GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS. ROADRUNNERS
Dec 21, 2018
San Jose Barracuda (16-4-1-3 .750) vs. Tucson Roadrunners (15-8-2-1 .635)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21 | 7:00 A.M.
SAP Center at San Jose | San Jose, Calif.
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES
Teddy Tussle: On Friday, the San Jose Barracuda and Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes) connect for the fourth of eight meetings in 2018-19 and first of back-to-back on the weekend. San Jose was shutout twice in Tucson in early November but won 3-2 in a shootout in the only meeting at SAP Center this season on October 15. The Barracuda are 5-2-1-1 against Tucson all-time at San Jose and 11-5-1-2 overall.
Home Sweet Home: SJ boasts the AHL’s best home winning percentage (8-1-0-1 = .850) and have won six straight at the Tank. A Barracuda win on Friday would set a new franchise high for consecutive home wins. In addition, the Barracuda have a +20 home goal-differential which is the best in the Pacific Division.
Dynamic Duo: Barracuda netminders Antoine Bibeau and Josef Korenar have combined for the AHL’s best goals-against average (2.25) and best save percentage (.923) thus far this season. The 20-year-old rookie, Korenar, is first in the AHL in goals-against average (1.99), second in save percentage (.933) and is T-third in wins (10). Bibeau, the CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month in October, ranks ninth in the AHL in goals-against (2.53) average and T-sixth in save percentage (.916).
Francis on Fire: Acquired from the Ottawa Senators in the Erik Karlsson trade, Francis Perron is first on the Barracuda in points (24), goals (11), power-play goals (5), shooting percentage (29.7%) and is second in plus/minus (+14). After collecting an assist on Wednesday, Perron has points (5g, 8a) in nine of his last 11 games including three multi-point games over that stretch.
True or False? After recording just one goal over his first 13 games, Alex True has eight goals over his last 11, including six over his last seven games. On Sunday, True notched his first four-point (1g, 3a) game of his career and has 13 points (8g, 5a) over his last 11. True is T-first on the Barracuda in plus/minus (+15), second in points (18) and second in goals (9).
Gambrell Good: Prior to Wednesday, rookie forward Dylan Gambrell had scored in three straight games and had points in four consecutive games. Gambrell, who has points (3g, 4a) in seven of his last nine, is third on the Barracuda in points-per-game (.82).
Hard Wood: Acquired in an offseason trade with the Arizona Coyotes, Kyle Wood leads the Barracuda in assists (16), T-first in plus/minus (+15) and is T-third in points. Wood was an AHL All-Star in 2016-17 and was named an AHL All-Rookie member after totaling 43 points (14g, 29a) with the Tucson Roadrunners.
Dezzy Dueling: Sophomore d-man Nick DeSimone scored for the second straight game on Wednesday and now has points (2g, 4a) in five of his last six. DeSimone is T-third on the Barracuda in points, T-fourth in goals, third in assists, seventh in plus/minus (+8), and fourth in points-per-game (.77).
Youth Movement: Friday’s tilt pins the AHL’s two youngest teams against one another. San Jose has an average age of 24.25 years old while Tucson’s average age is 23.86. The Barracuda are comprised of 12 rookies and five sophomores.