BARRACUDA SET NEW FRANCHISE RECORD WITH 9-0 WIN
Mar 17, 2019
San Jose, CA - The San Jose Barracuda (32-19-2-4) donned St. Patrick's Day-themed jerseys on Sunday at the SAP Center and handed the Colorado Eagles (33-23-3-1) (Colorado Avalanche) a 9-0 loss, ending the Eagles nine-game winning streak. The nine goals were the most scored by San Jose in franchise history.
In the shutout win, Josef Korenar made 31 saves to earn his 20th victory (20-8-1) and fourth shutout.
San Jose opened the scoring early in Sunday's game, as a turnover by the Eagles sent the Barracuda the other way on an odd-man rush and Jeffrey Viel (8) snapped a shot inside the short-side post as he rushed down the left wing to give San Jose the 1-0 lead at 2:10. At the 7:42 mark of the period, San Jose would extend its lead to 2-0 as Nick DeSimone (11) rocketed a shot from the blueline that was initially stopped, but DeSimone gathered his own rebound and fired the puck past Pavel Francouz from below the right faceoff circle to double the Barracuda advantage. San Jose would score once more before the period concluded, this time on a breakaway as Cavan Fitzgerald (5) rushed up ice with a minute and 40 seconds left, shielded a defender away from the puck, and chipped a backhand over Francouz from close range to give San Jose a 3-0 lead.
At the 5:24 mark of the second period San Jose continued to add to its lead as Jake Middleton bombed a slap shot from the blueline, which T.J. Hensick then poked on net and Lukas Radil (3) eventually chipped over the left pad of a sprawled out Francouz, giving San Jose a 4-0 lead. The Barracuda barrage would continue at the 11:42 mark when Francis Perron (17) redirected a Thomas Gregoire rocket from the right point past Francouz for the 5-0 lead. That fifth goal ended Francouz's night after surrendering five goals on 25 shots in 31 minutes of action. Hensick (4) would add on to San Jose's lead at the 18:11 mark when he drove down the left wing and buried a backhander short-side past new Eagles goalie, Spencer Martin.
The Barracuda entered the third period holding a 6-0 lead and seemed content in running the clock out and grinding the game away. However, Thomas Gregoire (1, 2) scored his first and second in his American Hockey League career during the third period. His first goal came at the 10:16 mark off of a pass across the crease from Maxim Letunov. Gregoire's second tally came on a seeing-eye slapper from the blueline at 11:15. San Jose would score again at the 12:24 as Jayden Halbgewachs (11) snaked through the high-slot and beat Martin on a low wrist shot.
Francouz (25-14-2-3) was pulled from the game after surrendering five goals on 25 shots. Martin (8-9-2-3) took the reins halfway through the second period and gave up four goals on 15 shots in 28 minutes played.
San Jose has entered the final stretch of their season, with only 11 games remaining before the Calder Cup Playoffs. Currently the Barracuda sit in a three-way tie for second place in the Pacific Division but are comfortably in a playoff spot holding a nine-point lead over the fifth-place Tucson Roadrunners.
San Jose will be back in action when they travel to Tucson for two games on Saturday and Sunday (March 23rd and 24th). Saturday's puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 PM and you can follow both games on 1220 KDOW, The Sharks + SAP Center App, or at watchtheahl.com. The Barracuda will return home for one game at 7:00 PM on Friday, March 29th, when they play host to the Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings).
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