Final: Gulls 8, Barracuda 3
Feb 16, 2019A total of 15 different San Diego players recorded a point as the Gulls defeated the San Jose Barracuda 8-3 today at SAP Center. San Diego’s eight goals scored ties the single-game club record set on two previous occasions (last: Nov. 17, 2017). With 173 goals on the season, San Diego has their highest goal total through 48 games in club history (155 in 2017-18). San Diego has points in 23 of 27 (19-4-2-2), in addition to points in 15 of their last 17 road games (11-2-2-2).
Jeff Glass stopped 40 of 43 shots for his eighth win this season and his fifth win with San Diego. His 40 saves marks a season-high and his most since Mar. 20, 2009 against the Norfolk Admirals during his time with the Binghamton Senators.
“(Jeff Glass) played very well and made critical saves when we needed them,” said San Diego head coach Dallas Eakins. “After that, we scored when presented the opportunity and I think that’s one great thing about our team. We are a dangerous group and you don’t want to give us much.”
San Diego got on the board first as a result of strong special teams play. After killing a slashing penalty against Adam Cracknell, the Gulls found themselves with a 5-on-3 power play for a full two minutes and quickly took advantage. Trevor Murphy faked a shot from the blue line before passing to Ben Street in the right faceoff circle. Street then set up Sam Carrick alone on the backdoor as Carrick fired a one-timer past San Jose netminder Antoine Bibeau to put the Gulls ahead 1-0 with 2:28 remaining in the opening period. The goal is Carrick’s 23rd of the season, placing him sixth among AHL scoring leaders.
In the final minute of the period, the Gulls forecheck helped double the lead. Kiefer Sherwood got to a loose puck behind the San Jose net and passed it along the boards to Carrick in the corner. Carrick centered the puck for Chase De Leo in front of the net, who beat two Barracuda defenders for the goal, giving the Gulls a 2-0 lead with 40 seconds left in the first period. With the goal, De Leo extended his point streak to eight games (7-4=11).
The second period picked up right where the first led off, with San Diego on the attack. Just three minutes into the middle frame, Trevor Murphy extended the lead to three with an impressive individual effort. Murphy collected the puck at the right point just inside the blue line and spun away from the check of San Jose captain John McCarthy before cutting to the net and finishing with a wrist shot past Bibeau, putting San Diego ahead 3-0 at the 3:17 mark of the middle frame.
Ben Street was credited for the following goal that would continue to run of Gulls scores. Steel threw the puck at the net and the puck hit Street before finding the back of the net. The goal came at 9:03 of the second and Keaton Thompson picked up an assist.
San Jose’s Alex True got the Barracuda on the board as a rebound came out in a scramble in front of the net. True found the puck and put it past Glass for his 15th of the season at the 10:14 mark of the second period. However, it was not enough to stop the bleeding for San Jose.
San Diego responded with four more consecutive goals. Carrick scored again on the power play at 11:05 of the second, his 24th goal of the season, putting him into a tie for third in goals scored in the AHL this season. Carrick’s three-point performance marks his 11th career multi-goal game and 43rd career multi-point game. He capitalized on the breakaway that had him split two San Jose defenseman.
An odd-man rush began and Sam Steel netted a goal 15:24 into the second frame, the fourth of the period. His two-point performance gives him 13-17=30 points on the season and Steel is now just one of eight San Diego rookies to reach the 30-point mark in a single season.
After his initial shot was blocked, Corey Tropp attempted another and gained a goal for the fifth consecutive game with a goal at 12:29 of the third period with his 16th goal of the season. The five-game goal streak (6-1=7) ties the longest of his career, set Feb. 28-Mar. 10, 2017 (5-3=8). Kalle Kossila recorded an assist on the play for his third consecutive game with a point (1-3=4). Alex Dostie added San Diego’s eighth and final goal 47 seconds later on the power play as a big rebound came off of Korenar and Dostie put it in the back of the net.
“Patience and I sticking with what works,” added Eakins on the special teams performance. “I think a lot of times, when things aren’t going right, there is a certain panic to change things and we decided not to do that. Just stick with these guys and they know each other well on those units. I think just the patience with the power play is critical.”
San Jose added two goals near the end of the game, but it was too little and far too late. Rourke Chartier and Keaton Middleton each earned the goals, the first on the power play. However, the Gulls were able to kill six of the seven San Jose power plays.
San Diego will conclude a six-game road trip at San Jose at SAP Center on Monday, Feb. 18 (1:15 p.m. PT).