sjbarracuda.com photo: San Jose Barracuda goaltender Antoine Bibeau (34) was kept busy all night facing a barrage of shots in a 6-0 loss in Bakersfield in Thursday night’s first pre season game

by Marko Ukalovic

The opening game of the pre-season wasn’t a pretty sight for the San Jose Barracuda as they were blanked by the Bakersfield Condors 6-0 at Rabobank Arena. San Jose couldn’t complain about not getting their chances. They received 4 power plays in the first period only to come up with what the Condor left on the rock. Overall they failed on 5 power play opportunities during the game.

Newly acquired goaltender Eddie Pasquale (1-0) stopped all 17 shots he faced in route to the shut out. Pasquale led the Grand Rapids Griffins to the Calder Cup Championship last season. The Condors are hoping to get that kind of quality goaltending out of Pasquale this season.

The Condors got on the board at 13:51 of the first period when Braden Christoffer back handed in a rebound while being left alone after Barracuda goalie Antoine Bibeau initially stopped Ben Betker’s shot from the left point. Bakersfield added to its lead at 14:38 as Keegan Lowe beat a screened Bibeau through the five-hole along the right half-wall, and then the Condors completed the three-goal first when Josh Currie ripped a shot from close range over the blocker of San Jose’s netminder after receiving a below the goal-line feed from Zach O’Brien. San Jose was outshot in the first 20 minutes 14-to-11.

The carnage continued for Bakersfield in the second period, adding two more goals to go up 5-0. First, Dana Tyrell tipped an Evan Polei shot at 4:26 and then Lane Bauer ended Bibeau’s night and gave Bakersfield a 5-0 lead at 6:06. Down 5-0, San Jose looked to push back physically as Bryan Moore dropped the gloves with 6-foot-5 defenseman Ryan Mantha at 6:47, and then San Jose’s Josh Thrower threw punches with Istvan Sofron at 13:43. Bibeau lasted just 33 minutes and 43 seconds after allowing five goals on 22 shots.

In the third, goalie Stephon Williams worked the final six minutes and 17 seconds of the frame. Williams was forced to make a handful of stellar saves, but Condors’ Kyle Platzer made it 6-0 with a backhand-to-forehand move on a breakaway down the right wing at 11:07. Williams allowed one goal on 14 shots.

NEXT UP: The Barracuda take on the Stockton Heat on Saturday, Sept. 30 at SAP Center at 1:30 p.m for their second and final pre-season game.