Palm Desert, CA – In his first game back at Acrisure Arena since helping guide the Coachella Valley Firebirds (11-8-1-3) to back-to-back Calder Cup Finals, San Jose Barracuda (15-6-0-1) forward Andrew Poturalski scored with under two minutes to go in regulation to tie the game on Thursday night and then won it in the second round of a shootout to complete the 4-3 victory. The Barracuda finished the game with a season-high 54 shots and have now picked up points in seven in a row (6-0-0-1) and have won their last three. Ethan Cardwell led the way with 10 shots on net as the Barracuda improved to 4-0 against the Firebirds.
In the first, the Barracuda failed to record a shot until the 7:11 mark but would finish the period by outshooting the Firebirds 9-8, but the game would remain 0-0 after 20 minutes.
In the second, the Barracuda began the period on the power play and would take a 1-0 lead at 1:03 when Danil Gushchin (4) ripped in a short-side snipe. Then, a minute and 32 seconds later, Lucas Carlsson (1) would snap home his first in a Cuda sweater to make it 2-0, also on the power play. The Barracuda would have a chance to go up 3-0 when Cardwell drew a penalty shot while shorthanded, but he failed to beat Ales Stezka, and the Firebirds would go on to score a pair of power-play goals to tie it up minutes later. First, Jani Nyman (6) scored during a five-on-three, and then 19 seconds later, Jagger Firkus (6) notched the tying goal on the second of the two minors. The Barracuda finished the frame outshooting Coachella Valley 26-5, but the game remained tied at 2-2 after two.
In the third, the Firebirds were all over the Barracuda. They would take their first lead when Brandon Biro (1) snapped in the go-ahead goal off a won faceoff at 14:41. But, down by a goal, the Barracuda would use their timeout and pull Yaroslav Askarov at 17:43, and with their net empty they would tie it. At 18:37, Poturalski (9) had the puck bounce to him on the left wing, and he quickly swiped it in before Stezka could get over.
In overtime, the Barracuda outshot the Firebirds 4-2, but the game remained 3-3 after 65 minutes. In the shootout, Askarov made two saves, and Gushchin and Poturalski scored to earn the second point.
