Photo credit: @sjbarracuda
By Marko Ukalovic
The San Jose Barracuda were frequent visitors to the sin-bin and the Bakersfield Condors took full advantage, scoring three power play goals in route to a 6-3 victory on Saturday evening at Mechanics Bank Arena.
San Jose have now lost three games in a row after back-to-back to shutouts to close out the month of October. The win snapped a five game losing streak at home for Bakersfield.
San Jose (4-5-0-1) drew first blood on the power play early in the first period. Jayden Halbgewachs tried to center a pass from behind the net that Thomas Gregoire picked up and he sent a pass over Trevor Carrick. The defenseman, playing in his 350th AHL game, fired a shot past Condors goalie Stuart Skinner for his first career goal at the 2:50 mark.
Bakersfield (6-6-1-0) scored the equalizer with a power play goal of their own. A shot from ‘Cuda killer Josh Currie was initially saved by San Jose goaltender Josef Korenar but Tyler Benson cleaned up the rebound for his third goal of the season at the 9:24 mark. Brad Malone was credited with the secondary assist.
John McCarthy received an early Christmas present from Skinner to pick up his first goal of the season. Skinner tried clearing the puck in front of a crashing McCarthy. However he turned it over right on to McCarthy’s stick, where it ricochet off the post and into the back of the net at the 14:49 mark. The unassisted goal was the 300th point of the ‘Cuda captain’s career.
Despite outshooting San Jose 9-5 in the period, Bakersfield found themselves down 2-1 at the first intermission.
The Condors evened the scored when Currie scored his sixth goal of the season at the 7:04 mark of the second period. On the play ‘Cuda defenseman Nick DeSimone was injured when he fell awkwardly into the boards in a battle with Malone. DeSimone was able to stay in the game. Benson received the primary assist on the goal.
Bakersfield gained their first lead of the game on a four-on-three power play. Tomas Jurco found Malone on a back door pass all alone and he tapped the puck into an empty net for his fourth goal of the season at the 11:40 mark. Malone ended the evening with a four-point game.
Benson scored his second of the night on another power play goal for Bakersfield. Caleb Jones sent a pass over to Benson and his shot rang off the post and into the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season at the 15:06 mark.
The Condors out shot the ‘Cuda 10-7 in the middle frame as they scored three unanswered goals.
Bakersfield iced the game early in the period when a ‘Cuda turnover led to Kailer Yamamoto feeding Colby Cave, who wristed a shot past Korenar for his second goal of the season at the 3:18 mark.
Maxim Letunov stuffed home a rebound from a shot by Antti Suomela shot between the five-hole of Skinner for his team-leading fourth goal of the season at the 9:37 mark.
Benson completed the hat trick with an empty net goal with 37 seconds left in the game.
Skinner finished the game with 18 saves on 21 shots to earn his fifth victory of the season. Korenar made 20 saves on 26 shots in the losing effort.
GAME NOTES: San Jose was 1/6 on the power play. Bakersfield was 3/7. It was the second straight game San Jose has given up three power play goals.
Artem Ivanyuzhenkov made his debut for San Jose.
Johnny Brodzinki suffered an upper body injury early mid-way through the second period and did not return to the game.
Fisticuffs! Keaton Middleton and Anthony Peluso had a extended spirited fight late in the first period. DeSimone and Miles Koules also dropped the gloves in the third period.
The San Jose Sharks reassigned forward Lean Bergmann back to the Barracuda. He is expected to play tomorrow against San Diego.
UP NEXT: San Jose hosts the San Diego Gulls on Sunday, November 10 at 5:00 pm in SAP Center.
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