GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT WRANGLERS
Mar 29, 2024
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (20-31-9-2, 51 pts.) vs. CALGARY WRANGLERS (34-21-3-4, 75 pts.)
FRI, MAR. 29 | 1:00 P.M. | SCOTIABANK SADDLEDOME | CALGARY, AB
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Coming to Calgary: The Barracuda kick off a five-game road trip on Friday afternoon in Calgary and drop the puck on the first of back-to-back games versus the Wranglers (Calgary Flames) at the Scotiabank Saddledome to close out the eight-game season series. The Barracuda are 4-2 versus the Wranglers this season and 1-1 on the road. Lifetime the Barracuda are 9-9 in Canada and 1-3 at the Saddledome. All time against a Flames affiliate (Stockton/Calgary), the Barracuda are 38-25-3-2 on the road 16-11-2-2.
About Last Time: Brandon Coe scored just 15 seconds into Wednesday’s game against Ontario at Tech CU Arena, and then, Nathan Todd tacked on another goal later in the period to give the Cuda a 2-0 lead but the Reign answered with a pair of goal in the second from Akil Thomas and then Charles Hudon (PP), before Taylor Ward notched the game-winner at 16:22 of the third. Former Sharks and Barracuda netminder Aaron Dell made 34 saves against his former squad to pick up the win as Magnus Chrona took the loss.
Wranglers Rewind: The Wranglers snapped a four-game skid to the Barracuda in the last meeting on Jan. 27 at Tech CU Arena, 3-2. After Ilya Solovyov opened the scoring in the first, Jacob Peterson and Thomas Bordeleau answered in the opening 20 minutes to give the Barracuda a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission. In the second, Brady Lyle and Mitch McLain scored on the power play for Calgary and Dustin Wolf closed the door after the first period by making 17 saves over the final 40 minutes en-route to a 3-2 win.
Wranglers Wrap: The Wranglers got 34 saves from Connor Murphy on Wednesday and goals from Sam Morton and William Stromgren to upend the Pacific Division’s top club the Coachella Valley Firebirds, 2-0. Calgary has now earned points in five of six (3-1-1-1) and are 6-6-1-1 in March, which features a season-high 16 games. The Wranglers are tied with the Bakersfield Condors for the fifth spot in the Pacific Division and if the regular season ended today would play the Ontario Reign in round one of the Calder Cup playoffs. Calgary can clinch a playoff berth on Friday with (a) a win vs. San Jose AND a San Diego loss (reg/OT/SO) at Tucson, OR (b) an OTL/SOL vs. San Jose AND a Henderson loss (reg/OT/SO) or OT/SO win vs. Bakersfield AND a San Diego regulation loss at Tucson.
Full Deck: Barracuda rookie forward Ethan Cardwell scored on Sunday and now has goals in four of his last five games. Among league freshmen, he is now T-sixth in goals (19), T-seventh in shots (141), and T-12th in scoring (35). On the Barracuda, he is first in goals, second in game-winning goals (3), third in shots, T-second in power-play goals (4), and fifth in points. If Cardwell is to reach 20 goals, he’d become the seventh player in franchise history to notch 20+ goals in their first campaign, and third in the last two years (Guchchin – 22, Bordeleau – 22).
Todd’s Time: Nathan Todd scored on Wednesday and is now up to a team-high 48 points. The 28-year-old has set personal best this season in goals (17), assists (31), and points. Among Cuda skaters he is either first or tied for first in scoring, power-play assists (14), power-play points (19), and T-first in power-play goals (5). He is also second in goals, shots (168), and is T-second in helpers.