Barracuda Face Eagles in Historic Playoff Matchup

San Jose, CA — The San Jose Barracuda will host the Colorado Eagles on Friday, May 2, 2025, at 7:00 PM for their first home playoff game at Tech CU Arena. This matchup marks the beginning of the second round in a best-of-five series between the two teams. The Barracuda, who recently defeated the Ontario Reign 2-0 in the first round, are seeking to make a deep playoff run.

The Barracuda finished the regular season with a record of 36-26-5-4, securing 81 points and placing them sixth in the Pacific Division. Meanwhile, the Eagles finished first in the division with an impressive record of 43-21-5-3 and a franchise-high 94 points. During the 2024-25 regular season, the Barracuda faced the Eagles eight times, winning only three of those matches.

This Friday’s game will be particularly meaningful for the Barracuda franchise, as it marks their first home playoff game since April 22, 2019. Historical trends indicate that a number one seed has never lost in the opening round since the Pacific Division’s inception in 2015. However, the Barracuda do have a prior playoff victory against the Eagles, having beaten them decisively in a play-in game in May 2021.

The Eagles, affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, have a consistent postseason presence, qualifying for every playoff since their AHL debut in 2018. They also led the league in goals scored per game this season, boasting a potent offense with a depth of experienced players.

One standout player for Colorado is defenseman Jacob MacDonald, who achieved an unprecedented milestone by scoring 31 goals this season, marking the highest total for a defenseman in AHL history. He has also won the Eddie Shore Award, which honors the league’s top defenseman.

The Barracuda’s goaltender Yaroslav Askarov has shined in the playoffs, achieving two wins in the first round while holding an impressive 0.50 goals-against average and a .979 save percentage. His performance has garnered attention, especially since he is the first Barracuda goalie to record a Calder Cup Playoff shutout since 2017.

San Jose is eager to capitalize on their strong power play, which topped the league with a 24.0% success rate during the regular season. As they prepare for this crucial game, all eyes will be on players like Danil Gushchin, who recorded a career-best 28 goals this season, and Andrew Poturalski, the AHL’s MVP.

The energy in Tech CU Arena is expected to be electric as the Barracuda aim to make history in their first playoff game at their home arena.