GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS FIREBIRDS
Oct 29, 2023
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (1-3-2-0) vs. COACHELLA VALLEY FIREBIRDS (2-2-0-0)
SUN, OCT. 29 | 3:00 P.M. | TECH CU ARENA | SAN JOSE, CA
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Sunday Funday: The Barracuda close out their three-game homestand on Sunday as they host the defending Western Conference Champion Coachella Valley Firebirds for the second of back-to-back games. A year ago, the Barracuda went 0-5-1-2 versus Seattle’s top affiliate and 0-4 at Tech CU Arena. In the five all time games at home against the Firebirds, the Barracuda are 0-5 and have now been outscored 29-10 after Saturday’s 8-2 loss.
Barracuda Bounce Back: The last time the Barracuda lost by five or more goals, which was on Oct. 13 against Rockford (2-7 L), they responded with a win the following afternoon against the same team 7-2. The Barracuda are 1-0-1-0 in the second game of back-to-backs this season and 1-0-1-0 in afternoon games. On Saturday, the Barracuda gave up a season-high eight goals, and were dealt their worse loss of the year, 8-2.
Cuda Killers: A year ago, Cole Lind (8 gp: 8+5=13) and Max McCormick (8 gp: 3+4=7) combined for 11 goals and nine assists in eight games against the Barracuda. On Saturday, the duo was back at it again as McCormick notched five points (2+3=5) and Lind collected a pair of assists in their 8-2 win over the Cuda. Prior to Saturday, McCormick had no points and Lind had just one goal to his credit.
Back with the Birds: Three of Coachella Valley’s top scorers from last season are back in the desert in 2023-24, including the team’s captain Max McCormick, who paced the club a year ago with 67 points (28+39=67), and Kole Lind who led the team in goals (30). 13 players who appeared in at least one game with the Firebirds during their Calder Cup Final run are back with Coachella Valley in 2023-24. Key departures from Coachella’s inaugural roster includes Brogan Rafferty (Grand Rapids Griffins), who ranked T-third in the league in points (13+38=51) among defense, forward Jesper Froden, who ranked third on the team in goals (25), and former Sharks and Barracuda forward Alex True (Charlotte Checkers) and defenseman Matt Tennyson. In addition, Joey Daccord, who finished third in the AHL in wins (26), fifth in goals-against average (2.38) and save percentage (.918), and T-sixth in shutouts (3), along with Ty Karte made the Kraken out of training camp.
Gush Goin’: Danil Gushchin scored twice on Saturday to make it four straight games with multiple points (3+6=9), matching his career high for consecutive games with a point. Gushchin now has 16-career multi-point performances in his first 76 outings in the AHL and four multi-goal games. The sophomore forward ranks first on the Barracuda in helpers (6) and points (9), and T-first in goals (3). Among league leaders, he is second in shots (31), T-fourth in assists, and T-sixth in points. 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%).
Blueline Bolster: The Sharks assigned veteran d-man Radim Simek, 31, to the AHL on Saturday. The Czechia born blueliner picked up an assist in the team’s 4-3 OTL to the Silver Knights on Wednesday, his first action since he was hurt in a preseason game on Sept. 27 at Anaheim. Simek last appeared in the AHL in 2019-20 when he skated in two games with the Barracuda during a conditioning stint. In 2017-18, his first in North America, he spent the entire campaign in the AHL with the Barracuda. In his career, he has skated in 209 NHL games with the Sharks, notching 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists).
On Fire: The Firebirds were eliminated in game 7 of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals by the Hershey Bears, 3-2, ending their inaugural campaign just a goal shy of a championship. The Firebirds went 48-17-5-2 (103 pts./715 pct.) during the regular season and ranked first in home winning percentage (27-7-1-2, 55 pts/.764 pct.). Coachella finished third in the league in goals scored (257) and fourth in goals allowed (194). Rookie Ty Kartye, who notched 28 goals and 29 assists, to go along with a +17 rating, was named the Red Garrett award winner as the league’s rookie of the year and captain Max McCormick was on the Second AHL All-Star Team. The Firebirds became the first expansion team to reach the AHL’s final since the Texas Stars did it in 2009.
Wright Call: Seattle’s first draft pick ever, Shane Wright, who they selected with the fourth overall pick in 2022 NHL Draft, was granted an exemption to play in the AHL this season, despite being just 19 years old. NHL/CHL rules mandate that a player cannot play in the AHL until they are 20. Wright will turn 20 on Jan. 5, 2024. The agreement between the CHL and NHL allowed for Wright to play in the AHL this season as opposed to going back to the OHL if he didn’t make the Kraken’s roster. The former exceptional status recipient, played in 24 playoff games with the Firebirds following his season with the Windsor Spitfires.