San Jose Barracuda 2020 Playoff Recap 2020-06-20 The San Jose Barracuda's quest for a three-peat came to an unlikely end in the first round earlier this week, as they were ousted in five games by the San Antonio Rampage. It's likely the biggest upset in AHL history, considering the disparity between the two teams on paper and in the standings, not to mention that the Barracuda were the defending Calder Cup champions. So how did it come to this for a team that finished first in the West and third overall in the regular season? The most reasonable explanation would seem to be that it was a case of death by a thousand cuts. For starters, the Barracuda couldn't capitalize on home ice advantage. They did of course win Game 3 in San Jose to take a 2-1 series lead, and in dominant fashion no less. But they followed that up by missing two chances to finish the job, losing consecutive games in their own barn while being outscored 8-3 en route to elimination. In addition, the Barracuda sorely missed the contributions of #1 defenseman Carl Dahlstrom—who was an NHL injury call-up for the first two games—and #2 center Byron Froese, who suffered a season-ending injury on the eve of the playoffs. Their combined absence short-circuited the consistency of the team's secondary scoring and penalty killing, which were both huge liabilites throughout the series. But perhaps the worst cut of them all was Rampage starter Kasimir Kaskisuo having the week of his life. After a dismal regular season, the Finnish netminder caught fire in the playoffs, posting a .924 save percentage on 170 shots against. At the other end of the ice, Antoine Bibeau was solid enough, with a .909 Sv% on 143 shots. But it wasn't enough to match his counterpart's stunning performance. Add it all up, and for the Barracuda there's nothing left to do but sift through the wreckage of a spectacularly failed campaign. The organization has so far been tight-lipped about their future plans, though they are on the record as having concerns about the team's financial viability in the Bay Area. Whatever happens, it would appear that one of the AHL's marquee franchises suddenly has some hard decisions to make, and an unexpectedly long summer in which to make them