GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS GULLS (3-5-17)
Mar 5, 2017Game #51 – San Jose Barracuda (33-12-1-4) vs. San Diego Gulls (32-14-2-2)
Sunday, March 5, 2017
5:00 PM PST, SAP Center, San Jose, Calif.
Tonight’s Matchup: Two of the AHL's hottest teams clash on Sunday night at SAP Center as the San Jose Barracuda welcome in the San Diego Gulls for game seven-of-ten on the season series. At home, the Barracuda are 3-0 against Gulls, but 0-3 in SD. The Gulls are 19-3-1-0 in 2017 and are riding a four-game winning streak, while San Jose is 18-5-0-1 in 2017. Sunday’s game marks the first of a home and home as the Barracuda will travel to San Diego on Wednesday.
League Leader: Despite back-to-back losses, the San Jose Barracuda still sit atop the AHL with a .710 winning percentage. San Jose set a league long 14-game winning streak from January 25 to February 25 and a 15-game point streak from January to 25 to March 1, sweeping the month of February with an 11-0 record.
Setting Goals: The San Jose Barracuda have hit an unprecedented dry spell over their last two games, scoring just three goals despite putting a total of 88 shots on net. San Jose is the only team in the AHL with 10 or more skaters with 10 or more goals, and their plus-49 goal differential is third best in the League.
Home Sweet Home: Sunday’s tilt will pin the Leagues second best home team (.771) against the Leagues second best road team (.667). The San Jose Barracuda are 6-0-0-1 in their last seven games at home and have allowed the least amount of goals in the AHL (46) when playing within the friendly confines. The Gulls have been equally impressive on the road having won three straight away from Valley View Casino Center and are 8-1-0-1 in their last ten road games.
Feed Heed: Among AHL defenseman, Barracuda blueliner Tim Heed ranks third in points (11+34=45), despite playing just 40 games, first in assists, T-10th in goals, T-fourth in power-play goals (7), and T-first in game-winning goals (4). Heed is T-first on the Barracuda in points and first in assists. Heed appeared in one game for the Sharks at Calgary on January 11, recording zero points.
Dynamic Danny: Among rookies, Barracuda All-Star forward Danny O’Regan is first in points (16+19=45), T-first in assists, T-11th in goals, and T-16th overall in the AHL in points. O'Regan is T-second on the Barracuda goals, T-first in points and second in assists.
Troy Trending: Barracuda All-Star netminder Troy Grosenick had his winning streak snapped at 12 games on Wednesday, but the fourth-year pro is first in the AHL in shutouts (7), second in goals-against average (2.00), second in save percentage (.932) and fourth in wins (21). Grosenick’s last regulation loss came in San Diego on January 20.
San Jose’s Last Time Out: The San Jose Barracuda suffered their second consecutive loss on Saturday night in Stockton, 4-2. The defeat snapped San Jose’s 15-game point streak and 10-game road winning streak. John McCarthy (15) opened up the scoring, but the Heat responded with four unanswered goals before Rourke Chartier (12) jammed home a loose puck with less than a minute remaining in regulation. Mantas Armalis suffered the loss after allowing three goals on 20 shots, while David Rittich earned the victory by making 43 saves on 45 shots.
San Diego’s Last Time Out: The San Diego Gulls jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Friday night at Valley View Casino Center and rolled to a 4-1 victory over the Tucson Roadrunners. Kevin Boyle earned the win by making 35 saves on 36 shots, and Keaton Thompson (3), Nick Sorensen (8), Brian Cooper (2) and Corey Tropp (15) all scored for the Gulls.