Gulls, Barracuda Face Off in San Jose
Feb 5, 2020The Gulls looks to make it points in five straight games tonight when they hit the road for a quick, one-game trip to San Jose against the Barracuda at SAP Center (7 p.m. PT, TV: AHLTV, Radio: San Diego Gulls Audio Network). The clubs meet for the seventh time in a 12-game season series. Tonight also marks the second of five games between the California teams over the span of 21 days.
San Diego (19-16-4-2, 44 pts.) picked up three of four possible points in back-to-back games last weekend, with a 5-3 win over the Barracuda last Friday and a 4-3 overtime loss to Ontario the following evening. Entering tonight’s contest, the Gulls carry a four-game point streak and have collected points in nine of their last 10 contests (7-1-2-0), picking up 16 points in that span.
The team is currently in the midst of 14 games in a 30-day stretch to the end of February that began with last Friday’s game. The Gulls sit fifth in the Pacific Division, trailing the fourth-place Reign by five points, albeit with four games in hand.
“I think it’s pretty much a dog fight right now,” said Chase De Leo on the importance of the upcoming slate of games. “We know where we’re at in the standings right now and where we want to be. We don’t plan on stopping until we get there.”
All-time, the Gulls post a 26-16-3-1 record vs. San Jose including an 11-10-1-0 mark on the road. This season, San Diego holds a 3-2-1-0 record, splitting the two games in San Jose. The Gulls have outscored San Jose 22-19 despite being outshot 231-153.
In Friday’s matchup, Kiefer Sherwood recorded his first career hat trick, converting a penalty shot before netting two shorthanded goals. That performance pushed him to seven goals his last eight games, while he also has six points (4G/2A) in four appearances against the Barracuda this season.
“I think we were pretty opportunistic,” added Kloos on the 5-3 win over the Barracuda on Jan. 31. “If they got a guy in deep, we were able to expose them and get an odd-man rush the other way or finish on some of our chances. Mostly, we were able to roll all of our lines. We didn’t have to match up too much and we stayed focused on ourselves. I think that’s the best way to play”
San Jose (14-23-1-2, 31 pts.) sits at the bottom of the Pacific Division, a rarity for a club that made the playoffs in each of the previous four seasons. In January, the Barracuda posted a 4-6-1-0 record and enter tonight with four straight losses and just one point in that span (4-3 overtime loss vs. Iowa, Jan. 18).
Jeremy Roy has been a bright spot in a struggling season for the Barracuda. The third-year blueliner earned three assists and a +8 rating over his last seven games played with San Jose and leads his club in plus/minus rating over 23 games this season (+10). Fellow defenseman Trevor Carrick, the brother of San Diego’s Sam Carrick, also had some recent success. On Jan. 8, Carrick had a three-point effort (1-2=3) and a +5 rating for the second time this season. The Stouffville, Ontario native leads San Jose defenders with eight goals.
Jonny Brodzinski ranks fifth in scoring among San Jose skaters, collecting 7-13=20 points in 30 games. Brodzinski netted a goal in the first two meetings between the clubs this season. The right wing enters tonight’s contest in hopes of snapping a three-game scoreless drought.