GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT SILVER KNIGHTS
Jan 27, 2023
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (17-21-0-3) vs. HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS (16-24-0-3)
FRI, JAN. 27 | 7:00 P.M. | Dollar Loan Center | Henderson, NV
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Henderson Hookup: After suffering a 3-2 shootout loss on Wednesday in Henderson against the Silver Knights, the Barracuda continue its three-game road trip on Friday with the final regular-season matchup at the Dollar Loan Center. San Jose is 4-1-0-1 against the Silver Knights this season with the last two games being decided in a shootout. The Barracuda are 1-1-0-1 at the DLC.
Major Movement: On Wednesday, The Sharks traded 2018 first-rounder Ryan Merkley, along with Matt Nieto, to the Colorado Eagles for fellow 2018 first-rounder Martin Kaut and veteran defenseman/forward Jacob MacDonald. Kaut, who set AHL career-highs in goals (19) and points (31) last year, has appeared in 27 games with the Avalanche this season and 10 games with the Eagles, and is expected to make his Barracuda debut on Friday. In addition, the Sharks assigned Nick Cicek to the Barracuda.
Silver Lining: The Barracuda twice erased one-goal deficits on Wednesday night at The Dollar Loan Center as captain Andrew Agozzino scored both of his team’s goals, but the Silver Knights would claim victory in a shootout, 3-2. Colt Conrad and Gage Quinney each netted tallies in regulation before Brendan Brisson won it in the shootout. After the win, Henderson has now won four in a row at home and are 1-3 in shootouts. Laurent Brossoit made 27 stops to pick up the win, while Eetu Makiniemi extended his point streak to three (2-0-0-1) but took the hard-luck loss after allowing two goals on 28 shots, and pair in the shootout. Makiniemi is now 0-2 in shootouts this season and 1-1-1 against Henderson.
Deep Dive: The Barracuda enter Friday riding a three-game point streak (2-0-0-1), the longest since it won its first four games of the year. The Knights snapped a two-game skid on Wednesday and have now won a season-long four in a row at home. The Barracuda have played two fewer games to the Silver Knights’ league-high 43 but have a two-point edge for the seventh and final playoff spot in the Pacific Division. Henderson began a season-long six-game homestand on Wednesday and is in the midst of a stretch in which they will play nine of their next 12 at home. The Barracuda are just 1-11-0-1 all-time on the road against the Silver Knights between the regular season and playoffs, earning its first-ever win on Nov. 25 (5-2 W). Henderson is 30th (2.65) in the AHL in goals, eighth in goals against (2.84), and 13th (29.77) in shots against. In addition, the Silver Knights are 28th in the AHL on the power play (16.9) and fifth on the penalty kill (84.1), and first at home (88.0) on the PK. Henderson has been on the penalty kill 145 times this year, fewest in the Pacific Division and 25th in the league. Only the San Diego Gulls (193) have been on the penalty kill more than the Barracuda (188) this year. The Barracuda are T-32nd (2.54) in the AHL in goals for and 24th in goals against (3.39).
Power of Pouliot: Former Silver Knight Derrick Pouliot returned to the Barracuda lineup last Saturday after a 24-game absence due to an upper-body injury suffered on Nov. 16 against San Diego. The Barracuda are 9-5-0-2 with Pouliot in the lineup this year and 8-16-0-1 without him. In addition, when #55 has played this season, the Barracuda are 91% (61/67) on the PK as opposed to 74% (145/181) without him.
Resounding Rookies: Barracuda All-Star Thomas Bordeleau is T-first among all AHL freshmen in goals (18), first in power-play goals (8), and power-play points (17) and is T-fourth in scoring (29), along with fellow teammate William Eklund. Bordeleau (18), Eklund (11), Tristen Robins (9), Gushchin (9), Brandon Coe (3), and Ozzy Wiesblatt (1) have accounted for 51 of the Barracuda’s 102 goals scored (50%), the most among any rookie class this season. Wiesblatt (Rd 1, 31st overall), Bordeleau (Rd 2, 38th Overall), Robins (Rd 2, 56th Overall), Gushchin (Rd 3, 76th Overall), and Coe (Rd 4, 98th Overall) were all part of the Sharks historic nine-forward draft class in 2020.