GAME PREVIEW: Condors host Stars
Renata’s Wet Burritos
Chips and Salsa
Shredded Chicken
The Bakersfield Condors face-off against the Texas Stars for the fourth time in eight games since Dec. 23, 2017. Bakersfield rides a five-game point streak in the season series (2-0-3) into tonight’s action and has a five-game point streak overall (3-0-2).
Bakersfield scored four unanswered to secure seven of a possible eight points on a four-game road trip with a 4-2 victory in Texas. RW Ty Rattie scored his team-leading 12th goal and sixth power-play goal in the second to pull the Condors within one. Then, after C Brad Malone scored his second shorthanded goal of the season, C Joe Gambardella notched the game-winner midway through the third period. G Nick Ellis stopped 38 of 40 to pick up the win.
Texas has just one win in their last six games following Saturday’s loss (1-3-2) and are 2-4-3 in their last nine games. LW Curtis McKenzie, who had two goals in Friday’s victory over Bakersfield, scored his team-leading 18th goal of the season. G Landon Bow made his second straight start and suffered his first loss against Bakersfield in four appearances, stopping 27 of 30.
In four of the previous five matchups with Texas, the Condors trailed in the third period, but secured at least a point. Twice (Nov. 2, Jan. 6) the Condors came back from two-goal deficits to secure two regulation wins.
The Condors have points in five straight (3-0-2), including securing seven of eight points on a four-game road trip. On the road, Bakersfield has just one regulation loss in their last 10 games (6-1-3, .750). After a three-game home stand, the team heads back on the road for another four-game road trip making it eight of 11 on the road during this stretch.
G Nick Ellis is 4-0-0 in five appearances against Texas in his career with a 2.39 GAA and .934 save percentage including one shutout (2/28/17, 28/28)… On home ice, Bakersfield is 5-3-4 (.583) in its last 12 home games… RW Ty Rattie was selected to the AHL All-Star Classic on Thursday, his second all-star selection… RW Iiro Pakarinen enters tonight’s contest on a four-game goal scoring streak, which is tied for the longest in the Condors AHL history.
Veteran Travis Morin recently became the 92nd player in AHL history to record his 500th point. He is tied for 4th in the AHL in scoring and leads the league in assists with 30… The Stars have been to overtime an AHL-high 14 times this season and their eight overtime victories are tops in the AHL. Three of those overtime victories have come at the hands of the Condors.