Barracuda survive scare to extend streak to 14

Friday: Barracuda 4 Roadrunners 3

The Barracuda extended their winning streak to 13 in a penalty-filled affair with the Tucson Roadrunners as the officials tried to control one of the most chippy games of the season. The Barracuda saw their players get run on a few occasions as the Roadrunners tried to find a way to beat the Barracuda with their season hanging in the balance.

San Jose opened the scoring in the first period at 6:28 with an unassisted breakaway goal from Buddy Robinson who rushed in all alone and backhanded the puck top-shelf for the goal. It’s his 11th of the season. This seemed like when the game hit its breaking point.

Zack Stortini and Stefan Fournier got into a fight before the puck could even be dropped which earned them both a game misconduct. Stortini was hot after the fight and it was just a sign of things to come. In total 8 penalties were handed out over the course of the first period. In what would become a theme in this game the Roadrunners tied the game on a Laurent Dauphin goal with 11 seconds remaining in the period.

The second period saw more of the same. It was a nasty affair and the Barracuda opened the period with another goal. This time it came at 4:55 of the period when Nikita Jevpalovs (11) scored on a very nice feed from Timo Meier (8) with Patrick McNally (11) drawing the secondary assist. Dauphin tied the game late in the period again, his 11th of the season, to keep things tight entering the final frame.

The third period changed a bit as both teams tried to play a more disciplined game. This favored the Barracuda in the long run. Roadrunner Christian Fischer opened the scoring at 1:24. The first and only lead the Roadrunners had in this game was short lived as Rourke Chartier (11) responded at 4:02 on a short-handed goal with the assist going to Ryan Carpenter (18). Marcus Sorensen (15) put the game away for the Barracuda with Nikolay Goldobin (25) drawing the assist.

Notes:

• Barracuda were 0/5 on the power play and 2/3 on the penalty kill.
• Shots on goal were 27-24 in favor of the Barracuda.
• Marcus Sorensen was named the game’s first star. /

Saturday: Barracuda 4 Roadrunners 3 F/OT

Saturday’s game is a game where the shots on goal are actually pretty misleading without context. Yes, the Barracuda were the better team at the start of the game but were lucky to leave this one with a win and extend their streak to a ridiculous 14 games. This game was not nearly as chippy as the game they played the night prior and even though the Barracuda dominated the period, outshooting the Roadrunners 11-5, they went scoreless through 20 minutes.

In the second period, we saw some uncharacteristically sloppy play from Roy Sommers’ team, after winning 13 straight it’s something maybe we should have expected. The Roadrunners opened the scoring at 2:19 of the second period with a Mitch Moroz goal.

Collin Blackwell was stripped of the puck behind the net by Moroz who scored on the wrap around. Marcus Sorensen (16) responded on the power play at 4:10 on a nice sequence from Bergman (20) and Goldobin (26).

Sorensen (17) gave the Barracuda the lead on a shorthanded goal on a feed from Rourke Chartier (14). Roadrunners goaltender Adin Hill stood tall through the first two periods with saves like the one seen below.

Eeeeeeeek! pic.twitter.com/Zfo61FLlgK

— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) February 26, 2017

The third period is when the wheels fell off for the Barracuda. The Roadrunners opened the scoring on a goal from Kyle Wood at 3:34 on a power play goal that tied the game at two. Minutes later Laurent Dauphin scored again to retake the lead for the Roadrunners at 5:45.

Laurent for the lead! pic.twitter.com/0nm1qp1QqQ

— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) February 26, 2017

The Barracuda were under siege from there on. Fortunately for the Barracuda, Goldobin (15) got the they needed on a feed from Ryan Carpenter (19) and made no mistake tying the game at three and ultimately forcing overtime.

San Jose dominated the extra frame of hockey, allowing no Roadrunner shots on goal and Timo Meier (11) scored the game winner with Carpenter (20) and Ryan (26) assisting.

Notes

• Final shots on goal were 38-22 in favor of the Barracuda
• Barracuda went 1/6 on the power play and 2/3 on the penalty kill.
• Marcus Sorensen was the first star of the game for the second time in as many nights.
• Sorensen is on a 10-game point streak
• Barracuda host the Texas Stars on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a season ticket only game at Solar For America Ice./