Raphael Lavoie celebrates his goal with his teammates during the Condors win over the Barracuda at Tech CU Arena on Tuesday Dec 27, 2022. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — Seth Griffith just loves playing against the San Jose Barracuda.

Griffith scored two goals against the ‘Cuda to help the Bakersfield Condors to a 5-1 victory on Tuesday evening at Tech CU Arena.

San Jose has lost a season worst six games in a row. Bakersfield has won two of its past three games.

Bakersfield (11-15-1-0) drew first blood with a power play goal late in the first period. Raphael Lavoie sent a rink wide pass over to Carter Savoie who whipped a one-timer past ‘Cuda goalie Strauss Mann for his fourth goal of the season at the 14:26 mark.

It was the 14th time in the last 15 games that San Jose had conceded the first goal of the game.

The Condors only needed 37 seconds to double its lead when Ty Tullio led a rush up the ice from out of its own zone. Tullio found Griffith in the slot and the ‘Cuda killer made one move into the middle before beating Mann with a wrist shot for his seventh goal of the season.

Bakersfield scored its third unanswered goal with two seconds left in the opening frame when Michael Kesselring led a two on one odd man rush down the left side. Kesselring snapped home a wrist shot past Mann for his ninth goal of the season.

San Jose (13-16-0-1) got on the scoreboard with a power play goal early in the second period. Artemi Kniazev sent a cross ice pass over to Thomas Bordeleau who blasted a one-timer past Condor’s goalie Olivier Rodrigue for his team leading 14th goal of the season at the :46 mark.

Bordeleau leads all rookies in the AHL with his 14 goals.

Griffith recorded his second goal of the game halfway through the middle frame. Luke Esposito found Griffith down low near the net. Griffith then fake a passed through the crease and backhanded a shot through the short side past Mann for his eighth goal of the season at the 10:21 mark.

Bakersfield put the game away with its second power play goal of the contest just under three minutes later. Lavoie cleaned up his own rebound after his initial shot was blocked for his fourth goal of the season at the 13:25 mark.

San Jose put on an offensive push in the third period as they outshot Bakersfield 15-10 in the period but could not get another puck past Rodrigue who played one of his best games of the season.

Rodrigue stopped 36 of the 37 shots to earn the victory. Mann made 23 saves on 28 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 1-for-6 on the power play. Bakersfield went 2-for-5.

The Three Stars of the Game were: 1) Rodrigue 2) Griffith 3) Lavoie.

UP NEXT: San Jose hosts the Coachella Valley Firebirds for a two-game series on Friday 12/30 at 7:00pm at Tech CU Arena.