Matt Davis makes 24 saves, earns first AHL win in 4-1 victory

San Jose beat Milwaukee 4-1 at UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena Friday night, as goaltender Matt Davis made 24 saves to earn his first AHL win and Quentin Musty scored twice. The victory opened a two-game road trip for the Barracuda, who improved to 33-16-2-2; the Admirals fell to 22-24-4-3.

Milwaukee struck first midway through the opening period when Shawn Element (3) won a foot race to a loose puck and chipped a shot past Matt Davis at 8:42. San Jose answered late in the frame as Musty (11) tied the game at 14:14, finishing a setup from Filip Bystedt. The Barracuda grabbed control early in the second period with a pair of quick goals. Just 2:24 in, Oliver Wahlstrom (21) converted on a top-shelf backhand during a delayed penalty. Less than three minutes later, Musty (12) struck again at 5:09, wiring home a loose puck that had been poke-checked by Matt Murray just prior.

San Jose continued to control play in the third period and added insurance at 12:48 when Luca Cagnoni (7) backhanded in a shot after Murray had initially turned him aside. The Barracuda outshot the Admirals 37-25 on the night, and the final scoring sequence left Musty with two goals and the Barracuda able to close out the game with a one-goal cushion in the first and a three-goal margin overall. Davis made 24 saves to earn his first AHL win, while Musty, Nolan Allan (two assists), and Kasper Halttunen (two assists) each posted multi-point efforts.

Matt Davis, born June 16, 2001 in Calgary, Alberta, is listed at 6 ft 1 in and 195 lb, and catches right. Davis was undrafted and, at the completion of his collegiate career, Davis embarked on the professional ranks in signing a one-year contract with the San Jose Barracuda, primary affiliate to the San Jose Sharks, on April 22, 2025. He was named the Most Outstanding Player at the 2024 NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey tournament while with the University of Denver. Career lines from his pre-professional record read: 2020–21, Green Bay Gamblers, USHL: GP 35, W 20, L 9, T 2, MIN 1,866, GA 104, SO 3, GAA 3.34, SV% .895. 2021–22, University of Denver, NCHC: GP 6, W 3, L 1, T 0, MIN 275, GA 9, SO 1, GAA 1.96, SV% .923. 2022–23, University of Denver, NCHC: GP 13, W 8, L 1, T 0, MIN 509, GA 15, SO 1, GAA 1.77, SV% .925. 2023–24, University of Denver, NCHC: GP 31, W 23, L 5, T 3, MIN 1,871, GA 73, SO 2, GAA 2.34, SV% .917. NCAA totals: GP 50, W 34, L 7, T 3, MIN 2,655, GA 97, SO 4, GAA 2.19, SV% .919. Davis began his college ice hockey career for Denver during the 2021–22 season. During his freshman year, he served as the backup goaltender to Magnus Chrona, and appeared in six games with four starts and posted a 3–1–0 record, with a 1.96 GAA and .923 save percentage. He started his first career game on October 16, 2021, and posted a 25-save shutout against Air Force. During the 2022–23 season, in his sophomore year, he appeared in 13 games, with eight starts and posted an 8–1–0 record, with a 1.77 GAA and .925 save percentage.

San Jose Hockey Now summed up the signing and impact succinctly: "Davis is a winner, and he’s in the San Jose Sharks organization now." The San Jose Barracuda has signed the University of Denver goalie to an AHL contract through the 2025-26 season, a move that gives the organization a right-catching netminder with a decorated collegiate resume. The performance Friday was celebrated by Sharks fan community after strong performance and represented a milestone for young netminder.

The Barracuda will stay in Milwaukee for a 5:00 p.m. PT rematch Saturday to close the four-game season series, then return home Wednesday to play the San Diego Gulls at Tech CU Arena at 7:00 p.m. The game release noted ticket information is available on the Barracuda website. One play in the recaps, the Musty goal at 5:09 described as involving a "poke-checked by Matt Murray just prior," is an unusual attribution and merits confirmation with the official box score or game video to clarify Murray’s identity and role on that sequence.