GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT GULLS (3.22.17)
Mar 22, 2017
San Jose Barracuda (38-13-2-4) vs. San Diego Gulls (37-15-3-2)
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Valley View Casino Center - San Diego, Calif.
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Tonight’s Matchup: The top two clubs in the Western Conference battle for the tenth and final time on Wednesday night in San Diego. The home team has come out victorious in every game this season. San Jose is 5-2-1-1 in nine games against the Gulls and is 0-2-1-1 at Valley View Casino Center. San Jose enters the matchup with the best road winning percentage in the league (18-8-1-2 = .672) and are 8-1-1-0 over its past ten road games. Since January 1, San Jose has gone 23-6-1-1 while San Diego has put together a record of 24-4-1-1.
Postseason Bound: After being the 16th and final team to clinch a playoff spot last season, San Jose became the first in the AHL to punch a postseason birth this year with a 3-1 win over Stockton on Saturday night. If the regular season ended today, San Jose would face the Bakersfield Condors in the first round of the Pacific Division playoffs.
Gulls Nest: The San Diego Gulls have won six in a row on home ice and 11 of their last 12 at Valley View Casino Center. San Diego holds the fifth best home winning percentage in the AHL (20-7-1-1 = .724).
Top Of The Class: The San Jose Barracuda sit atop the AHL with a .719 winning percentage. The Barracuda set a league long 14-game winning streak from January 25 to March 1 and a 15-game point streak from January to 25 to March 4, sweeping the month of February with an 11-0 record. The Barracuda have points in 21 of their last 23 games.
Heeding Up: Among AHL blueliners, San Jose’s Tim Heed is third in points (12+36=48), T-eighth in goals, third in assists, T-sixth in power-play goals (7), T-third in game-winning goals (4) and is T-19th overall in the league in points.
Ryan Rising: Among AHL defenseman, Barracuda blueliner Joakim Ryan is T-ninth among AHL defensemen in points (8+29=37), T-sixth in assists, and is T-third in the AHL in plus/minus (+26).
Dynamic Danny: On Wednesday, the Barracuda will be without All-Star rookie Danny O’Regan after his recall to the San Jose Sharks on Monday. Among AHL freshman, O’Regan is first in points (20+32=52), second in assists, sixth in goals, second in power-play goals (8), and is T-11th in points overall in the AHL.
Troy Trending: Barracuda All-Star netminder Troy Grosenick leads the AHL in shutouts (9), T-first in goals-against average (2.03), second in save percentage (.930) and T-first in wins (26). Grosenick’s last regulation loss came in San Diego on January 20.