GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT MARLIES
Nov 23, 2024SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (9-5-0-0) vs TORONTO MARLIES (9-1-2-2)
SAT, NOV. 23 | 1:00 P.M. PT | COCA-COLA COLISEUM | TORONTO, ONT
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Toronto Time: On Saturday, for the first time in franchise history, the Barracuda take on the Toronto Marlies as they kick off a two-game weekend set at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto. The Barracuda are coming off a 5-4 overtime win over the top team in the AHL the Calgary Wranglers while the Marlies picked off the defending Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears on Wednesday and are now riding a six-game point streak entering Saturday (3-0-2-1) and have a league-best .786 winning percentage. The last time Sharks and Maple Leafs AHL clubs squared off was April 6, 2006, when the Cleveland Barons beat the Marlies 3-2 at Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland.
Sunday Funday: The Barracuda erased three different deficits on Sunday night at Tech CU Arena and would not take the lead until Luca Cagnoni sealed it with an overtime winner at 3:25 to upend the Calgary Wranglers, 5-4. Just to get to overtime San Jose first erased a two-goal hole after a period and then scored with their net empty at 18:20 to tie it up and force the extra session.
Eye Eye Captain: Earlier this week head coach John McCarthy and general manager Joe Will named Jimmy Schuldt the club’s sixth captain in franchise history. Schuldt, 29, is in his first season with the Barracuda after helping guide the Coachella Valley Firebirds to back-to-back Calder Cup Finals. The sixth-year pro was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Vegas Golden Knights on April 4, 2019. Prior to turning pro, the rearguard spent four years at St. Cloud State, serving as the team’s captain for three of the four seasons. Andrew Poturalski, Lucas Carlsson, Colin White, and Scott Sabourin were named alternate captains.
Ask & You Shall Receive: The Sharks recalled prized goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov on Monday with Vitek Vanecek dealing with an injury. Askarov made his Sharks debut at St. Louis on Thursday, making 31 stops in a 3-2 shootout loss. Among AHL goalies, the 22-year-old ranks T-second in shutouts (2), third in save percentage (.939), fourth in goals-against average (1.92), and T-fourth in wins (6). Askarov was named the AHL’s Goalie of the Month in October after going 5-0 with a pair of shutouts. The former 11th overall pick by the Nashville Predators was traded to the Sharks on August 23, 2024, in exchange for forward David Edstrom, a 2025 conditional first-round pick, and goaltender Magnus Chrona.
Collin Cookin’: Collin Graf collected a goal and an assist on Sunday and now has points in his last six games (2+7=9) and 13 of 14 this season. Graf has multiple points in his previous two outings and five multi-point efforts this season. Among league leaders, he is T-first in scoring (19), and T-second in assists (14), and T-fourth in plus/minus (+9). Graf, who was considered the top undrafted college free agent available last spring, was inked by the Sharks to an ELC on April 4, 2024. The National Champion at Quinnipiac in 2022-23 appeared in seven games last season with the Sharks, collecting two assists.
Hot Pot: Andrew Poturalski extended his point streak to six games (4+6=10) on Sunday as he assisted on Luca Cagnoni’s overtime winner. Poturalksi now has points in 10 of his last 11 (7+8=15) and ranks T-third in the AHL in scoring (17), T-fourth in power-play goals (3), and T-sixth in goals (7). The Sharks signed the two-time Calder Cup Champion to a two-year contract in July.
Do the Cagn Cagn: 19-year-old defenseman Luca Cagnoni potted his first AHL overtime winner on Sunday, capping off his fourth two-point game of the year. Cagnoni, who still has junior eligibility, is second among AHL blueliners in scoring (15), goals (5), and assists (10). The Sharks selected the Burnaby, B.C. native in the fourth round (#123 overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft.