It’s no secret the San Jose Barracuda have been a true force in the American Hockey League this season. They’ve pulled off 21 wins halfway through the season and four of them have been against the Ontario Reign. These teams just saw each other on Wednesday, making tonight’s game one of unfinished business for the Reign, while the ‘Cuda are looking to keep their streak going.
It’s been a long few months for the Ontario Reign. The Los Angeles Kings have used the Reign for their own needs, and moving players up and down has left a bit of a hole in the Reign. They have made themselves comfortable in last place (the apple doesn’t fall far from the mother club) with their 10-17-3-2 record.
Things got worse for the Reign when they lost yet another player, this time to injury. The Reign lost defensemen Daniel Brickley in the third period on Wednesday night with what appeared to be an injury to his right leg. This is yet another blow to a roster that has been mixed up all season long.
The Barracuda opened up scoring on Wednesday against the Reign with a goal from Antti Suomela early in the first period. The second period went scoreless, with both Antoine Bibeau and Cal Petersen standing strong between the pipes. This was Petersen’s third start back with the Reign, spending the majority of his season with the Kings. Jon Martin got another puck past him in the second, bringing the lead to 2-0 in the ‘Cuda’s favor. Brett Sutter scored a power play goal to tie the game up. The Ontario captain now has four shorthanded points, a tie for first in the AHL. This is something the Barracuda should keep in minding tonight: avoid giving the Reign a man-advantage.
.@halbgewachs97 shoots and scores👏🚨 pic.twitter.com/BR755YQPbg
— San Jose Barracuda (@sjbarracuda) January 10, 2019
Ontario played well against the Barracuda on Wednesday, suffering through injury. There was only a one-goal deficit, something the Reign know all too well this season. Though they are in last place and have had a rough season, the Reign can’t be counted out. They are playing fairly good hockey given the circumstances. They are strong on the power play and have good netminding in Cal Petersen. The Barracuda could absolutely get their fifth straight win against the Los Angeles Kings’ affiliate team, but they can’t get cocky. The Reign will be out for blood tonight. It’ll be a fun game to watch.
The puck will drop at 7 p.m. PT at SAP Center. You can catch the game on AHLTV.
Also, please enjoy this gif of a baby devouring ice cream at the game on Wednesday:
The boy looovveeess his ice cream 🍦😂 pic.twitter.com/hcFAiSra8G
— San Jose Barracuda (@sjbarracuda) January 10, 2019
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