Stockton, CA – In the first game back from the All-Star break, the San Jose Barracuda(25-8-2-4) made it seven straight wins against the Stockton Heat (18-21-4-1) (Calgary Flames) by earning a victory on Friday night at the Stockton Arena, 6-4. The win was the 750th of Barracuda Head Coach Roy Sommer’s legendary career. Sommer is now 750-639-48-78-73 over his 21-year AHL coaching tenure.
In the first, Jeffrey Viel (7) opened up the scoring as snapped a 12-game goalless drought by whipping a shot inside the left post from the right wing at 6:12. San Jose made it 2-0 asAlex True (13) sniped a snapper over the right shoulder of Jon Gillies as True moved in from along the left side at 7:56. Curtis Lazar (15), Stockton’s only All-Star, inched the Heat within one at 7:56 as he punched in a loose puck that was originally blocked by a San Jose defender.
Francis Perron (14) regained San Jose’s two-goal lead as Rourke Chartier found the All-Star in the low slot from below the goal line at 1:49 of the second and then Dylan Gambrell (10) one-timed in a rope from the left wing at 6:21 to make it 4-1 San Jose, ending Gillies night after 26 minutes 21 seconds of work. But again Stockton would get one back. This time Tyler Graovac (16) would deflect in a point shot on the power play at 17:03.
In the third, the Heat would complete the comeback as Dillon Dube (5) would swipe in aSpencer Foo pass from along the left wing at 9:31 and then Jusso Valimaki (1) would rip one past Josef Korenar as he drifted uncovered to the net from the right point at 11:15. Tied at 4-4, and the momentum in favor of the home team, True (14) would race into the offensive zone, veer wide, and wrap the puck in at 12:49 to make it 5-4. At 16:30, Gambrell (11) put the game away as he redirected a Kyle Wood point shot past Tyler Parsons.
Korenar (16-3-1) earned his third consecutive win and improved to 5-0 against Stockton by making 32 saves on 36 shots. Despite making several key stops in relief, Parsons (6-5-1) who worked the final 33 minutes and 39 seconds, took the loss after allowing two goals 22 shots.
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