GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS ROADRUNNERS
Dec 20, 2023
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (8-11-4-0, 16 pts.) vs. TUCSON ROADRUNNERS (14-8-1-1, 30 pts.)
WED, DEC. 20 | 7:00 P.M. | Tech CU Arena | San Jose, CA
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Land and Sea: On Wednesday, the Barracuda close out its five-game homestand with the first visit of the year from the Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes). San Jose enters Wednesday having won back-to-back games against the top team in the Western Conference, the Calgary Wranglers, last weekend and have won three of its last four. SJ is 0-2 against the Coyotes affiliate this season after losses in the desert on Dec. 1 (1-5 L) and Dec. 2 (5-7 L).
Saturday Sizzle: The Barracuda fell behind in the first period on Saturday when Calgary’s Brady Lyle punched in a power-play goal at 10:39, but San Jose would proceed to score the next three goals as Ethan Cardwell, Danil Gushchin (PP) and Scott Sabourin (PP) all tallied. The Wranglers would cut the lead down to 3-2 in the third, but Nathan Todd sealed the win with a goal during four-on-four play, and then Cole Cassels ended a lenthy goalless drought with an empty netter. Magnus Chrona snapped a four-game winless stretch by making 27 saves. Todd (1+2=3), Cassels (1+1=2), and Radim Simek (0+2=2) all finished with multiple points. Prior to Saturday, the Barracuda were 0-6 when coming off a win.
Roadrunners Rundown: After a 6-2 loss at home on Saturday against the Abbotsford Canucks, which snapped a two-game winning streak, the Tucson Roadrunners begin a three-game California road trip on Wednesday in San Jose. Tucson is tied with the Canucks for the third spot in the Pacific Division (14-8-1-1, 30 pts.) and are 8-3-1-0 on the road this season which ranks T-fifth in the league in winning percentage (.708). Tucson is fifth in the AHL in penalty minutes (15.67), T-10th in times shorthanded (101), 31st on the power play (10.3%), ninth on the penalty kill (85.1%), 25th in goals for (2.88) and 13th in goals against (2.92). Tucson goaltender Matt Villalta is T-first in the league in wins (12), first in minutes (1185), and first in saves (542).
Oh Rau: The Barracuda added veteran forward Kyle Rau last Monday for the remainder of the season. Rau, 31, who had yet to appear in a game this year before Friday, skated in 68 contents with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks in 2022-23, collecting 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists), 24 penalty minutes, and a plus-five rating. Over his eight-year professional career, the Eden Prairie, Minn., native has dressed in 61 NHL games with the Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild, totaling seven points (two goals, five assists) and 15 penalty minutes. Additionally, he has appeared in 432 games in the AHL with the San Antonio Rampage, Portland Pirates, Springfield Thunderbirds, Iowa Wild, Abbotsford, and San Jose, racking up 293 points (133 goals, 160 assists) and 182 penalty minutes.
Real Deal Danil: After picking up a pair of helpers on Friday and a goal Saturday, sophomore forward Danil Gushchin is now pacing the Barracuda in scoring (22), goals (8), points-per-game (1.00), and is T-first in assists (14). In addition, he is third in the league in shots (94). Friday was the 21-year-old's ninth multi-point game of the year.
Nate the Great: Barracuda forward Nathan Todd extended his point streak to seven games (5+7=12) on Saturday, the second-longest stretch of his career. The veteran forward now has goals in four of his last fives and 15 points (5+10=15) over his last 13 outings after recording just a goal and an assist through his first nine in a Cuda sweater. A year ago, Todd notched 14 points (8+6=14) in 16 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds before suffering a season-ending lower-body injury. Saturday was his 150th game in the AHL.
King Leon: Barracuda blueliner Leon Gawanke picked three assists over the two games this past weekend and now ranks T-fifth in the AHL in points (18) among defenders and T-fifth in assists (14). The German-born defenseman has 11 points (2+9=11) over his last 11 games and is currently first on the team in power-play points (8), T-first in power-play assists (6) and total assists (14), and second in points, and shots (64). A season ago, he led all league defenders in power-play goals (7) and was T-first in total goals (20).