GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT REIGN
Apr 6, 2024
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (21-33-9-3, 54 pts.) vs. ONTARIO REIGN (37-21-3-4, 81 pts.)
SAT, APR. 6 | 6:00 P.M. | Toyota Arena | Ontario, CA
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Road Trippin’: The Barracuda close out their five-game road trip on Saturday in Ontario and in the process wrap up their eight-game season series with the Reign (LA Kings). The Barracuda are 0-6-1-0 versus LA’s top affiliate this season and 0-2-1-0 at the Toyota Arena.
Wednesday Wrap: The Barracuda led 1-0 after 40 minutes in Coachella Valley on Thursday after Georgi Romanov made 26 saves through the first two periods and Tanner Kaspick scored the lone goal. In the third, the Firebirds would score three times en route to a 3-1 win.
Fil the Thrill: Sharks 2022 first-rounder Filip Bystedt collected three points (2+1=3) on Wednesday, becoming just the third player in franchise history to score three points and two goals in his AHL debut (Dylan Gambrell ’18-19, Evan Weinger ’18-19). The 20-year-old is the youngest to accomplish the feat. Before joining the Barracuda, Bystedt skated in 47 games with Linkoping of the SHL, recording 17 points (8+9=17) and a plus-six rating.
Tommy Gun: Among AHL blueliners, Cuda defenseman Jack Thompson, who scored his first goal in a Barracuda sweater on Sunday, is first in power-play points (21), T-eighth in power-play assists (18), and T-seventh in scoring (38).
Full Deck: Ethan Cardwell notched his 20th goal of the season on Sunday, becoming the sixth rookie in the league to reach 20 goals this year, and the eighth freshman in franchise history to reach the 20-goal mark. Cardwell scored again on Wednesday and is now T-fourth among AHL freshmen in goals (21) and T-ninth in scoring (39). On the Barracuda, he is first in goals, T-first in power-play goals (5), second in game-winning goals (3), and T-fourth in points.
Todd’s Time: Nathan Todd notched a pair of assists on Wednesday and is now up to a team-high 51 points. The 28-year-old has set personal bests this season in goals (18), assists (33), and points. Among Cuda skaters, he is either first or tied for first in multiple offensive categories, including scoring, power-play assists (14), power-play points (19), and T-first in power-play goals (5). He is also second in goals, shots (176), and helpers.
Cashing In: Cole Cassels became the eighth Cuda skater to reach double-digit goals when he potted a late second-period goal on Friday. Cassels is pacing the team in assists (34), T-first in power-play goals (5), and third in points (44).
Gush Going: Danil Gushchin’s point (2+7=8) and assist streaks were snapped at a career-long seven games on Thursday. The second-year forward has eight more helpers than he did his rookie season, in 15 fewer games. Despite missing 13 games with an upper-body injury from Jan. 27 to Feb. 28, he ranks first on the team in shots (193), T-first in power-play goals (5), second in points (47), and fourth in assists (31).
Reign Report: The Reign enter Saturday having won six in a row and are second in the Pacific Division, two points ahead of Tucson. If the regular season were to end today, Ontario would face Bakersfield in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Reign are 4-0 in its last four at home and 9-0-0-1 in its last 10. Ontario boasts the AHL’s fifth best defense (2.68), seventh-best power-play (20.2%) and are 12th in defense (3.14). Rookie netminder Erik Portillo is third in save percentage (.924), sixth in goals-against average (2.34), and T-seventh in wins (20).
Cuda Killer: Sam Fagemo, who is first in the AHL in goals (39), has a team-high 16 points (11+5=16) in six games versus the Barracuda this season and a plus-nine rating. Fagemo did not play against San Jose in the last meeting on March 26, but had five points (3+2=5) in the prior matchup on Feb. 27 at the Toyota Arena. On Jan. 5, he was held scoreless in a 2-0 Reign win at Ontario but has multiple points in the other five games versus San Jose, including a pair of hat tricks. In his career against the Barracuda, Fagemo has 29 points (15+14=29) in 22 games. Fagemo ranks first in the AHL in power-play goals (16) entering Friday but has just two of those versus the Barracuda.
Heavy Reign: Veteran Reign forward TJ Tynan is first in the AHL in helpers and T-fourth in points (60). In his career, he has 36 points (6+30=36) in 25 games versus the Barracuda. Tynan has five assists in his last three games including three on Wednesday at Henderson.