GAMEDAY: BARRACUDA VS WRANGLERS
Jan 27, 2024
SAN JOSE BARRACUDA (13-19-7-0, 31 pts.) vs. CALGARY WRANGLERS (22-13-3-0, 47 pts.)
SAT, JAN. 27 | 6:00 P.M. | Tech CU Arena | San Jose, CA
LISTEN | WATCH | GAME NOTES | MEDIA KIT
Home Cookin’: The Barracuda close out their three-game homestand on Saturday with the second of back-to-back games against the Calgary Wranglers (Calgary Flames). After a 3-0 win on Friday, the Barracuda are now 4-1 versus the Wranglers, winning the last four games and outscoring them during that stretch 15-3.
Wednesday Wrap: Eetu Makiniemi made 37 saves, and the Barracuda got goals from Ethan Frisch, Nathan Todd and Jordy Bellerive en route to the 3-0 victory over the Wranglers on Friday. For Makiniemi, he is now 2-0 versus the Flames affiliate this season, shutting them out in both appearances. The Barracuda have won two in a row for just the second time this season and the first since sweeping a weekend set with the Wranglers at Tech CU Arena on Dec. 15 and 16, 2023.
Major Movement: The Barracuda acquired forward Jordy Bellerive from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Tuesday for future considerations. In addition, the Sharks assigned Scott Sabourin back to the AHL, and the Barracuda recalled defenseman Gannon Laroque from the Wichita Thunder. The team also released forwards Mitchell Fossier and Ty Pelton-Byce from their PTOs. On Thursday, the Sharks recalled defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin for the first time since acquiring him last year from New Jersey in the Timo Meier trade. Mukhamadullin is T-6th among league defenders in points (26), assists (21), and power-play assists (9).
A Star is Born: Prior to getting hurt on Friday, forward Danil Gushchin had collected points in six consecutive games (2+6=8). Gushchin will represent the Barracuda at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Tech CU Arena in San Jose on Feb. 4-5, 2024. The second-year pro is first on the Barracuda in points (37), goals (14), assists (23), and shots (142). Among league leaders, he is T-fifth in scoring, T-sixth in assists, and third in shots. Gushchin joins Thomas Bordeleau, Joachim Blichfeld, Jake Middleton, Francis Perron, Josef Korenar, Barclay Goodrow, Ryan Carpenter, Troy Grosenick, Danny O’Regan, Antoine Bibeau, and Rudolfs Balcers as players to represent the Barracuda at the AHL All-Star Classic.
Sabs Sizzlin’: Barracuda forward Scott Sabourin returned back to the team on Wednesday after missing seven games while on recall with the Sharks. Sabourin scored and added an assist on Wednesday and now leads the team in game-winners (3), penalty minutes (92), majors (6), and is T-first in power-play goals (4) and is third in goals (10). Sabourin has eight goals and 12 points over his last 11 games in the AHL after notching just two goals and one assist through his first 19 outings.
Wranglers Roundup: Calgary enters Saturday having dropped four in a row in regulation, the longest regulation losing streak since the club moved to Calgary to begin the 2022-23 season. Since Dec. 10, the Wranglers have gone 6-9-2-0 after beginning the season 16-4-1-0. Calgary boasts the league’s 31st-ranked power play (14.8%) after going 0/4 on Friday and despite have the 14th best PK (82.3), they have given up power-play goal in five straight games (14/20=70%). A year ago, Calgary boasted the AHL’s top PK (85.1%). The Flames farm club is third in the league in goals-against average at 2.71, despite giving up the ninth most shots against per game (31.87).