goals in his final three games.

MUST BE THE MONEY: Among AHL rookies, Sharks 2023 first-rounder Quentin Musty finished tied for fourth in goals (21), tied for seventh in scoring (45), tied for third in power-play goals (8) and power-play assists (13), third in power-play points (21), and second in shots (168). Musty made his Calder Cup Playoff debut on May 4, 2025, against Colorado.

DO THE CAGN, GAGN: The Sharks reassigned defenseman Luca Cagnoni to the Barracuda last Friday after he skated in the final three games of the NHL season. The 21-year-old surpassed his rookie totals in assists (35) and shots (162) in 2025-26. Among league blueliners, he finished tied for eighth in scoring (43), second in power-play assists (20), tied for second in power-play points (23), and second in shots.

CHERN AND BURN: The Sharks assigned rookie winger Igor Chernyshov back to the Barracuda last Friday. The rookie winger appeared in 28 NHL games this season, recording 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists). In 41 games with the Cuda, he recorded 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists), 36 penalty minutes, and a plus-11 rating. He was named the AHL Rookie of the Month for October after posting 16 points (10+6) in 13 games, helping the Barracuda to a 10-1-1-1 start. A year ago, he scored his first AHL goal in his Calder Cup Playoff debut on May 7, 2025, at Colorado.