Danny O’Regan and Timo Meier recalled, Barracuda Clinch

O’Regan and Meier get the call

According to Cap Friendly and the AHL’s Transaction page, the San Jose Sharks recalled both Timo Meier and Danny O’Regan from the San Jose Barracuda. This call-up seems to signify the unknown status of Jannik Hansen may be more serious than Sharks fans had hoped. Hansen left the game in the third period when he appeared to take a stick to the head area while laying a hit on Anaheim Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour. He left the ice under his own power but did not return.

Of the two players called up, it would not shock me to see O’Regan be the player to draw into the lineup over Meier. O’Regan has been a consistent producer for the Barracuda all season with 22 goals and 32 assists and plays center. This would allow the Sharks to put Hertl on the top line where he has ended the last two games.

I expect the forward lines to looks something like this on Monday evening:

Hertl – Thornton – Pavelski

Marleau – Couture – Boedker

Donskoi – Tierney – Ward

Sorensen – O’Regan – Haley

Meier has been hit or miss since rejoining the Barracuda, in one game he is scoring a game-winning goal and the next his stick seems to be where the play goes to die because of poor shot selection or decision-making. That’s not to say that Meier won’t draw into the lineup instead of Sorensen but if he is just coming up to sit in the press box it is a waste. The best thing for Meier right now is to be playing and working on his game.

Barracuda clinch playoff berth

The Barracuda played two games against the Stockton heat this past weekend in a home-and-home series. The Barracuda had an opportunity to be the first team in the entire AHL to clinch a playoff spot.

San Jose failed in their first attempt in a 7-4 loss to the Stockton heat. The Barracuda played a pretty sloppy game in front of their home crowd at SAP Center. Mantas Armalis was in net for the Barracuda and had a disaster of a game allowing six goals on 22 shots with many soft ones.

To Roy Sommer’s credit, he left Armalis in the game allowing Troy Grosenick to get some much-needed rest. Armalis has had some really stellar games for the ‘Cuda but when his game is off, it’s way off. The Barracuda were 4/7 on the power play and their recently struggling penalty kill was 2/5. The Barracuda outshot the Heat 30-23.

San Jose always bounces back after a bad game and Saturday night’s trip to Stockton was no different. Although the Heat scored first in this game it was the last goal they would score.

Buddy Robinson, Rourke Chartier and Barclay Goodrow scored for the rebounding Barracuda in a 3-1 victory over the Heat. Over the course of the game, the Barracuda penalty kill returned the form killing nine Heat power plays. In what was a penalty filled affair with the teams recording a combined 121 minutes of penalty time. The Barracuda power play was 1/5. With the win, the Barracuda not only clinched their chance to play for the Calder cup but dealt the Heat a serious blow as they try to overtake the Bakersfield Condors for the final playoff spot in the pacific division.