By Taylor Lupetti (@tayclupetti ):
It has been five away games and four losses since the SJ Barracuda have played at SAP Center. Returning to their home ice for the first time in almost three weeks, the Cudas defeated the Texas Stars, 6-1.
“It was a good bounce back game for us,” said Barracuda head coach Roy Sommer. “That was old Barracuda out there. We made more plays tonight than we have in the last nine games.”
The last time San Jose (4-5-0-1) and Texas (5-6-0-1) faced off was last Saturday when the Barracuda lost in a shootout, 3-2.
After finishing last season and starting this one with the Sharks, right-wing forward Kevin Labanc returned to the Cuda for the first time this season. In the 13 games he played with the Sharks this season, Labanc logged seven points (three goals and four assists).
“It was definitely fun. You want to come in with the right attitude,” Labanc said. “You don’t want to think about why you were sent down, you just have to be motivated, get back up and be a good leader for all the guys that are still down here.”
It was a big night for left-wing forward Marcus Sorensen who got a hat-trick. Two of the goals were scored less than five minutes apart in the first period when Sorenson pushed the Cudas ahead 2-1. He returned to the back of the net in the third period, pushing San Jose ahead 4-1.
“I think I scored the first game,” Sorensen said. “Since then, I haven’t scored so it’s huge to be apart of helping the team.”
The Stars quickly evened it up after Sorensen’s first goal less than two minutes later with a goal by defenseman Ludwig Bystrom.
After Sorensen’s goals in the first, right-wing forward Filip Sandberg pushed San Jose further ahead with the Cuda’s second power-play goal of the period.
Both teams held strong defensively during the second period, not allowing any goals. Star’s goalie Mike McKenna and Cuda goalie Troy Grosenick each defended their nets to end the period with 20 shots on goal for San Jose and 15 for Texas.
Not even two minutes after Sorensen’s hat trick goal in the third period, defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald scored the Cuda’s third powerplay goal of the night.
Left-wing forward Olivier Archambault sealed the game for San Jose in the third with a little more than a minute left of playing time, securing a win for the Cuda.
“I hadn’t scored so far, so it felt good to get the first one out of the way and it was a good pass by my teammates so I was happy,” Archambault said.
The Barracuda will be home for a majority of the month of November and will be back on Saturday Nov. 11 to take on the Manitoba Moose at 1:15 p.m. at the SAP Center.