Playing their first game in franchise history in front of 6,977 home fans at SAP Center, the San Jose Barracuda rallied from an early two goal deficit but fell 4-2 to the Rockford IceHogs (AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks) Friday night.
Barracuda forwards Micheal Haley and Bryan Lerg scored power play goals for the Barracuda while goaltender Troy Grosenick made 37 saves.
An inconsistent first period by the Barracuda saw them down 2-0 inside the opening 15-minutes, which could have been more had it not been for the play of Grosenick in net. The IceHogs scored the game’s first goal just 61-seconds in when forward Tanner Kero fired a one-timer past Grosenick on the glove side from on top of the face-off circles. Kero registered his second point of the game at 14:43 when he got the lone assist on linemate Dennis Rasmussen’s shorthanded goal off a quick snap shot from in front of the left face-off dot on an odd man rush.
Haley got the Barracuda on the scoreboard at 19:47 with the first goal in franchise history, which was also a power play goal, off a wrist shot from on top of the hash-marks in the slot that beat IceHogs goaltender Michael Leighton through the wickets. Barracuda forwards Nikita Jevpalovs and Scott Timmins were credited with the assists.
Lerg tied the game at 6:34 of the second period with a howitzer of a slap shot from on top of the face-off circles for the Barracuda’s second power play goal of the game. Barracuda defenseman Mirco Mueller and Haley, who made an extra effort play to keep the puck inside the IceHogs zone, picked up the assists.
The IceHogs regained the lead at 4:45 of the third period when Kero registered his second goal and third point of the game by deflecting in a right side centering feed from linemate Jeremy Morin.
A little over four minutes later at 8:47, the IceHogs got an insurance goal from Morin, who fired the puck into an open net from deep inside the left face-off circle as Grosenick was sprawled out on the right side.
NOTES… Shots on goal were 41-32 in favor of the IceHogs… The Barracuda went 2-for-4 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill… Grosenick is 0-1-0 with a 4.03 goals-against-average and .902 save percentage… In addition to scoring the first Barracuda goal in franchise history, Haley registered the first multi-point game in franchise history with a goal and an assist… Barracuda forward John McCarthy and defenseman Patrick McNally each had a team high four shots on goal…. Barracuda forward Frazer McLaren engaged in the franchise’s first fight at 8:54 of the second period when he dropped the gloves against IceHogs forward Mike Liambas… The Barracuda are 0-1-0 at SAP Center and 0-1-0 overall… The Barracuda are back in action Oct. 15 when they travel to play the Stockton Thunder at 7pm/pt.
THREE STARS
1. Tanner Kero – IceHogs (2-1-3)
2. Micheal Haley – Barracuda (1-1-2)
3. Jeremy Morin – IceHogs (1-1-2)
LINES
McCarthy (A) / Haley / Parkes
Carpenter / Lerg (C) / Langlois
Goldobin / Timmins / Jevpalovs
McLaren / Crane / Arseneau
*order of how they were rolled out*
DEFENSE
Ryan / Mueller
Stollery / Cundari
McNally / Young
*order of how they were rolled out*
GOALIES
Grosenick
Dell
SCRATCHES
Bergman
Emanuelsson (inj)
Karlsson (inj)
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