If there was ever a time to believe in the San Jose Barracuda, this was it. In a game that had a little bit of chaos, the ‘Cuda pulled off a 2–1 overtime win against the Colorado Eagles. From Yaroslav Askarov’s poised performance between the posts to Pavol Regenda’s relentless presence on both ends of the ice, and Danil Gushchin’s game winner, this one had everything you want if you bleed teal and black.
San Jose opened with a shot storm. Six inside the first four minutes. A high-sticking call on Colorado’s Jack Ahcan gave the ‘Cuda an early power play, but Trent Miner held firm.
Collin Graf in particular was buzzing. The rookie racked up four shots in the opening six minutes and looked dangerous on every shift.
Askarov stayed cool, turning away everything the Eagles threw at him.
Tensions flared midway through as Scott Sabourin got tangled up in a scrum, earning a double minor that led to four-on-four chaos. Still, the scoreboard stayed clean until the end of the period, when Tye Felhaber caught Quentin Musty with a high stick, drawing a four-minute power play that bled into the second.
San Jose came out flying again. But midway through, Colorado capitalized on a Barracuda penalty. On a power play following a high-sticking call, Calle Rosén found the net behind Askarov at 13:13 to put the Eagles up 1–0.
In classic underdog style, the Barracuda answered shorthanded. With Luca Cagnoni in the box for a questionable cross-check, Colin White forced a turnover. He sprung Regenda, who buried a beautiful breakaway backhander past Miner at 18:12 to tie it up 1–1.
The third was a goalie duel, with Askarov registering more highlight reel saves than Miner. Colorado came in waves, throwing pucks on net from every angle, but Askarov looked like a brick wall.
Penalties on both sides added to the tension. Sabourin took a tough goaltender interference call, but San Jose’s PK stayed solid. With under two minutes left, Colorado’s Devante Stephens tripped up Regenda, giving the ‘Cuda a power play heading into overtime.
Just 27 seconds into the extra frame, Gushchin sent the crowd home happy.
On the carry-over power play, Graf set up at the half-wall and zipped a slick cross-ice feed to Colin White, who one-touched it to Gushchin in the slot. The sniper didn’t miss.
Glove side. Bar down. Game over.
Cuda win, 2–1.
Head Coach John McCarthy
“We played tight,” McCarthy said. “When they did have the puck, we played tight. We played up in their face, turned some pucks over quickly, went right back at ’em.”
McCarthy also dug deeper into what physicality really means for this team.
“When we talk about physicality; there’s finishing your checks, and then there’s getting inside the net front, being hard on loose pucks, willing to go in first for loose pucks.”
This wasn’t just a team throwing hits, the ‘Cuda were winning battles in the tough areas, committing to the details. As for the game-winning goal, McCarthy gave the power play unit its due credit.
“We talked about overtime being the power play’s chance to be the hero, and they pulled through. It was good to see,” said McCarthy.
Gushchin clearly got the message. Looking at the bigger picture, McCarthy made it clear this was the type of game he wants from his group.
“I like lower event hockey. It’s more of a playoff-style game.”
It was structured, disciplined hockey with a premium on details and execution.
Pavol Regenda
After the game, Regenda didn’t hold back when describing the team’s mindset.
“We’re trying to just, you know, play simple, physical hockey,” he said. “And, you know, we found a way today, and we’ve got to just keep doing that. Nobody wants to be hit. So just, you know, gotta play bad ass hockey.”
That quote pretty much sums up Regenda’s game. straightforward, no-frills, and bad ass. From puck drop, he was a wrecking ball. When asked about the playoff atmosphere, Regenda spoke as someone who knows how much these games matter.
“Every game has like a big meeting,” he said. “Regular season is something else. Everybody’s playing hard, everybody’s playing the best hockey.” He emphasized how the stakes change when the postseason begins. For Regenda, there’s a clear line between regular-season hockey and what they’re doing now.
“Here, every game matters, every mistake, every play matters. You go into the game and you are just excited much more than, you know, during the regular season.”
It wasn’t just about individual effort either. Regenda made it clear the entire team showed up with the right mindset.
“Everybody looked in the mirror. Everybody knew that we didn’t play good hockey. It was a big game. You don’t want to go 0–2 into Colorado,” said Regenda.
That kind of honesty says a lot about where this locker room is mentally, and why they’re playing the kind of hockey that wins playoff series.
Scoring summary Colorado Eagles at San Jose Barracuda May 4, 2025
First Period
No Scoring
Second Period
13:13 COL Calle Rosén from Matthew Phillips and Jayson Megna
18:12 SJS Pavol Regenda from Colin White
Third Period:
No Scoring
Overtime
0:27 SJS Danil Gushchin from Collin Graf and Colin White
