Connect with us

San Jose Barracuda

Game 2 Takeaways: Cuda Even Series, Ready for Rocky Mountain High

Published

2 weeks ago

on

Credit: Joey Cascarano/Sport Shots

That was the first overtime playoff goal in San Jose since…you know.

27 seconds into OT, Danil Gushchin’s power play goal led the San Jose Barracuda to a 2-1 Game Two victory over the Colorado Eagles.

It was the first overtime playoff goal in San Jose since Apr. 23, 2019, when the San Jose Sharks’ Barclay Goodrow eliminated the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Seven double OT.

It’s not the NHL, but it’s nice to have playoff hockey back in San Jose.

Hopefully, the Barracuda can bring it back to San Jose for another round: Their second-round series is now 1-1, with the next three contests, if necessary, all in Colorado to decide the five-game set.

Game Three is at Blue Arena on Tuesday at 6 PM PT.

Yaroslav Askarov loomed large again, turning away 27-of-28 shots, and Pavol Regenda potted a pivotal short-handed goal.

Will we see them back at Tech CU Arena?

Turning Point

18 minutes into the second period, down 1-0, this looked like a game that Barracuda special teams might be responsible for losing.

They had already given up a Calle Rosen power play goal, and the Cuda power play was 0-4 up to this point, including blowing a double-minor PP to start the second period.

And they were in the midst of killing a Luca Cagnoni cross-checking penalty.

But then, Pavol Regenda made an outstanding individual play, taking the puck from ex-San Jose Sharks defenseman Jacob MacDonald, this year’s Eddie Shore Award winner for the AHL’s best blueliner.

“Just tried to get a good angle. That’s what [PK coach Louis Mass] wants from us. He tried a move on me, hit my skate,” Regenda said, adding a joke.

“We were lucky that Whitey was right there, so it was 2-on-0, because my breakaways this year are not really good.”

Instead of being down 1-0 or worse headed into the final frame, it was now a tied game.

Regenda has been an under-the-radar great acquisition by Barracuda GM Joe Will, acquired from the San Diego Gulls in January for Justin Bailey. The 6-foot-4 winger, in his first pro playoff action in North America, has become a net front power play staple and handled the post-season’s greater speed and physicality with zest.

Quote of the Night

Captain Jimmy Schuldt says the Barracuda medical staff has been preparing them for the Colorado altitude: “Beet juice, get there and move around a bit.”

Key Stats from SportContract

22:48 — that’s how much Jack Ahcan, the Eagles’ No. 1 defenseman, plays a night, which is more than even Shore Award winner MacDonald.

Ahcan was helped off the ice during the first intermission, and didn’t return.

It’s not known what caused his departure, but an Ahcan injury could be a series-changer.

Also from SportContract: In Game Two, San Jose had a 16-14 Home Plate Shot Attempts edge. In Game One, Colorado thumped them in that scoring chance category, 18-11.

So Askarov still had his work cut out for him.

Finally, winger Graf led both teams with 23:48, a testament to his importance to the Barracuda in all situations.

Overtime

Barracuda head coach John McCarthy didn’t rule out Thomas Bordeleau and Andrew Poturalskil traveling to Loveland with the team tomorrow.

It could be gamesmanship, but McCarthy didn’t rule out a return for either in this series. If they travel, it could be more than gamesmanship.

Top San Jose Sharks prospect Quentin Musty impressed in his AHL playoff debut, using his size and skating to be a constant forechecking pest in his 11:29 of playing time. He was also on the second power play unit.

“He’s an important part of our organization and wanted to expose him to a playoff game,” McCarthy said. “I thought he responded really well. Used his size, has an ability to finish which was the thinking behind putting him in.”

McCarthy also had lots of praise for Walker Duehr, who stepped in for healthy scratch Ethan Cardwell.

While the power play only went 1-for-6 — they’re 2-for-18 in the playoffs so far, disappointing for the top PP in the AHL — Collin Graf saw signs of life.

“That first power play really set the tone for us. We had a lot of shots, we had a lot of chances, and it just gave us confidence,” he said.

That PP, off an early Ahcan penalty, peeled off five shots. Between Graf and Gushchin, they had eight PP shots combined.

So while they struggled at times until the Gushchin winner, their revival could be a difference-maker in this series.

Gushchin, in particular, tried to put his stamp on this game, leading both teams with 11 shot attempts and hitting a crossbar too.

Askarov was brilliant, but the Barracuda did a better job of protecting him than they did in Game One.

“Our puck play in the neutral zone, for sure,” Graf said, about how the Cuda were better. “Making sure that we didn’t give them any easy offense [with turnovers].”

Barracuda Locker Room

 

Related Topics:
18 Comments
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
18 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Fallooooooon

Regenda really has stood out in both games. I didn’t even know they’d traded for him, but yeah he looks way better than Bailey did in the couple games I saw him in earlier in the year.

4
Reply
SJShorky

Curious if he’s an AHL lifer or if he might ever get a shot in the NHL?

2
Reply
Wildice

Hi Sheng, no mention of the Sabourin incident?

0
Reply
Alfonso Galan

Man, Regenda was very impressive. He was delivering big hits, scores a sweet goal! He was great in this game!

2
Reply
Joseph

Two big days in a row for the future of the franchise. A second-round victory on home ice, featuring Quentin Musty in his first ever pro playoff action. And the draft lottery at 4 pm today. Leave work early and get your teal margaritas ready.

4
Reply
Clark

Don’t forget Askarov with the win in OT, only allowed 1 goal.

4
Reply
Joseph

Definitely another good reason to sip a teal marg.

Last edited 10 days ago by Joseph
3
Reply
Zeke

Every game this team plays in the playoffs is investment in the Sharks future. Every win means more playoff games.

Didn’t see game 2. Sorry to see Cardwell getting benched, but that bad decision on the PK in game 1 — I guess that needed a message.

Good that this team is competing well against a very good Colorado team. Guys like Cagnoni and Graf need to experience the dog fight of AHL playoff hockey. Guys like Giles and Askarov can build on AHL playoff success as major steps towards an NHL career.

2
Reply
Zeke

Rob Blake out as GM in LA.

2
Reply
Joseph

He’s made some questionable decisions coming out of the rebuild, but it feels like he’s a casualty of the divisional playoff format to some extent. I’m sure he’ll land elsewhere eventually.

2
Reply
Zeke

See it the same way. Every GM makes mistakes, he also got a lot right. The Kings got a bit too good, a bit too quickly. They’ve effectively stalled (something the Sharks must avoid). They play really well together, credit to their players and coaching (though that bad challenge was so costly in the series). To me, they come off as overachievers. More competitive than the roster would suggest. One of these years, Kopitar and Doughty will start to really age and I’m not sure the next generation is going to be enough. Even if Byfield and Clarke are going… Read more »

1
Reply
Joseph

Agreed. They never quite bottomed out enough, they’ll have to make a significant play to add talent on the open market as a result. Never great to be doing that from a position of genuine need, the Sharks are probably going to get a firsthand lesson in that reality this summer when they’re trying to revamp the defense.

2
Reply
Zeke

They’ll want to be in Marner bidding, assuming he gets to FA. Their cap space is going to be a challenge, at least one good asset might need to leave in order to pull that off.

1
Reply
BurnsiesBeard

I’d disagree and say the kings should have, and would have won that series with different coaching. The challenge was bone headed, and his decision to turtle and shorten the bench gassed out and killed his team. Oilers took some games to gel and they missed the boat due to his coaching decisions. That’s my take on that series anyway.

2
Reply
Fallooooooon

I don’t think GMs who get the job on the basis of being the best former player for the same team who wants the job tend to be in demand. Mostly because all the other teams are giving their jobs to the best retired player they have who wants the job.

0
Reply
Zeke

Curious about the lottery.

Can the Sharks know their lottery spot before the 3rd overall pick is revealed, depending on certain events which happen earlier in it?

0
Reply
Fallooooooon

Yes, pretty sure. The lottery picks the two lottery winners, it’s not just gonna be a countdown from 14-to-1 of the picks. So if the Sharks win the lottery like they did last year, then they will know they are #1 right away.
If they don’t win the first draw, then they will know where they pick as soon as the second lottery winner is drawn.

0
Reply
Clark

Sharks picking 2nd. Isle won

0
Reply

Sheng’s Travel Fund

Help fund Sheng's travel! Every dollar goes to the cost of getting to and from Sharks road games.


Click here to contribute to Sheng's travel pool!

Get SJHN in your inbox!

Enter your email address to get all of our articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Hockey Shots

Extra Hour Hockey Training

Cathy’s Power Skating