GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS. MOOSE (3-31-17)
Mar 31, 2017
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (39-14-2-5) VS. MANITOBA MOOSE (25-34-4-5)
Friday, March 31, 2017
SAP Center – San Jose, Calif. (7:00 p.m.)
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Tonight’s Matchup: The San Jose Barracuda and Manitoba Moose kick off a two game weekend series on Friday night. It will mark Manitoba’s first visit to SAP Center in team history. San Jose is 2-0 against the Moose after a pair of wins on February 3-and-4 at MTS Center in Winnipeg. The Moose are just 2-7-1-0 over their last ten, but are coming off a 5-2 against at Bakersfield on Tuesday. San Jose is 5-1-0 against Central Division teams this season.
Killin’ It: San Jose went a perfect 12-for-12 on the penalty kill in two games against the Roadrunners last weekend in Tucson. In the two games, San Jose also netted three shorthanded goals in the two games and now leads the AHL with 14 shorthanded goals. The Barracuda are sixth in the AHL on the PK (84.8%).
Too Good: On Sunday, Barlcay Goodrow potted his third pro hat trick, setting a Barracuda single-season mark for goals (24), hat tricks in a season and shorthanded goals (4). Goodrow leads the Barracuda in goals.
The New Guys: Over the last week the Barracuda have added three new players. Both forward Tim Clifton and defenseman Nick DeSimone were signed to two-year entry levels deals following the conclusion of their collegiate careers and netminder Clarke Saunders was added on 25 game standard player tryout (PTO). Clifton, 24, recently completed his senior season with Quinnipiac (ECAC) where he served as an alternate captain. He finished as the team’s fourth-leading scorer with 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in 39 games. His 13 goals and seven power-play goals tied for first on the team. Additionally, he won 58.2% of his face-off’s, which placed him 6th in the ECAC and 19th in the NCAA. DeSimone, 22, recently completed his junior season with Union College, helping the Dutchmen reach the first round of the NCAA Hockey Championship tournament. The third-year player recorded career-highs in games played (38), goals (9), points (19) and plus/minus (+13), ranking T-1st amongst Union defenders in goals, and 2nd in points and plus/minus. His nine goals were tied for the second-most amongst ECAC defensemen, while his +13 ranked T-7th. Saunders, 27, is in his third-year as pro and is fifth in the ECHL in goals-against average (2.60), ninth in save percentage (.913), and is third in wins (28). Saunders is 28-7-1-1 in 38 games played with three shutouts for the Eagles and was named the Warrior Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Month for the Month of February.
Heed Check: Among AHL blueliners, San Jose’s Tim Heed is fourth in points (13+38=51), sixth in goals, third in assists, T-fifth in power-play goals (8), T-fourth in game-winning goals (4) and is T-19th overall in the league in points.
Ryan Rolling: Among AHL defenseman, Barracuda d-man Joakim Ryan is seventh among AHL defensemen in points (9+32=41), T-fourth in game-winning goals, sixth in assists, and is sixth in the AHL in plus/minus (+24).
Dynamic Danny: Among freshman, the All-Star forward Danny O’Regan is first in points (20+33=53), second in assists, sixth in goals, second in power-play goals (8), and is T-15th in points overall in the AHL.
Milestone Alert: Friday's game will be Dan Kelly's 400th of his career and Ryan Carpenters 199th AHL game played