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Barracuda rally from three down by scoring five straight in win over Heat

With six-and-a-half minutes gone in the second period, San Jose Barracuda forward Alex Gallant laid a solid hit on Stockton Heat (AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames) forward Emile Poirier, who laid on the ice until one of the officials signaled Gallant had been ejected from the game for the hit, which was deemed a five minute major charge. Upon seeing Gallant ejected, Poirier got up to his feet with ease and took the ensuing shift by centering the point on the Heat’s major power play opportunity.

Though the Heat scored once during the major power play to take a 3-0 lead, the Hockey Gods weren’t too pleased with Poirier’s antics as the Barracuda rallied by scoring five straight goals, three of which came in a 50-second span of the middle frame, en route to a 5-4 win over the Heat Sunday afternoon at the SAP Center.

Barracuda forward Barclay Goodrow had a three point game with a goal and two assists while forwards Nikolay Goldobin, Petter Emanuelsson, Micheal Haley and defenseman Gus Young scored as well. In addition, defenseman Joakim Ryan and forward Jeremy Langlois dished out two assists each. Goaltender Troy Grosenick made 26 saves for his sixth win of the season.

Though the Barracuda came out with great intensity to start the game, it was the Heat that took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission as the result of two goals in a 4:07 span. Former San Jose and Worcester Sharks forward Freddie Hamilton registered his seventh goal of the season at 10:31 with a power play strike from on top of the crease which was followed by Poirier’s fourth goal of the season at 14:38 off a one-timer from on top of the crease as well.

After Heat forward Morgan Klimchuk extended the lead to 3-0 at 8:58 with his first goal of the season, the Barracuda rally began as Haley scored a breakaway shorthanded goal just 34-seconds later for his fifth goal of the season, which was assisted by Langlois.

At 12:04, Goodrow fired a home a rebound from the left side of the crease past Heat goaltender Joni Ortio for a power play goal after the puck came off the end wall and right to the tape of his hockey stick. Ryan, who took the initial shot from the center point, and Barracuda captain Bryan Lerg had the assists on the goal, which was Goodrow’s ninth of the season.

Goldobin tied the game 28-seconds later with his sixth goal of the season off a snap shot from in the right slot off a face-off win in the right circle of the Heat zone by Langlois. Young put the Barracuda ahead 4-3 just 22-seconds later with a rebound score from on top of the crease after Goodrow’s initial shot from the left side and forward Ryan Carpenter’s rebound attempt were both stopped by Ortio.

Emanuelsson scored what held up as the winning goal at 12:35 of the third period with a quick shot from just inside the top of the right face-off circle that beat Ortio over the shoulder. Goodrow and Ryan had the assists on the goal, which was Emanuelsson’s third of the season.

The Heat did get a late goal as forward Austin Carroll beat Grosenick at 16:34 from a parallel angle on the left side for his third goal of the season after a wrap around attempt on the right side by Klimchuk went through the crease.

Even though the Heat pulled Ortio for the extra attacker with under two minutes remaining, solid work by the Barracuda line of Goldobin, Langlois and Trevor Parkes prevented the Heat from getting the tying goal.

NOTES… Shots on goal were 31-30 in favor of the Barracuda… The Barracuda went 1-for-3 on the power play and 4-for-6 on the penalty kill… Grosenick is now 6-4-3 with a 3.18 goals-against-average and .897 save percentage… Barracuda forward Frazer McLaren did not return to the game after a first period fight against Heat forward Hunter Smith… The Barracuda were assessed a season (and franchise high) 32 penalty minutes… Goodrow had a game high six shots on goal… Carpenter now has a four game point streak (1-8-9)… Gallant made his SAP Center debut for the Barracuda… Barracuda coach Roy Sommer is now nine wins away from becoming the winningest coach in AHL history… The Barracuda improved to 5-6-1 on home ice and are 10-9-5 with 25 points overall… The Barracuda are back in action Dec. 27 when they host the Heat at 5 p.m./pt.

3 STARS
1. Barclay Goodrow – Barracuda (1-2-3)
2. Gus Young – Barracuda (1-0-1)
3. Micheal Haley – Barracuda (1-0-1, SHG)

LINES
Emanuelsson / Carpenter / Goodrow
Lerg (C) / McCarthy (A) / Haley (A)
Goldobin / Langlois / Parkes
Gallant / Jevpalovs / McLaren

DEFENSE
Young / Ryan
Stollery / McNally
Cundari / Mueller

GOALIES
Grosenick
Dell

SCRATCHES
Bergman
Hanson
Doremus (inj)
Timmins (inj)

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