GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA vs. RAMPAGE
Nov 4, 2016
Game #5 – San Jose (2-1-0-1) at San Antonio (3-6-0-0)
1:15 PM PST, SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, California
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Afternoon Matchup: The San Jose Barracuda and San Antonio Rampage (Colorado Avalanche) duel for the first of six matchups this season on Friday afternoon at SAP Center. The Rampage lost their first game of its current six-game California road trip to the Bakersfield Condors on Wednesday, 7-1. The Rampage who have played five more games (9 GP) than San Jose, currently sit at the bottom of the Pacific Division at 3-6-0-0 (PCT .333) and have now lost two in a row. The Barracuda captured three of a possible four points during its home-opening weekend against Bakersfield last Friday and Saturday. The Barracuda blanked the Condors on Friday, 4-0, and then lost in a shootout on Saturday, 4-3. San Jose is 2-1-0-1 in four games played and sit in third in the Pacific Division (PCT .625).
In 2015-16, San Jose went 3-2-1-0 against the Rampage and 2-1-1 at home. Ryan Carpenter led all ‘Cuda scorers with six points (3-4-7) and a plus-two rating. Current San Jose goaltender Troy Grosenick went 1-1 in two games against the Rampage last year with a 3.05 GAA and a .934 SV%.
Players To Watch: After getting held off the scoresheet in the opener on Oct. 15, the line of Nikolay Goldobin, Kevin Labanc, and Rourke Chartier has been dominant. In the last three games, the three forwards have combined for 17 points (6-11-17) and a plus-13 rating.
Between the pipes: Troy Grosenick was perfect in his last start, stopping all 28 Condors shots he faced to earn his fifth pro shutout of his career and his first win of the year. Grosenick is now 1-1 with a 1.55 GAA and .948 SV%. Grosenick went 11-10-4-0 in 28 games played in 2015-16 with a 3.15 GAA and a .894 SV%.
Mantas Armalis saw a career high 17 first-period shots last Saturday afternoon against the Bakersfield Condors and allowed three first-period tallies, but Armalis recovered to stop the next 22 straight shots he saw and was able to force the game to a shootout. San Jose eventually dropped the game in a shootout despite Armalis stopping two-of-three shooters. In his first year in North America, Armalis is 1-1 with a 3.22 GAA and a .948 SV%.
Spencer Martin and Nathan Lieuwen both appeared in San Antonio’s 7-1 loss to the Bakersfield Condors on Wednesday night. Martin, who began the game, played 40 minutes and allowed four goals on 18 shots, while Lieuwen allowed three goals on nine shots, all in the third period.
Lieuwen is no longer on the San Antonio roster, so Friday and Saturday will be up to Martin and Jeremy Smith. Martin is 3-4 with a 2.41 GAA in 2016 while Smith is 0-2 in three games played with a 2.63 GAA and a .889 SV%.
In two games against the Barracuda in 2015-16, Martin went 1-0 with a 0.75 GAA and a .964 SV%.
San Jose’s Last Time Out: On Saturday, San Jose recovered after allowing three first-period tallies on 17 shots and were able to force overtime after goals by Alex Schoenborn, Kevin Labanc, and Rourke Chartier. After neither team had claimed victory during the 3-on-3 five-minute extra frame, Bakersfield earned a weekend split when Scott Allen was the only player in the shootout to score.
San Antonio’s Last Time Out: The Bakersfield Condors scored seven unanswered goals before J.T. Compher scored at 8:44 mark of the third period on Wednesday night at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield. The Rampage suffered its worst loss of the year, 7-1.
Hot Streaks
- Kevin Lebanc has goals and assists in three straight games (3-4-7)
- Nikolay Goldobin has points in three straight games (1-6-7)
- Rourke Chartier has goals and points in his last two games (2-1-3)
- Alex Schoenborn has points in two straight games (1-1-2)
Recent Milestones
- Troy Grosenick played in his 100th career AHL game on Oct. 15, 2016, at Stockton