Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

Josh Currie wished he could play every game against the San Jose Barracuda (26-23-3-3 as his fifth career hat trick powered the Bakersfield Condors (24-22-9-1) to a 8-4 victory on Friday evening at Rabobank Arena. The loss snapped the Cuda’s four-game winning streak.

For Currie, also known as the Cuda killer, it was his second hat trick of the season against San Jose, and third overall against his NorCal rival. It was also his 14th career goal versus the Cuda and eighth goal in eight games so far this season.

The Cuda got the start they wanted getting on the board just 33 seconds into the game as Adam Helewka sent a shot in on net that rebounded off Condors goalie Laurent Brossoit (9-6-4) right to the stick of rookie sensation Rudolfs Balcers, who banged the puck into an empty net for with his team leading 17th goal of the season. Cuda captain John McCarthy received the secondary assist on the goal.

The Condors were able to tie the game up late in the first period when David Gust was able to make a great back-door pass over to Greyson Downing for an easy tap-in goal past Cuda goalie Antoine Bibeau (18-11-2) at the 14:10 mark. It was Downing’s fourth goal of the season.

The Cuda regained the lead with just under a minute left in the period when Helewka controlled the puck from left corner and circled around the zone before snapping home a shot over the left shoulder of Brossoit for a 2-1 lead. Helewka’s ninth goal of the season came on an almost impossible angle that surprised Brossoit at the 19:08 mark. Balcers received the lone assist on the goal.

The lead was short-lived. Just 35 seconds later, Currie scored his first of three consecutive goals and 17th goal of the season. Currie was able to make a move to skate around Sam Warning from the slot and fired a shot past Bibeau to complete a wild final minute of action.

Currie would give back the lead to Bakersfield with his second goal of the night just 19 seconds into the second period. Currie had a nice give-and-go with Joey LeLeggia, who dropped it back to Currie. Currie proceed to fire a one-timer past Bibeau for his team-leading 18th goal of the season.

The Cuda would fall victim to some bad luck when the Condors scored off a shot by Patrick Russell that hit off the back of Nick DeSimone and ricocheted into the net. The unassisted goal was Russell’s 10th goal of the season at the 5:19 mark of the second period.

Currie completed his hat trick against the Cuda when he was able to shoot the puck between his legs that snuck under the blocker of a surprised Bibeau. Zach O’Brien and Leleggia assisted on Curry’s 19th goal on the year at 13:37 mark of the second period.

The Cuda would get two goals 21 seconds apart in the first two minutes of the third period when Radim Simek put home a rebound off a Brandon Mashinter shot for his sixth goal of the season at the 1:33 mark. Then Colby McAuley would take advantage of a Condor turnover when he was able to roof a backhander top-shelf past Brossoit for his second career goal at the 1:54 mark to make it a one-goal game at 5-4.

However, Bakersfield regained their composure and scored the next three goals to squash any Cuda comeback attempt. Russell scored his second goal of the night after sending in an innocent-looking wrist shot that caught Bibeau by surprise as the puck cruised past his blocker for Russell’s 11th goal on the year at the 5:29 mark. Evan Polei had a puck ricochet off his jersey from a shot that hit the post for his third goal of the season at the 9:06 mark.

Polie would get his first multi-goal game when he completed the scoring for the Condors with an empty-netter at the 18:59 mark.

Brossoit made 23 saves on 27 shots to earn the victory, while Bibeau took the tough loss, making 23 saves on 30 shots.

GAMES NOTES: Both teams went 0/2 on their power plays, respectively.

Bakersfield was without their leading scorer, Ty Rattie, who was recalled up to the Edmonton Oilers. McCarthy is currently on a three-game point streak.

UP NEXT: The Barracuda travel down the road to Ontario to take on the Reign on Sunday 3/18. Faceoff is at 3 pm PST.