GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS WILD
Mar 4, 2020
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (17-27-4-2) vs IOWA WILD (36-16-4-3)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 | 7:00 P.M. | SAP CENTER | SAN JOSE, CA
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES
Wild Wednesday: On Wednesday, the Barracuda continue their season-long six-game homestand with the second matchup against the Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild) over the last three days. After a 2-1 overtime win on Monday afternoon, the Barracuda are now 2-0-1-0 against the Wild this season and 5-2-2-0 all-time. Wednesday’s tilt is the final of four on the season series. The Wild are in the midst of a six-game road trip that will continue onto Manitoba on Friday and Saturday. Since January 18th, the Wild have gone 14-2-1-1 over their last 18 games.
Last Time Out: Jonny Brodzinski scored just 29 seconds into the first period on Monday morning before Sam Anas drew the Wild even at 1-1 in the second on the power-play at 9:19, his league-leading 64th point of the year. After both teams failed to score in the third period, Brodzinski would light the lamp again in the extra session at 3:20, his first two-goal game of the season. Josef Korenar earned the win by making a career-high 42 saves.
Need for Speed: Newly acquired forward Anthony Greco netted his first goal as a member of the Barracuda in his second game on Saturday. Greco was acquired in a trade last Monday along with a first-round pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Barclay Goodrow and a third-round pick. A season ago, Greco set the AHL’s all-time record for the fastest skater at the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic in Springfield, MA.
Carrick Cookin’: Barracuda defenseman Trevor Carrick ranks T-third in the AHL in goals (10) among defensemen and first in game-winning goals (4). In addition, Carrick boasts a team-best +14 rating and is a +9 over his last nine games.
Great Gregs: Thomas Gregoire picked up an assist on Monday and is now first among Barracuda blueliners in assists (19), points (24), power-play assists (8) and points-per-game (.57).
Mad Max: Second-year forward Maxim Letunov collected a pair of assists on Monday, extending his team lead in points (36) and assists (24). In addition, Letunov ranks tied for first on the Barracuda in power-play assists (9) and tied for first in power-play goals (4) and is second in points-per-game (.78). Letunov scored his first NHL goal on February 6, 2020 at Edmonton (Mikko Koskinen).
Sasha Sizzlin’: Prior to Monday, rookie forward Sasha Chmelevski was riding a career-long four-game point streak (two goals, three assists) and had seven points over his last six games (two goals, five assists). Chmelevski is second among Barracuda rookies in points (24), goals (10), assists (14) and is tied for first on the team in power-play goals (4)
Light-Halb(s): Second-year pro Jayden Halbgewachs scored on Saturday, extending his point streak to three games (two goals, three assists), at the time, and now leads the Barracuda in goals (17) and is second in points (33), power-play goals (3) and game-winning goals (3).
Rookie Rising: Barracuda rookie All-Star Joachim Blichfeld picked up an assist on Saturday and now ranks third on the Barracuda in points-per-game (.76) and is tied for first in power-play goals (4). In addition, he is second in goals (15), third in points (31) and third in shots (112). Among AHL rookies, Blichfeld is 13th in points and ninth in goals.
El Jefe: Jeff Viel scored his fifth goal over his last five games on Saturday and is now third on the Barracuda in goals (13). In addition, Viel leads the Barracuda in penalty minutes (99) and majors (7).
Youth Movement: Despite adding 26-year-old Anthony Greco on Monday, the Barracuda are still the AHL’s youngest roster with an average age of 23.03-years-old. In fact, 14 players on San Jose’s AHL roster have two or fewer years of AHL experience.