San Jose Barracuda
Game 4 Takeaways: Cuda Eliminated, Schuldt Wants To Come Back, Chernyshov Impresses
The San Jose Barracuda are going home.
Needing a victory to extend their Pacific Division semi-final with top-seed Colorado Eagles, No. 6 seed Barracuda blew a third period lead, losing 3-1.
San Jose Sharks’ 2024 second-round pick Igor Chernyshov scored his first-ever AHL goal in his league playoff debut, and the Cuda fought the good fight, putting forth arguably their finest effort in this best-of-five 3-1 series defeat.
Chase Bradley ties it up.
1-1 pic.twitter.com/9wOCWba6nI— JD Young (@MyFryHole) May 8, 2025
Chernyshov deflects one in off his skate, the Cuda have life! 🚨#TealBitesBack pic.twitter.com/hpUhVc751U
— SnipeCity420 (@SnipeCity420) May 8, 2025
“I like the way we played,” head coach John McCarthy asserted. “I actually thought this game might have been our best to the series.”
Yaroslav Askarov turned away 29-of-31 shots, a solid effort after the top San Jose Sharks prospect left Game Three with cramps.
“It’s playoffs. Nobody cares how are you feeling,” he said. “Just need to be you and try to find a way to win the game.”
All said, it was a great season for the Barracuda, who enjoyed their first Calder Cup playoff series win since 2017 and first playoff appearance since 2019.
“I’m proud of the group. I really am, from our leadership on down. I think we took a step as an organization,” McCarthy said. “It’s important to recognize that we got a lot of younger players some playoff experience. That’s a positive.”
Chernyshov was one of them.
“Bigger body, can protect the puck, can go in first [on the forecheck]. Has some skill,” McCarthy said. “Really exciting player to watch.”
Turning Point
The series was truly evenly-played, a testament to the depth of a banged-up Barracuda squad that was missing AHL MVP Andrew Poturalski, scoring winger Thomas Bordeleau, two-way center Colin White, and all-around defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin.
But it was little things that lost the Cuda this series, like Askarov surrendering a bad-angle goal to Chase Bradley and Patrick Giles taking an unnecessary interference penalty that led to the Tye Felhaber game-winner.
Chase Bradley ties it up.
1-1 pic.twitter.com/9wOCWba6nI— JD Young (@MyFryHole) May 8, 2025
Awful interference penalty by Giles. Eagles power play with under 7 minutes to go. #BarracudaHockey 1, #EaglesCountry 1 pic.twitter.com/ASQ2vjP3dZ
— TEAL TOWN USA – A San Jose Sharks Podcast (@TEALTOWNUSA) May 8, 2025
“Just a late hit,” Giles, who otherwise had an impressive playoffs, said.
Hopefully, these are things that these future San Jose Sharks can learn from. But these little things lost them the game tonight.
Quote of the Night
Captain Jimmy Schuldt would like to be back.
“It’d be really cool to be able to keep helping build this thing. I’ve never been able to sign more than a year contract,” he said.
San Jose is Schuldt’s fifth AHL stop.
“It’s not necessarily the player’s decision, and we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Keep in mind, you can have only a limited number of veterans in your AHL line-up on a nightly basis. Schuldt, about to turn 30, is officially an AHL veteran player.
“But we’ve taken a step in the right direction. There’s something exciting going here,” the captain said. “It’s been really, really fun to be a part of.”
“He’s been a great leader for us,” McCarthy said. “That’s why we put the ‘C’ on him, doing the right things, saying the right things, leading the way for us.”
Key Stats
13-4.
Through the first 17 minutes of the second period, the Cuda had a wide shooting margin over the Eagles. But San Jose couldn’t draw first blood, despite having a double-minor man advantage in that time span.
Overtime
Poturalski, White, and Bordeleau were all “close” to returning for Sunday’s scheduled Game Five, per McCarthy.
No doubt, Poturalski, the AHL’s leading scorer, would’ve been a difference for a league-leading power play, that went just 2-for-16 in this series. The Eagles, on the other hand, went 4-for-14.
A couple more power play goals would’ve gone a long way in a series where every game either went to OT or was a one-goal contest, not counting the empty-netters.
It was not a battle that the San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate expected to lose, even without Poturalski.
A real shame they didn’t get to make a run with a healthy squad. I also bet McCarthy wishes he played Chernyshov in the whole series.
Was he good in the game? I didn’t get a chance to watch yet.
I thought he was quite good. He made a lot of skill plays leading up to what ended up being a pretty greasy goal. Playoff goal — heavy on his stick, firmly planted in the blue paint. I thought he had the team’s best chances in the third, too. There’s a cautionary tale in this playoff run for the big club. Granted, the Cuda were missing some key skill players throughout the playoffs and especially last night. But the players they have that are physically built for playoff hockey — Duehr, Giles, Ostapchuk, Sabourin — aren’t the guys you want… Read more »
Coaching is so important too look at Toronto, they are going to win the cup because they got Chief to tell them how to, they have always had the talent but it takes a special coach to be the leader and convince them to do what it takes and instill the confidence to play simple 4th line hockey every shift and your skill will show up at the right time when you need it.
They also rebuilt their D corps
Mmmmmm win the cup? Maybe, I’m rooting for Burnsy personally and Carolina playing their system to a T. Oilers looking dangerous too. Leafs look good. I’m concerned floridas heavy style might start wearing leafs down as series goes on. Really impressed with Knies. Leafs developed him well.
I know +/- isn’t a great stat but Zack Ostapchuk was -5 in 6 playoff games in the AHL. Don’t think he is the future 3rd or 4th line center we were told.
As soon as you came up with the first part of your comment you should have refrained from the rest of it. ;P I think it’s a little early to make that kind of proclamation.
Chernyshov might be good. Retrospectively, which wingers would we take over Chernyshov in last year’s draft? Demidov? Probably. Sennecke? Maybe. Anyone else?
Seems like he should have been a top 15 pick at a minimum, and that’s if you subscribe to the idea that big, skilled wingers grow on trees.
By the way, for those who aren’t crazy and look at OHL results every day, Sennecke vs Dickinson starts tonight in the OHL Finals. Should be fun
Hopefully Sennecke doesn’t repeat his early season highlight where he disgraced both Dickinson and Halttunen.
I did a spreadsheet on where the various ranking folks had him. He was somewhere in the teens. Maybe 17? Think everyone had him going in rd 1. And yet, he slipped.
That’s the beauty of being 1st pick in rd 2. Someone, usually a few really good players, get overlooked and they get snapped up in the first few picks in the next round.
Sitting at 33 is so great. As soon as you get outside the top 15, most teams start drafting for need over BPA. BPAs fall. It basically defines your entire draft strategy for you as a GM — prioritize high end talent that slips, then draft for positional need if they aren’t there.
If the team thinks a great value will fall again, probably makes sense to just keep that 33 pick and reap the benefit
They had almost no 5v5 scoring. I think it was 2 goals in the series. The PP wasn’t good, either.
I know they’re missing a lot. Colin White missed this game and much of the prior one. Mukh, Bords and Pots missed all of the games.
Still, you’d hope for more given they still had Graf, Thompson, Giles, Cardwell. Cagnoni, Regenda, Gushchin, Bystedt.
The cupboard was depleted, but it wasn’t bare.
Gushchin really struggled with the increased traffic. Pretty strong indicator that he won’t be able to make it as a full-time NHLer. Not a great showing for Cardwell, either, though his game was already trending down toward the end of the regular season. Giles, Ostapchuk and Duehr looked like high end AHLers in the regular season and looked like good bottom six players in the playoffs. They weren’t able to generate chances or zone time with any real consistency. Regenda, Bystedt and Graf were all excellent and probably being asked to do a bit too much. Being down two of… Read more »
A genuine question……Is Askarov really a top goalie? I know he’s a good prospect but I keep seeing him blow games, both on the Sharks squad and the Cuda. This leads me to think that perhaps Grier will be in a very serious hunt for a vet with a track record. His instinct to get Blackwood was in the right direction. I don’t think we can rely on Askarov just quite yet. Any guesses as to who he goes after?
Good catch Jeff. I would refer you back to GMMG’s locker room cleanout presser. He addressed your concern specifically. GMMG is very clued into the Cuda. Every game I have been able to attend he is there in his box intently watching the game. Man barely takes a drink he is that focused. His comments in regards to Asky point to what you are saying. I will generalize what he stated: 1) The goalie is expected to possibly be the 1A goalie. Asky must earn the 1A and not be given it. So the goalie he adds must have the… Read more »
You keep seeing him blow games? When? He gave up five total goals in the last three games of the series. You can’t win if you don’t score.
I was not agreeing that Asky is blowing games but I do agree he is still developing and will need time to become a 1A goalie.
He’s not there yet. My thought was GMMG recognizes this and is planning accordingly.
He (IMO) made that pretty clear in his locker clean out presser.
Perhaps ‘blowing games’ is too harsh. Allowing teams to come back and beat us late in games. I don’t get the feeling he can lock down the crease.
“allowing”? Maybe you’re not the best judge of what’s going on in the game?
I think it remains to be seen if Askarov is a true #1. And pairing him with a vet seems prudent. But I disagree with the characterization that he is blowing games. Overall, he had a very strong postseason (and season). Against the Eagles, the problem was a lack of scoring, not poor goaltending.
Lack of scoring is alwlays going to bite you, but you’re goalie also needs stop pucks.
He did. Can’t be shutouts every time out.
.923 save percentage for Cuda in the regular season and .935 save percentage in the playoffs, without their best D-man. Those are elite numbers. For comparison, not a single starting goalie in the NHL has a higher save percentage in the playoffs than Askarov. He passes the stat and eye test. He is the real deal. Only concern for me is his durability.
Being ousted is a bummer but I take solace in the fact that our team is filled with prospects and they are put to use. This Colorado team has a bunch of mid 30’s guys who have no NHL future.
‘Nuff said.
Completely agree. I go back to an interview Sheng did with an GM or assistant GM months back and he asked him about the Cuda. I am paraphrasing but he said AHL teams are one of two things. They are either a primarily development team or a team built to win in the AHL but never really both. And I will add that on other podcasts fans get frustrated that winning in the AHL does not seem to be front and center with what the Cuda are doing. I would agree that up and until this season they would be… Read more »
100%
As a fan, I am very happy with the season the Cuda had and am even more excited to see what they put in the ice next season. Like the Sharks, the Cuda will have a seriously busy offseason. The currently have the following players signed from last season (minus prospects that just joined recently): Forwards: Potsy, Bystedt, Giles, Cardwell Defensemen: Cagnoni, Carlsson, Furlong, Beck, Laroque The unsigned players are: Goalies: Dell, Carriere, Romanov Forwards: Sabourin, Vanroboys, Vincent, Duehr, Regenda, Houle, White, Bords, Gush, Coe, Berglund Defensemen: Schuldt, Thompson, Frisch, Bucheler, Hache, Gromely Also, take into account the following key… Read more »