GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA AT WRANGLERS
Mar 30, 2024
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (20-32-9-2, 51 pts.) vs. CALGARY WRANGLERS (35-21-3-4, 77 pts.)
SUN, MAR. 31 | 12:00 P.M. | SCOTIABANK SADDLEDOME | CALGARY, AB
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Closing Out Calgary: The Barracuda continue their five-game road trip on Sunday afternoon in Calgary and close out the eight-game season series versus the Wranglers (Calgary Flames). The Barracuda are 4-3 versus CGY this season and 1-2 on the road after a 4-2 loss on Friday. Lifetime the Barracuda are 9-10 in Canada and 1-4 at the Saddledome. All time against a Flames affiliate (Stockton/Calgary), the Barracuda are 38-26-3-2 on the road 16-12-2-2.
Last Time Out: Wranglers forward Rory Kerins scored 49 seconds into the first period on Friday at the Saddledome and the Barracuda could never dig themselves out, ultimately falling 4-2. With the loss, the Barracuda were officially eliminated from the playoffs for the third consecutive year. Cole Cassels reached double-digit goals with a late second-period power-play tally and Brandon Coe (12) notched his fourth goal in his last five games with just over a minute to go in regulation but it wasn’t enough. The Wranglers got goals from Kerins, Jeremie Poirier (PP), Ben Jones, and Adam Klapka (EN) and Connor Murphy made 27 stops.
Wranglers Wrap: With Friday’s win and San Diego’s loss on Saturday, the Wranglers officially clinched a berth in the Calder Cup playoffs. Calgary has earned points in six of seven (4-1-1-1) and are 7-6-1-1 in March, which features a season-high 16 games. The Flames have now sent their AHL club to the postseason for the last three years. If the playoffs were to start on Saturday, the Wranglers would face Colorado in round one.
Full Deck: Barracuda rookie forward Ethan Cardwell picked up an assist on Friday and now has four goals and three assists in his last seven games. Among league freshmen, he is T-sixth in goals (19), T-seventh in shots (141), and T-11th in scoring (36). On the Barracuda, he is first in goals, second in game-winning goals (3), third in shots, T-second in power-play goals (4), and fifth in points. If Cardwell is to reach 20 goals, he’d become the seventh player in franchise history to notch 20+ goals in their first campaign, and third in the last two years (Guchchin – 22, Bordeleau – 22).
Coe Knows: Barracuda forward Brandon Coe scored again on Friday and now has goals in four of his last five games. The sophomore forward has five points (4+1=5) over his last five outings and has already doubled his goal output from his rookie season and has set a new career-high in points (17) with Friday’s goal. Coe has also set career-highs in power-play goals (2), and shots (54).
Todd’s Time: Nathan Todd scored on Wednesday and is now up to a team-high 48 points. The 28-year-old has set personal bests this season in goals (17), assists (31), and points. Among Cuda skaters, he is either first or tied for first in all major 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, and shots (169), and is T-second in 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 (33), T-first in power-play goals (5), and third in points (43), and has four points (2+2=4) in his last three games.
Gush Going: Danil Gushchin extended his point streak (1+5=6) and assist streak to five games on Friday. The second-year forward has six more helpers than he did his rookie season in 18 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 (182), T-first in power-play goals (5), second in points (44), and fourth in assists (29).