Blades of Teal
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San Jose Barracuda Running Out Of Time

By Patrick Leiva

Jan 6, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; San Jose Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow (89) against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Sharks defeated the Wild 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 6, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; San Jose Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow (89) against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Sharks defeated the Wild 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /
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San Jose picked the wrong time for a two-game losing streak as they have just five games left to make up the ground.

With the regular season quickly dwindling down, the San Jose Barracuda are running out of time if they want to secure a playoff spot in their inaugural campaign.

San Jose finds themselves trailing the Charlotte Checkers by 0.17 percentage points in the race for the final spot in the Western Conference with only five games remaining in their season.

The Barracuda began last week with a very strong outing against the Pacific Division leading Ontario Reign, top affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings. San Jose jumped out to a 3-0 lead en route to a big 3-1 victory over Ontario.

Petter Emanuelsson scored his ninth goal of the season to give the Barracuda a 1-0 lead after one. Then, San Jose opened the flood gates when Bryan Lerg and Nikolay Goldobin each scored their 18th goals of the season to chase netminder Peter Budaj from the contest.

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While the Reign would get one past Aaron Dell, he would stand tall the rest of the way making 35 saves to secure the victory for San Jose.

Unfortunately, the Barracuda couldn’t build any momentum off the win against the Reign, dropping their next two games to fall out of a playoff position.

San Jose began a six-game road trip by traveling to Bakersfield for a meeting against the Condors, top affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. Despite outshooting the Condors by a 39-24 margin, the Barracuda were undone by poor special teams in falling by a 4-2 final.

The Barracuda found themselves trailing by three goals in this one following a shorthanded tally in the first and a pair of power-play goals 38 seconds apart in the middle frame to put this one out of reach.

San Jose would cut the deficit to one behind goals from Ryan Carpenter (16th) and Jeremy Morin (15th), but it was too little, too late for team teal as they missed a big opportunity.

Finally, the Barracuda were back at it the next night in San Diego against the Gulls, top affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks. After jumping out to a first period lead behind Barclay Goodrow’s 18th of the season, San Jose couldn’t sustain their play as they dropped a 5-3 decision after surrendering three-straight goals in the second period.

John McCarthy and Emanuelsson would find the back of the net to tie things up in the third, but San Diego pulled away by converting a couple of odd-man rushes past Troy Grosenick. It was a rough night in goal in what’s been a tough season for Grosenick who allowed five goals on 24 shots in this one.

Next: Sharks Blank Wild Setting New Franchise Record

San Jose continues their six-game road trip with a swing through Texas beginning tonight against the San Antonio Rampage, top affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche.

The Barracuda then take on the Texas Stars, top affiliate of the Dallas Stars, on Friday and Saturday night as they need every point they can get if they have any shot of clinching a Calder Cup playoff berth.

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