NOLLY'S NOTES - BLOG #27
Nick Nollenberger
Dec 2, 2022
Hello, Cuda Country! Nick Nollenberger here. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I gotta say, it’s good to be back in San Jose! The club played five games over eight days in three different states. The trip included two flights, and three 4+ hour bus trips. What made getting home even better, aside from getting to see my wife and dog, was the way the trip finished, with a pair of wins in places that have proved very difficult to do so.
The Barracuda have played 20 games this year, tied for the most in the AHL, and concluded the busiest month of November in franchise history with a 6-7 record. No one in the Eastern Conference is going to cry boohoo with the Pacific Division now playing more games, but the travel this year has been significantly increased. In large part because of the four additional games, and the departure of Stockton and incoming of Calgary. It all balances out, so we’ll eventually lighten up.
On Friday, the Cuda dealt Henderson a 5-3 loss, the first ever W in Vegas/Henderson in 11 tries between the regular season and playoffs. And then Saturday, the team snapped a nine-game losing streak in Bakersfield, clipping the Condors 2-1. In both wins, the Barracuda gave up the first goal in the first period but bounced back in the same frame.
Unfortunately, the group returned home and were dealt consecutive losses to the Iowa Wild at Tech CU Arena on Tuesday and Wednesday. If you’ve listened to any of my broadcasts lately, you’ve probably heard me talk about consistency a lot, but it continues to allude the group. As I’ve thought about it further though, there may be some reasons for it. One is fatigue, and two is mounting injuries. The Barracuda are first in the AHL in PIMS per game (20.9) and minor penalties (124). The PK has been the best in the AHL all year, but it has begun to falter lately with changing personnel and workload. In the last six games, the Barracuda have averaged 6.9 penalty kills per game. That’s just way too straining on that group of players, not to mention how much it impacts the team’s offensive output, which ranks 28th in the AHL in goals for per game (2.70). The power play has begun to turn a corner, which has been very encouraging from an offensive standpoint because good teams usually have good power plays. The Barracuda have now scored on the power play in seven straight games and are just two games away from matching the franchise record for consecutive games with a PPG. John McCarthy said the other day that there are two times you take stick penalties, and that is when you don’t have the puck and when you’re tired. Again, fatigue may be beginning to play a factor in the wins and losses.
What’s been abnormal about this year, as opposed to others in recent memory, has been the stability with the roster. Prior to the last week, Nick Cicek was the only player to be recalled and play in a game for the Sharks. Of course, Aaron Dell and Jeff Viel each drew into the Sharks lineup over the last couple of games.
That stability has been great for team comradery and development. Unfortunately, it has begun to waver lately with a growing list of injuries on both the Sharks and Barracuda. The blueline, which came into the year as the team’s biggest question mark, has been ravished by injuries. Derrick Pouliot missed his seventh consecutive game on Wednesday with an upper-body injury. Before getting hurt, he was a revelation on the backend, providing an offensive punch and veteran presence to a youthful room. Santeri Hatakka missed his ninth consecutive game on Wednesday with an UBI and doesn’t seem all that close to returning anytime soon. This was supposed to be a big year for the Fin, who got some NHL action last season as a rookie. Patrick Holway suffered a lower-body injury in training camp and has played just four of the 20 games this year. He reaggravated the injury before Friday’s game in Henderson and has since sat out the last four, although he is expected to return soon. The Barracuda did have Scott Harrington during the road trip, which certainly helped, but he was recalled to the Sharks the other day after the team placed Mario Ferraro on injured reserve.
The Barracuda were forced to sign Jalen Smereck and Darian Brady to PTO contracts in the last few days. Smereck had the primary assist on C.J. Suess’s GWG on Saturday in Bakersfield. Brady, who I thought played admirably given the circumstances, was released from his PTO on Thursday. The Barracuda have since signed Will Riedell from the Savannah Ghost Pirates of the ECHL. On a side note, is that one of the best names in pro hockey? Love the colors and uniforms too.
The Barracuda played its last two games with just two NHL-contracted d-men (Ryan Merkley & Artemi Kniazev), and it was apparent at times as the team gave up nine goals in two games against Iowa. I do want to give a lot of credit to Patrick Sieloff and Montana Onyebuchi, who have blossomed as a pair. Onyebuchi said the other day that Sieloff was the best partner he has ever had and that it is like having another coach on the ice with him. Sieloff has been a critical piece amongst the defense corps after signing with the team during training camp.
The Sharks did assign Jeff Viel back to the AHL on Thursday, which will provide a huge boost to the group. Viel sets the tone in almost every facet of the game, and his absence on Tuesday and Wednesday was evident.
The six-game homestand continues on Saturday and Sunday versus the Tucson Roadrunners, and hopefully with an extended stay at home, the entire group can recharge its batteries. Saturday is Teddy Bear Toss Night too, our first Teddy Bear game at Tech CU Arena. We're expecting a great crowd as the first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive a Teddy Bear, so make sure to get your tickets ASAP as they're going fast.
That'll do it for this edition of Nolly's Notes. Thanks for reading and so long until next time.