GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS. STARS
Nov 4, 2017
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Texas Two Step: On Sunday, the Barracuda return home to face the Texas Stars for the second time this season and the second time in the last eight days. San Jose is 5-4-0-2 all-time against the Stars, and 3-1-0-1 at SAP Center. In the lone matchup this season between the two clubs, San Jose fell 3-2 in a shootout to Texas at H-E-B Center on Oct. 28.
Home Body: On Sunday, the Barracuda kickoff a season long six-game home stand. Seven of San Jose’s nine games in November will be played on home ice with visits from Texas, Manitoba, Ontario, San Antonio, and San Diego. The Barracuda are 1-2 this season at the Tank after boasting the Leagues best home-ice winning percentage a year ago (24-6-2-2= .765).
Shark Attack: Six players from the Barracuda’s playoff team a year ago are currently up with the San Jose Sharks (Joakim Ryan, Tim Heed, Barclay Goodrow, Kevin Labanc, Timo Meier, and Ryan Carpenter). Tim Heed who was an AHL Second Team All-Star a year ago has points (two goals, three assists) in four of his last five games. On Wednesday, Joakim Ryan who began the season with the Barracuda collected his first NHL assists in a 4-1 win over Nashville.
Top Of The Class: Through nine games, sophomore forward Adam Helewka is first on the Barracuda in assists (8), points (9), and T-plus/minus (+3). In 2016-17, his rookie season, Helewka totaled 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) in 58 games with the ‘Cuda, and scored three times in 12 playoff games. In 2014-15, as a member of the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, the Burnaby, British Columbia native was a Second-League All-Star after potting 44 goals and adding 43 assists. The Sharks drafted the 22-year-old in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft.
Goaltending Depth: First-year Barracuda netminder Antoine Bibeau has been a steady option behind Troy Grosenick this season for San Jose. In four games played, Bibeau 1-3-0 with a 2.29 goals against average (9th in the AHL), and a .921 save percentage (13th in the AHL). The fourth-year pro has appeared in 109 AHL games (Toronto/San Jose) in his career, going 57-36-11 with a 2.77 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage, and 11 shutouts.
Dazzling Danny: Danny O’Regan, the Red Garrett Memorial Award winner last year as the AHL’s Rookie of the Year, is first on the Barracuda in goals (5) and is second in points (8). O’Regan who played four years at Boston University collected 58 points (23 goals, 35 assists) a season ago, and also, appeared in three games for the Sharks where he scored his first NHL goal on April 8, 2016, against the Calgary Flames (David Rittich). In five career games against Texas, O’Regan has seven points (three goals, four assists), and a plus-one rating.
Sommer-Time: Returning for an AHL-record 20th season behind the bench for the San Jose Sharks top affiliate, Roy Sommer continues his historic career. In 2015-16, Sommer surpassed Fred ‘Bun’ Cook on the top the AHL’s all-time winning list and collected his first A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as AHL Coach of the Year in 2016-17. Sommer is 694-610-48-72-66 (W-L-T-OTL-SOL) in his career.