Welcome to the Barracuda Brief your weekly one-stop shop for an update on the San Jose Barracuda. The Barracuda Brief will feature recaps, team news, quotes, and other features sprinkled will keep you up to date on the San Jose Sharks’ American Hockey League affiliate.
The Week That Was
The San Jose Barracuda had three games on the weekly ticket and went 2-1 in the trio of matches. The Barracuda are 3-1 at the halfway mark of a seven-game homestand and sit fourth in the Western Conference.
January 4: San Jose 4 — San Antonio 2
The Barracuda and Rampage finished up their season series and San Jose secured a 3-1 record for the 2016-17 campaign against the top affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. It was the familiar faces on the scoresheets for the ‘Cuda. Danny O’Regan had a goal and an assist, Joakim Ryan had three helpers, and Tim Heed scored both third-period goals on the power play to secure the victory. Troy Grosenick was the winning goalie of record, stopping 36 of 38 shots.
Tim Heed with two bombs to give the #sjbarracuda a 4-2 lead in the third period!
— Kevin Lacy 🇺🇦 (@KevinLacy22) January 5, 2017
January 6: Milwaukee 3 — San Jose 1
The Admirals used a strong first period and turned the Barracuda’s game plan against them. San Antonio utilized a strong forechecking and quick transitional play, hallmarks of the Barracuda’s style of play, to frustrate San Jose. Grosenick played well to keep San Jose within striking distance with a 32-save performance. The only goal for the Barracuda came in the second period as O’Regan tipped home a Tim Heed shot pass. It was the first regulation loss for the ‘Cuda at SAP Center in almost a month. Derek Army had two goals for the Admirals in the win and Marek Mazanec had 39 saves in the win.
https://twitter.com/zakkthebear/status/817589674986213377
Quote of the Game: “We’re playing our best on the forecheck and in their end, and we spent [the first period] in our end. I thought we responded well, but it was a ‘too little, too late’ scenario.” — Barracuda captain John McCarthy following the 3-1 loss to Milwaukee.
January 7: San Jose 5 – Tucson 2
Quickly rebounding after a sluggish first period against Milwaukee 15 hours earlier, the Barracuda came out roaring in the opening frame against the RoadRunners. Colin Blackwell, Marcus Sorensen, and Ryan Carpenter all scored in the first stanza. Joakim Ryan would score with a laser beam past Adin Hill’s helmet in the second period and Patrick McNally potted his first of the year into the empty net to ice the game. Mantas Armalis improved to 8-2-2 on the year, saving 31 shots. It was the first game without Heed, who was the seventh defender for the San Jose Sharks.
.@JoakimRyan going top cheese on the power play. #SJBarracuda pic.twitter.com/rna2EM7wbZ
— SJ Barracuda (@sjbarracuda) January 7, 2017
Quote of the Game: “I’m more comfortable in the game, and I’ve worked hard to get here. There is no easy way. If you battle through the hard times, the good times are going to come.” — Marcus Sorensen on his first-period goal and eight points in his last ten games.
O’Regan, Grosenick selected to AHL All-Star Classic
The Pacific Division All-Star squad will feature center Danny O’Regan and goalie Troy Grosenick from the Barracuda. Grosenick, 26, has brought his game to a new level after a summer of refining his game ahead of the 2016-17 season. The former Union College netminder has seen a drastic improvement over his 2015-16 statistics and leads the AHL with five shutouts in his 20 appearances thus far.
O’Regan, an AHL rookie, has made the jump from the NCAA to the professional ranks look simple.
After a four-year career with the Boston University Terriers, O’Regan stepped in and is leading the Barracuda in scoring.
Through 29 games, O’Regan’s recorded 11 goals and 22 assists and earned a one-game call-up with the San Jose Sharks. He is second in the AHL in rookie scoring and looks to be another late-round gem for the Sharks organization.
On the Calendar:
The Barracuda play twice this week and both games come within 16 hours. San Jose takes on the Ontario Reign at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 13. The next day at 1:30 p.m. the Barracuda and Stockton Heat take the ice for some afternoon hockey.