GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT CONDORS
Feb 16, 2024
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (16-23-8-0, 35 pts.) vs. BAKERSFIELD CONDORS (23-15-2-2, 50 pts.)
SAT, FEB. 17 | 7:00 P.M. | Mechanics Bank Arena | Bakersfield, CA
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Road Wrap: The Barracuda wrap up their three-game roadie on Saturday in Bakersfield and in the process close out the eight-game season series with the Condors. Saturday is the third game over the last six against Bakersfield and the sixth road game over the team’s last seven outings. The Barracuda are coming off a 4-2 win against the Oilers’ affiliate in the last meeting on Saturday at Tech CU Arena and are 3-3-1-0 against the Condors this season and 1-1-1 at the Mechanics Bank Arena. The Barracuda are riding a three-game point streak (2-0-1-0) against Bakersfield entering Saturday.
Last Time Out: Magnus Chrona was outstanding in his first action since Jan. 20, making 28 saves on 30 shots, but suffered a hard-luck loss as the Barracuda were shutout for the fourth time this season, 4-0, on Thursday night at the Acrisure Arena against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Before the loss, the Barracuda had won its last two and had points in a season-long three games. The Firebirds got full-strength goals from Kole Lind at 15:24 of the first and Max McCormick at 1:25 of third before tacking on a pair of empty netters.
Cuda Check: Prior to Thursday, the Barracuda had held its opponents to three or fewer goals in each of its last eight games, going 5-2-1-0 during the stretch. After Wednesday’s win, the Cuda had earned points in a season-long three games and had held their opponents to 25 or fewer shots in three of its last four outings. The Barracuda enter Saturday eight points out of a playoff spot with one game in hand and 25 games remaining.
Todd’s Time: Before Thursday, forward Nathan Todd had notched four goals in his last two games. Todd buried his first AHL hat trick last Saturday in a 4-2 win over the Condors. Against the Condors he now has seven points (4+3=7) in seven games. Since recording just one goal in his first 15 games with SJ, Todd has notched 13 in his last 31 outings and is averaging just under a point per game during that stretch (13+17=30). The Kemptville, Ontario, native is now T-first on the team in goals (14), second in points (35), shots (106), power-play goals (3), and T-third in assists (21).
Coles Notes: Barracuda forward Cole Cassels had his point streak snapped on Thursday at six games (1+5=6). The six-game stretch matched his career-long and was the second longest by a Cuda skater this season. Cassels is currently pacing SJB in helpers (26) and is third in points (32). Additionally, he is first among Cuda forwards in plus/minus (+12).
Shake and Bake: The Condors enter Saturday one point behind the Abbotsford Canucks for the fifth spot in the division but boast the Pacific’s fifth-best winning percentage (.595). Since Jan. 1, Bako has gone 11-5-1 over its last 17 games and are 6-1-2-1 over its last 10 at home. The Condors have played a league-low 42 games entering Saturday and just 20 of those at home which matches for the fewest in the league. Goaltender Olivier Rodrigue ranks fifth in save percentage (.924) and enters Saturday having won three in a row. As of Friday, the Condors rank seventh in the AHL on the power play (20.6), but 25th on the penalty kill (79.6). In addition, they give up the fifth fewest goals per game (2.76).