GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT GULLS (5.12.17)
May 12, 2017
San Jose Barracuda (2-1) vs. San Diego Gulls (1-2)
GAME 4 (Best-of-7), Pacific Division Final
Friday, May 12, 2017 (7:00 PM) – Valley View Casino Center, San Diego, Calif.
Tonight’s Matchup: On Friday, the San Jose Barracuda have an opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 series lead with a victory in their best-of-7 second round tilt with the San Diego Gulls. San Jose’s 4-3 overtime win on Wednesday was its first in San Diego this year. During the regular season the Barracuda went 5-3-1-1 against the Gulls, but 0-3-1-1 at Valley View Casino Center.
Carpenter Cruising: Barracuda forward Ryan Carpenter continues his red-hot postseason. On Wednesday, the third-year pro recorded an assist and is now first in the AHL in points (11), first in goals (6), first in plus-minus (+9) and T-first in game-winning goals (2). In 16 career Calder Cup playoff games, Carpenter has 15 points (8+8=16), eight penalty minutes and a plus-13 rating. The former Bowling Green Falcon recorded four points (3+2=4) in seven games against San Diego during the regular season.
Timo Time: On Wednesday, Timo Meier became San Jose’s hero with an overtime winner at 17:40 of the fourth period. The rookie forward is third on the Barracuda in points (3+3=6) during the playoffs and is T-first in the AHL with two game-winning goals and is first in shots (31). Meier won a QMJHL Championship and appeared in a Memorial Cup final with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in 2015-16, his final year of junior.
Yeah Buddy: Barracuda forward Buddy Robinson has been a force throughout the playoffs totaling eight points (4+4=8), four penalty minutes and a plus-five rating. After being acquired in a trade with the Ottawa Senators in January, Robison collected 19 points (10+9=19) in 33 games, 53 penalty minutes and a plus-five rating for the Barracuda. Before his acquisition, the Bellmawr, New Jersey native recorded 12 points (7+5=12), 18 penalty minutes and a plus-four rating in 33 games with the Binghamton Senators (AHL). Before 2017, Robinson totaled zero points in six career Calder Cup playoff games.
DeSimone Dazzling: After signing a two-year entry-level deal with the San Jose Sharks in late March, Nick DeSimone has impressed from the get-go. The rookie blueliner netted his first pro goal for the Barracuda in his fourth game and has five points (1+4=5) in eight playoff games which is tied for the team lead among defensemen during the postseason. The former Union College product opened up the scoring for San Jose in their 5-1 win over the Gulls in game two.
Winner Winner: San Jose’s Zack Stortini is by far the team’s most experienced postseason player having skated in 61 Calder Cup playoff games over his 12-year career, and the veteran forward won a Calder Cup with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2007.
Last Time Out: The San Jose Barracuda fell down three separate times on Wednesday but managed to force overtime before taking the series lead with a 4-3 victory at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego on Wednesday night. Rookie Max Jones opened up the scoring for San Diego before fellow rookie Kevin Labanc tied the score for San Jose less than a minute later. In the second, Sam Carrick made it 2-1 Gulls before Colin Blackwell evened the score at 2-2 in the third. Spencer Abbott shifted the pressure back on San Jose in the final frame, but Danny O’Regan forced the extra session at the 1:01 mark of the third with San Jose’s net pull. In OT, Timo Meier became the hero at 17:40 of the first overtime.