San Jose Barracuda forward Anthony Vincent (#76) battled for the puck with Bakersfield Condors center Sam Poulin (#8) during the Cuda’s 3-2 win at Tech CU Arena on Saturday APR 18, 2026. (San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — Jarod Crespo picked a great time to score his first career AHL goal.

Crespo scored the game winning goal on the rebound with a backhand shot with 35.3 left in the overtime session as the San Jose Barracuda defeated the Bakersfield Condors 4-3 in the season finale on Saturday evening at Tech CU Arena.

San Jose finished the season snapping its six-game losing streak as the number sixth seed in the Pacific Division. The Barracuda will face the Henderson Silver Knights in the first round of the playoffs in a best of three series out in Sin City. Bakersfield finished as the fifth seed and will face off against the Coachella Valley Firebirds down in the desert in their first-round matchup.

San Jose (40-22-2-2-84 points) drew first blood just past the halfway point of the first period with a power play goal. Brendan Hoffman sent a pass back to Filip Bystedt from behind the net. Bystedt fed Kasper Halttunen in the slot and Finnish forward buried a one-timer past Condor’s goalie Connor Ungar for his 16th goal of the season at the 11:20 mark.

Bakersfield (37-23-11-1-86 points) kept things chippy as a carryover from last night’s game down in Bakersfield. They were outshot 17-8 in the opening 20 minutes as Cuda goalie Gabriel Carrier was perfect.

The Condors evened the score just before the halfway mark of the second period. Arto Leppanen floated a puck toward the net that was redirected by Isaac Howard for his 24th goal of the season at the 8:48 mark. Howard has scored in back-to-back games against San Jose.

The Cuda regained the lead late in the middle frame with an even strength goal. Bystedt began a counterattack from behind his own goal line. Bystedt ran a bit of interference inside the Condors zone to open a lane for Quentin Musty whose shot went off the shoulder of Ungar and floated into the back of the net for his 21st goal of the season at the 14:51 mark.

Bakersfield answered back late in the period. Viljami Marjala finished off a give and go with Howard as he tipped in Howard’s shot past Carrier for his 17th goal of the season at the 18:00 mark.

San Jose responded on the net shift. Jimmy Huntington won a battle in the neutral zone and was able to get the puck over to Kyle Crnkovic at the blueline. Crnkovic skated into the middle before ripping a wrist shot past Ungar for the Cuda’s third lead of the game and his first career AHL goal 30 seconds later.

Bakersfield made Patrick Giles pay for an undisciplined slashing penalty late in the third period. Leppanen scored his 11th goal of the season on the power play at the 17:30 mark to even the game at 3-3.

Carrier (15-12-3-1) finished the evening stopping 32 of the 35 shots he faces to earn his 15th win of the season. Ungar (9-2-2-1) made 31 saves on 35 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 1-for-4 on the power play. Bakersfield was also 1-for-4.

San Jose won all four games at home against Bakersfield this season.

The Three Stars of the Game: 1) Crespo 2) Leppanen 3) Bystedt.

UP NEXT: San Jose begins the first round of the playoffs against the Henderson Silver Knights on Wednesday April 22nd at 7:00pm at Lee’s Family Forum.