GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT WRANGLERS
Nov 3, 2023
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (1-3-3-0) vs. CALGARY WRANGLERS (5-0-1-0)
FRI, NOV. 3 | 12:00 P.M. (PT) | Scotiabank Saddledome | Calgary, AB
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Calgary Connect: On Friday afternoon the Barracuda head north of the border for the first time in 2023-24 as they faceoff against the Calgary Wranglers for a pair of meetings over the next three days. San Jose has dropped five consecutive contests (0-2-3-0) and are 0-1-1-0 on the road. The Wranglers, who finished first in AHL last season with 106 regular season points, have picked up wins in four straight games and rank first in the AHL in winning percentage (5-0-1-0, .917). Calgary’s last five games have been decided by just a goal and three have needed overtime.
Oh Canada: The Barracuda are 7-7-0-0 lifetime in Canada after going 2-4 last season in six games north of the border. In two contests at the Scotiabank Saddledome in 2022-23, the Barracuda went 0-2, getting outscored 12-2. Against the Wranglers, the Cuda failed to earn a win (0-3-0-1) in four attempts in 2022-23. Lifetime against Flames’ affiliates (Stockton/Calgary), the Barracuda boast a record of 35-29-5-3 and 17-14-3-2 on the road.
Wolf of Wall Street: Gilroy native Dustin Wolf, who was the AHL’s MVP last season and top goaltender the last two years, is back with the Wranglers in 2023-24. In his career against the San Jose, he is 11-0 with 1.36 GAA. Last season he went 3-0 against the Barracuda, 1.00 goals-against average, .970 save percentage and one shutout. In 2022-23 he led the league in wins (42), shutouts (7), goals-against average (2.09) and save percentage (.932).
Wranglers Wrap: Aside from losing its leading scorer from a last season, Matthew Phillips, the Wranglers have nearly the identical team from a year ago that finished with a league best 106 points (51-17-3-1, .736). In 2022-23, Calgary ranked first in the AHL in goals against (87) and first on the penalty kill (85.1%). Matthew Phillips and Dustin Wolf were both named to the AHL’s First All-Star Team and head coach Mitch Love, who is now an assistant with the Washington Capitals, was the AHL’s coach of the year.
Gush Goin’: Danil Gushchin collected three assists on Sunday to make it five straight games with multiple points (3+9=12), a new career long. Gushchin now has 17-career multi-point performances in his first 77 outings in the AHL and four multi-goal games. The sophomore forward ranks first on the Barracuda in helpers (9) and points (12), and second in goals (3). Among league leaders, he is T-third in points and assists and second in shots (35). A year ago, among rookies, he was first in the league in shots (203), T-11th in goals (22), T-13th in points (45), T-10th in power-play goals (7), and 16th in shootout percentage (4/7=57.1%).
Bords is Back: The Sharks assigned forward Thomas Bordeleau to the AHL on Sunday after skating in six games up top to begin the year, notching a goal and an assist. Last season, as a rookie, he racked up 41 points with the Barracuda (22 goals, 19 assists) in 65 games. His nine power play goals were T-third in the AHL among freshmen and his 160 shots was seventh.