GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT GULLS
Dec 31, 2024SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (17-10-0-2) vs SAN DIEGO GULLS (9-17-1-2)
WED, JAN. 1 | 7:00 P.M. | PECHANGA ARENA | SAN DIEGO, CA
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Quarter Century: The Barracuda ring in the new year on the road in San Diego against the Gulls and in the process wrap up a three-game road trip. Wednesday marks the first New Year’s Day game in franchise history. The Barracuda finished the calendar year of 2024 with a 31-30-6-6 record. San Jose is 1-1-0-1 against the Ducks affiliate this season having dropped the last two meetings.
Setting Gulls: In the last matchup against the Ducks affiliate the Barracuda were dealt a 5-2 loss on Dec. 14 at the Pechanga Arena. In that game, San Diego jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Barracuda scored the next two goals. Calle Clange made 28 saves in the win, and Yaroslav Askarov allowed four on 32. San Diego’s Yegor Sidorov finished with a game-high three points (1+2=3), while Lucas Vanroboys and Thomas Bordeleau scored in the loss. Bordeleau leads both teams in goals (3) in the three games, while Sidorov leads head-to-head play in points (1+3=4).
The Past is in the Past: The Barracuda were dealt a 5-2 loss in Henderson on Sunday against the Silver Knights, their first loss to the Knights in four games. After falling behind 2-0 after one, Collin Graf snuck in a shorthanded goal in the second period to make it 2-1, but in the third, the Knights scored three times en route to the win. Akira Schmid finished with 37 saves, picking up the victory. Danil Gushchin also scored for the Barracuda in the loss.
Sparkling Special Teams: The Barracuda went 10-for-10 on the penalty kill over the weekend and now rank first in the AHL on the PK (88.4%). After Collin Graf’s shorty on Sunday, the club ranks T-second in shorthanded goals (6). Additionally, the Barracuda boast the second-best power play (22.6%) after scoring a pair of man-advantage goals in the third period on Saturday at Henderson, the team’s eighth multi-PPG effort this season.
End of the Year Bonus: The Sharks placed William Eklund on IR on Tuesday and in a corresponding move recalled Collin Graf from the Barracuda. Before his recall, Graf ranked T-first among AHL rookies in points (26) and first in assists (20).
Hot Pot: Veteran forward Andrew Poturalksi scored twice on Saturday and now has nine points (3+6=9) in his last six games. Poturalski is T-sixth in the AHL in scoring (30), T-eighth in goals (12), and T-fourth in power-play goals (5).
New Year's Card: Ethan Cardwell notched a career-high three assists on Saturday and now has 10 apples in his last eight games since being assigned back to the AHL from the Sharks. Cardwell is T-eighth in the league in assists (16) and is third on the Barracuda in points-per-game (.86). The Barracuda’s Rookie of the Year in 2023-24, is four assists shy of matching his assist total from a year ago in 50 fewer games.
Cheers to Carlsson: Lucas Carlsson collected a pair of power-play goals on Saturday and now ranks T-fifth in the league in power-play tallies (4) and T-second among defensemen. The veteran defender has surpassed his power-play totals from a year ago in 37 fewer games.
Italian Sparkling Wine: Rookie defenseman Luca Cagnoni ranks T-third among AHL defenders in points (22), T-second in goals (8), T-seventh in helpers (14), T-second in power-play goals (4), second in power-play assists (9), and second in power-play points (13).