GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS EAGLES
Nov 17, 2023
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (3-5-3-0) vs. COLORADO EAGLES (6-5-3-0)
FRI, NOV. 17 | 7:00 P.M. | Tech CU Arena | Calgary, AB
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Eagle Scout: The San Jose Barracuda and Colorado Eagles (Avalanche) meet up for the first time this season on Friday and the first of two games over the weekend. Friday and Saturday will be the only visit from the Avs top affiliate during the regular season. The Barracuda are set to travel to Loveland, Colorado, on Jan. 20 and 21 to close out the four-game season series. A year ago, the Barracuda went 1-6-1-0 against the Eagles and 1-2-1-0 at home. All time the Barracuda are 12-14-4-1 against Colorado and 7-6-2-0 in the Bay Area.
Sunday Funday: The Barracuda scored five times on Sunday en-route to a 5-1 win over the Charlotte Checkers. In the victory, Magnus Chrona made 26 stops for his first career win in the AHL, and Tanner Kaspick, Valterri Pulli, Scott Sabourin, Thomas Bordeleau and Justin Bailey all scored. For Pulli, it was his first in the AHL and for Sabourin, it was his first with the Barracuda and just his second career shorthanded goal. Cole Cassels also finished with a pair of assists and Leon Gawanke was a career-best plus-four. After the win, the Barracuda are now 3-0-1-0 after a regulation loss.
Eagle Expectations: The Eagles reached the postseason for the fifth consecutive year in 2022-23 as now Anaheim Ducks head coach Greg Cronin led the group to 40-22-7-3 mark which was good for 3rd in the Pacific Division. Colorado’s top two scorers from last season, Charles Hudon (Ontario Reign) and Alex Galchenyuk (St. Petersburg SKA) are no longer with the team, but 13 players are back from the 2022-23 squad. Colorado enters Friday coming off a 4-2 loss at Ontario on Sunday and are in the midst of a four-game road trip. The Eagles are 1-5-2-0 on the road this season which ranks 30th in the league (.250). Of Colorado’s eight games on visiting ice this season, they’ve scored the first goal just twice. The Eagles will begin a six-game homestand next Friday against the Texas Stars. The Avs farm team boasts the league’s best penalty kill (37/42=88.1%) but rank 15th (21/25=85%) on the road in PK percentage.
Gush Goin’: The Sharks assigned forward Danil Gushchin back to the AHL on Friday morning after collecting one assist in two games up top. The sophomore forward is pacing the Barracuda in points (13), points-per-game (1.18), shots (49), T-first in assists (9), and T-second in goals (4). A year ago, as a rookie, he ranked first among freshmen 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%).
On the Hunt: Veteran Eagles defender Brad Hunt enters Friday riding a six-game point streak (2+5=7), which is tied for the second-longest current streak in the league. Hunt, who’s in his 12th season of pro and second under contract with the Avalanche, is T-third in the AHL among blueliners in scoring (11), first in shots (49), and T-third in goals (4). A year ago, the 5x AHL All-Star appeared in 47 games with the Avs, notching 10 points (4+6=10).