GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS REIGN
Jan 26, 2022
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (14-20-1-0) vs ONTARIO REIGN (21-6-3-2)
THURS., JAN. 27 | 7:00 P.M. | SAP CENTER | SAN JOSE, CA
LISTEN | WATCH | MEDIA KIT | GAME NOTES
Going back-to-back: After falling to the Ontario Reign on Wednesday morning 4-1, the Barracuda hit the ice again on Thursday to take on the Reign in the third meeting on the six-game season series. Thursday’s game marks the second meeting of three-straight against the Kings affiliate. The Barracuda went 4-0 against the Reign a season ago, but are 0-2 so far this year, getting outscored 11-5. Ontario has earned a point in each game so far in 2022 and are currently on a nine-game point streak (7-0-1-1). The Reign have the AHL’s fourth-best road winning percentage at .654 (9-4-1-0), beginning a stretch on Wednesday of nine of its next 10 on the road. Ontario’s 13 road contests played is t-fewest in the AHL.
Last Time Out: After Patrick Holway tied the score at 1-1 in the first period on Wednesday morning, the Reign would notch the next three goals. The Barracuda finished the game 0-for-2 on the PP, ending their three-game stretch in which they scored on the power-play. The penalty kill finished 1-2 and has now given up four goals in two games against Ontario. The Barracuda put 40 shots on net including a season-high 19 in the second but couldn’t muster another goal have Holway’s.
Opposing Ontario: The Reign enter Thursday on a nine-game point streak (7-0-1-1) and have wins in their last three outings and five of their last six. T.J Tynan, the AHL’s MVP from 2021, ranks second in the AHL in scoring (41), first in assists (34), first power-play assists (19), and t-first in power-play points (20). Fellow forward Martin Frk is t-fourth in the AHL in scoring (37), t-second in goals (18), and second in power-play goals (9). In addition, forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan is t-third in power-play goals (8). Goaltender Matt Villalta is t-fifth in wins (12) and 16th in goals-against average (2.70) and rookie defenseman Jordan Spence ranks second among rookie defensemen in scoring (21) and first in power-play assists (11) and power-play points (13). The Reign boast the AHL’s top power-play (28.7%) and have scored six man-power advantage goals over its last three games, while the club’s penalty-kill ranks 30th (73.4%) out of 31 teams. The Reign are averaging a league-best 3.97 goals-for-per-game.
800 for Sommer: On Jan. 8, 2022, head coach Roy Sommer picked up AHL victory #800 with a 6-3 win over the Henderson Silver Knights. The Oakland, Calif., native has been behind the bench for 1,710 games in the AHL, going 803-699-48-160 (W-L-T-OTL/SOL) over that span. During the 2015-16 season, the Barracuda’s first in San Jose, Sommer surpassed Fred “Bun” Cook (636 wins) for the most wins in AHL history, notching a 4-2 victory on Feb. 10, 2016, over Ontario. Sommer collected his 700th win on Dec. 3, 2017, at Bakersfield (2-1 W).
Reedy Rolling: Scott Reedy recorded a power-play goal in Sunday’s win continuing a fantastic rookie year. The Minnesota alumnus is tied for third in the AHL in goals (17), first in power-play goals (10), and first in shooting percentage (33.3). In addition, Reedy has skated in his first five games in the NHL this season with the Sharks. Reedy potted a pair of goals in the Barracuda’s 7-4 loss to the Reign on Dec. 17 but recorded no points in Wednesday morning’s matchup.
Blichy Boiling: Joachim Blichfeld’s three-game goal streak ended on Wednesday, but he still earned an assist. The Denmark native is tied for fifth in the league in goals (14) and t-sixth in power-play goals (5). Blichfeld, who led the Barracuda a season ago in scoring, is just two tallies shy of his career-high of 16 goals in which he set in 2019-20 as a rookie.
Leno Lightning: After scoring just four goals in his first 24 games of the year, John Leonard has notched four goals over his last six games, including three in the last three contests. The sophomore forward played in 44 games with the Sharks a season ago and currently ranks t-first on the team in shorthanded goals (2). Leonard picked up a goal and an assist in the first meeting against Ontario but was held off the scoresheet on Wednesday.