Barracuda Bites: Cuda dismantle Stars 6-1 in a special teams showcase

The San Jose Barracuda kicked off a six game homestand with a decisive victory over the visiting Texas Stars, with a final score of 6-1. Marcus Sorensen contributed to the victory and then some, scoring his first pro hat trick and only the fifth hat trick in Barracuda history.

Mike McKenna and Troy Grosenick got the calls in net last night. After a shaky start to the season, Grosenick looked like the Baz Bastien award winner that he was last year, stopping all but one of 30 shots he faced. McKenna, on the other hand, let in six goals, as the former Syracuse Crunch netminder just didn’t have the goods last night.

The Barracuda got off to a very hot start in the first period, as a one timer from Danny O’Regan to Marcus Sorensen on the power play gave the ‘Cuda their first goal of the game. The puck hit Alex True on the way, so he got the primary assist. Texas answered back with a power play goal of their own when Ludwig Bystrom fired a slap shot past Troy Grosenick’s blocker side to tie it.

That would be all for Texas offensively.

At 15:05, Marcus Sorensen put a highlight reel goal past Mike McKenna for his second goal of the night, after Danny O’Regan found Sorensen going around the net and passed it straight to him to put the Barracuda up 2-1. Shortly after, Rudolfs Balcers found Filip Sandberg almost completely unmarked on the right wing, leading to the Sandman’s fourth goal of the year to widen the margin for the Barracuda, 3-1.

After a scoreless second period, why not take some time to remember the third goal for the #SJBarracuda?

Thanks, Filip Sandberg. pic.twitter.com/TdmjI5GXHj

— San Jose Barracuda (@sjbarracuda) November 6, 2017

There was no scoring in the second period, but there were penalties galore, much like the two teams’ last matchup in Cedar Park. Texas had three power play opportunities that period, but could not find the net.

At 7:51 of the third period, Danny O’Regan, circling around the net, found — who guessed it — Marcus Sorensen, letting the Swede complete his sensational night with a one timer for his first professional hat trick, putting the Barracuda up 4-1. During the Barracuda’s  fifth power play of the night, Cavan Fitzgerald slapped a puck from the top of face-off circle that found its way past Mike McKenna’s glove side to make it 5-1. Finally, Olivier Archambeault, recently called up from the Allen Americans, delivered the dagger as he delivered his first professional goal to give the Barracuda the win, making the final score being 6-1.

Tonight’s three stars were Cavan Fitzgerald, Troy Grosenick, and Marcus Sorensen. With his absolutely brilliant game tonight, the second year pro out of Sodertalje, Sweden, finds himself tied for second in points on the Barracuda, and is now recording .90 points per game. After a road trip that could have gone much better, tonight’s performance may have been the wake up call that the Baby Sharks have needed.