Preview: Monsters Meet Barracuda For First Time in History
San Jose Barracuda at Cleveland Monsters
Saturday, October 21st, 2017; 1 pm est
AND
Sunday, October 22nd, 2017; 5 pm est
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Radio: 99x(99.1); 99x Online
Twitter: @SJBarracuda, @Monstershockey
Cleveland Monsters, 1-2-0-0, 4 points, .333 win%, 7th Central, 14th West
vs
San Jose Barracuda, 2-2-0-0, 4 points, .500 win%, 6th Pacific, 8th West
This is the first meeting in history between the Cleveland Monsters and San Jose Barracuda. The Barracuda didn't come into the AHL until the 2015-16 season. They have made the playoffs every year season since becoming a team. Last year, the Barracuda made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals before getting bounced from the playoffs by the Grand Rapid Griffins who would go on to win the 2017 Calder Cup.
The Barracuda knows what it takes to win and have players who are willing to do anything to make it happen.
Guys like Daniel O'Regan, Adam Helewka, Brandon Mashinter, and Filip Sandberg should never be left alone. They always seem to find the back of the net. Of the four, Adam Helewka is the deadliest. If he can't find the back of the net, Helewka will find a way for his linemate to score a goal.
Brandon Bollig, Colby McAuley, and Jacob Middleton bring a combination of grit and scoring to the ice. They know how to dismantle a play and get under their opponents skin. Bollig is the kind of guy who knows how to get under someone's skin. However, agitating him will lead to some serious bruises.
Yesterday, Markus Hannikainen was loaned to the Monsters by the Columbus Blue Jackets. His positive attitude is infectious and often gives teammates the extra boost to get things done.
Here's a bit of good news.
At a 75% success rate, the Barracuda penalty kill is not doing well this season. This could possibly give the Monsters a shot at boosting their power play numbers. The Monsters' special teams must play a cleaner and quicker game.
Season Series
10/21/2017
10/22/2017
03/09/2018
03/10/2018