 |
| POWER
PLAY |
10TH
- 18.3 |
| PENALTY
KILL |
21ST
- 79.7 |
| FORWARDS |
| TIM
KONSORADA |
34-34-68
(-5) |
| BRETT
LUTES |
22-40-62
(-11) |
| ANDREW
IANIERO |
18-44-62
(-2) |
| DEFENSEMEN |
| KEVIN
TRUELSON |
13-33-46
(+9) |
| MARTIN
FRECHETTE |
0-26-26
(-3) |
| LESLIE
REAGAN |
4-15-19
(+4) |
| GOALTENDERS |
| YATAKA
FUKUFUJI |
18-18-0
(1 SO)
.3.39 GA
.899 PCT |
|
| -- |
--
--
-- |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
Bakersfield
vs Victoria |
|
|
SCHEDULE |
| 1 |
APR.
10 |
BAKERSFIELD
1 - VICTORIA 1
(OT) |
SEED
7 |
2 |
APR.
12 |
BAKERSFIELD
3 - VICTORIA 4 |
SEED
2 |
26-37-2
(51) |
3 |
APR.
15 |
VICTORIA
3 - BAKERSFIELD 2 (OT) |
42-23-4
(91) |
| |
4 |
APR.
16 |
VICTORIA
4 - BAKERSFIELD
1 |
|
| |
5 |
APR.
19 |
VICTORIA
4 - BAKERSFIELD 5 |
|
| |
6 |
APR.
22 |
BAKERSFIELD
5 - VICTORIA 6 (OT) |
|
| |
7 |
APR.
23 |
BAKERSFIELD
at VICTORIA |
|
| Victoria Wins Series 4-2 |
|
SERIES
PREVIEW |
| |
Los
Angeles, CA - This best of seven National Conference
Quarterfinals will begin in Canada, as the Bakersfield
Condors battle the Victoria Salmon Kings on Thursday,
April 11th at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in British
Columbia.
Victoria ended the regular season with 91 points and edged out the 2007 Kelly Cup Champions Idaho Steelheads by one point for the West Division title. Bakersfield turned their standing around in the last five weeks from possibly not earning a playoff berth to placing seventh in the National Conference at the end of the regular season with a strong playoff run.
Series Overview:
This will be Victoria’s second straight postseason appearance since joining the ECHL back in 2004-05 season. Bakersfield has two additional postseason appearance experiences and this will be their fourth straight run for the coveted Kelly Cup.
The Salmon Kings last 10 games of the regular season ended with 6-2-1-1 record while the Condors ended with a 7-3-0-0 record. In their last game against each other in the regular season, Bakersfield beat Victoria, 6-3 back on March 28th.
Offensive Power:
Victoria’s Wes Goldie holds the most goals scored with 42 goals (19 assists, 61 total points) in the regular season while his younger brother, Ash Goldie, holds the second most goals scored with 40 goals (44 assists, 84 total points) and Jordan Krestanovich ended the regular season with 65 points (13 goals and 52 assists).
Victoria however does not have the upper hand on the offensive power as Bakersfield has their own scoring machines in the likes of Tim Konsorada with 34 goals and 34 assists (68 total points), Brett Lutes with 22 goals and 40 assists (62 total points) and an outstanding rookie, Mark Derlago (39 goals, 18 assists, 57 total points), who held third position in most goals scored in the league right behind the Goldies.
Overall Power Play percentage for Victoria was 20.7% and Bakersfield with 18.3% goal conversion rate.
Defensive Strength:
Both teams have at least one offensive defensemen on their active roster. Kevin Truelson of Bakersfield held third place with most points amongst the defensemen in the league with 46 points (13 goals and 33 assists) while Gary Gladue of Victoria held seventh place with 42 points (5 goals and 37 assists).
In regards to goaltending Bakersfield is definitely at a disadvantage as they enter the playoffs run with one netminder Yutaka Fukufuji while Victoria has a strong goaltending tandem with Julien Ellis and Billy Thompson having a combined wins of 42 games during the regular season.
Overall Penalty Kill percentage for Victoria was at 84.9% while Bakersfield held off opponents at 79.7% of the time from scoring.
Prediction:
Victoria in seven.
Even though the Condors had an impressive turn around at the end of the regular season, the playoffs run with only one solid goaltender minding the net will be a large hurdle for the dark-horse team to take the first series in the quarterfinals. |
|
| Game
1 |
Bakersfield
2 - Victoria 1 (OT) |
|
PROHOCKEYNEWS.COM |
Bakersfield
Leads Series 1-0 |
Victoria,
BC - Kevin Truelson became the night's hero for Bakersfield when his shot with just 1:55 expired in overtime allowed the Condors to steal home ice from the Salmon Kings.
Truelson's goal was set up with assists from Jay Langager and Andrew Ianiero and came with Victoria's Ash Goldie in the penalty box for slashing. Victoria had a chance on the power play earlier in overtime due to carryover from Mark Derlago's holding penalty late in the third period, but they could not defeat Bakersfield netminder Yutaka Fukufuji.
Derlago was a hero earlier in the contest as he bagged an unassisted goal before some of the crowd of 5,008 in Victoria were even in their seats. Derlago, who was recently returned to the Condors by Manitoba (AHL), notched his goal just 43 seconds after the opening face-off.
The two clubs went back and forth after Derlago's goal with Victoria's Billy Thompson (34 saves) and Fukufuji (39 stops) matching each other save for save.
Victoria finally pulled even when Kevin Estrada scored with 9:51 gone in the third period with assists from the Goldie brothers, Wes and Ash.
The two clubs will continue their best-of-seven series when they take each other on again in Canada on Saturday evening. |
|
| Game
2 |
Bakersfield
2 - Victoria 3 |
| by
Linda Morgan Davis - PROHOCKEYNEWS.COM |
Series
Tied 1-1 |
Victoria,
BC - Heavily favored and looking to avoid another letdown the Victoria Salmon Kings shook off the Condors in the third period and took control of the game with a three-goal outburst in the final stanza.
The 4-3 victory for the Kings evened the series at one game apiece and breathed life into the club and the fans at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Center.
Through two periods the Condors held a 3-1 lead and seemed poised to claim their second road win in two chances in Victoria.
Chris DiUbaldo got the scoring started in the first period off assists from Eric Sonnenberg and Alexander Naurov. It was not until early in the second that the Kings got on the board when Ryan Wade connected for the equalizer from Wes Goldie and Brady Leavold.
Bakersfield reclaimed the lead on a goal by Andrew Ianiero less than two minutes later. Naurov popped in a powerplay goal to give the Condors a seemingly solid 3-1 lead going into the final period.
The Condors’ power play unit let them down Saturday night as the Salmon Kings’ Ryan Wade collected two shorthanded goals on the same power play to knot the score at three. The two goals gave Wade a hat trick on the night and earned the first star of the night.
Centerman Chris St Jacques then potted the game winner at 16:30 of the period to close the scoring and preserve the game for the Kings.
On the night, the Kings were scoreless in seven power play chances and will need to pick up that end of their game in this series. The Condors were one for five with the man advantage but yielded the two shorthanded goals to Wade in the third.
The best of seven series now shifts to Bakersfield where the Kings hope to regain home ice and continue the third period effort from Saturday night.
Contact the writer at lm.davis@prohockeynews.com.
|
|
| Game
3 |
Victoria
3 - Bakersfield 2 (OT) |
|
PROHOCKEYNEWS.COM |
Victoria Leads Series 2-1 |
Bakersfield,
CA - Victoria's affiliation with the Vancouver Canucks paid off in spades when Marc-Andre Bernier, a 2003 second round draft choice of the Canucks, lifted a backhander over Bakersfield goaltender Yutaka Fukufuji just 2:51 into overtime.
The goal came off a flurry that saw Ryan Wade nearly bag the winner but was stymied by an amazing leg save by Fukufuji. Unfortunately for the Condors the rebound found itself on the stick of Bernier and Bernier did not miss.
Victoria's win gives them an edge in a series which has been much closer than expected. The game see-sawed back and forth as Victoria would move ahead and Bakersfield would tie them. The only difference in the game was when Victoria scored in overtime and by rule the game was officially over.
The Salmon Kings enjoyed a two-goal effort from Dylan Yeo. Yeo opened the scoring in the first period with Ash Goldie picking up the first of his two assists on the night. Bakersfield's Kevin Truelson scored about a period later on the power play to draw his club even.
Yeo put his club up again once more in the third period with his second power play goal of the night. The score would stand until Tim Konsorada talled the game-tying goal late in the third period, which in turn made in Bernier's turn to end the contest.
Game four of the series is set to be played in California on Thursday evening. |
|
Game
4 |
Victoria
4 - Bakersfield 1 |
| by
Lou Lafrado - PROHOCKEYNEWS.COM |
Victoria
Leads Series 3-1 |
Bakersfield,
CA - For the better part of 40 minutes on Wednesday night game four in this series was no different from any of the other three contests. Tense, tight checking, good goaltending, and smart play.
At 18:20 of the second period Dylan Yeo scored his third goal of the series off a feed from Ryan Wade to give the Salmon Kings a 2-1 lead. Then with 27 seconds left in the frame Darryl Lloyd converted a precise two on one rush and potted a feed from Chris St Jacques.
The two quick strikes took the air out of the Condors and their fans and left the Salmon Kings with momentum heading into the second intermission and third period.
The game started with the 'Kings launching 20 shots on goal in the first and could muster one goal as Yutaka Fukufuji turned aside all but one. Bakersfield tied the match at one when Andrew Ianiero picked up his second of the series at 13:13 of the second on the powerplay.
Wes Goldie closed out the scoring in the 14th minute of the third to put an exclamation point on the game.
The Salmon Kings have an opportunity to close out the Condors in California on Saturday night and move on to the second round.
Contact the author at lou.lafrado@prohockeynews.com.
|
|
Game
5 |
Victoria
4 - Bakersfield 5 |
| by
Lou Lafrado - PROHOCKEYNEWS.COM |
Victoria
Leads Series 3-2 |
Bakersfield,
CA - In what has become an exceptionally entertaining
series, the Condors of Bakersfield have forced a game
six and a return to Victoria. The Salmon Kings have been
unable to shake off the Condors and now must do so on
home ice.
On Saturday night, the Condors’ Brett Lutes picked up
an early powerplay goal and set the tone for the Condors
the rest of the evening. Andrew Ianiaero notched his third
marker of the series and the two Condors sandwiched the
Kings’ Dylan Yeo’s powerplay goal to give the Condors
a 2-1 lead after the firs period. For Yeo it was his fourth
of the series.
In the second, the Kings came out hard took a 3-2 on goals
by Ash Goldie and Ryan Wade. But a late letdown by the
Salmon Kings led to the Condors tying goal at 18:41 by
Eric Sonnenberg.
Wes Goldie gave the Kings a 4-3 lead at the 10:41 mark
of the third before the Condors applied great pressure
knowing their season was on the line.
Center Ryan Salvis scored his first goal of the series
at the 11:28 mark of the third period and tied the score
at four. Mark Derlago closed out the scoring at 14:43
with the game winner. Derlago was named the game’s first
star for his dramatic efforts in the closing minutes to
send this series back to Victoria.
Yutaka Fukufuji was brilliant in net in backstopping the
Condors and making 35 saves on 39 shots in the game. For
his efforts Fukufuji was the second star of the game.
The Salmon Kings now have two home games to close out
the series. They are ill-advised to treat game six lightly.
The Condors have confidence heading to Victoria where
they know they can win.
Contact the author at lou.lafrado@prohockeynews.com.
|
|
Game
6 |
Bakersfield
5 - Victoria 6 (OT) |
| by
Lou Lafrado - PROHOCKEYNEWS.COM |
Victoria
Leads Series 3-2 |
Victoria,
BC - There are not two clubs that could have played a more exciting, intense and close series as these two did. On Tuesday night the Salmon Kings escaped the Condors with a 6-5 series clinching victory and sent the Condors home and the 'Kings on to the next round of the ECHL playoffs.
Ash Goldie picked up the puck off a rebound from a shot from Kevin Estrada and beat Yutaka Fukufuji for the game winner at 7:59. For Goldie it was his third goal of the series.
Want to know just how difficult this series was for the Salmon Kings? Over 67:59 of playing time on Tuesday night the Kings launched a total of 61 shots on goal and won by one goal. Fukufuji was brilliant in net in keeping the Condors in the game and forcing overtime. In fact, Fukufuji was named the third star of the game for his 55 saves on the night.
The Condors were only able to muster a total of 25 shots on goal but were significantly more efficient in scoring than were the Kings. Bakersfield was one for six on the powerplay while the Kings were one for five.
This was a series that might well have gone in either
direction. At no time in the six-game series were the
Salmon Kings able to shake the Condors for more than a
minute or two in each game. For the Salmon Kings they
are almost certainly thankful a Game 7 is not necessary.
.
Contact the author at lou.lafrado@prohockeynews.com.
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| POWER
PLAY |
3RD
- 20.7 |
| PENALTY
KILL |
5TH
- 84.9 |
| FORWARDS |
| ASH
GOLDIE |
40-43-83
(-2) |
| J.
KRESTANOVICH |
13-52-65
(-19) |
| WES
GOLDIE |
42-16-61
(-8) |
| DEFENSEMEN |
| GARY
GLADUE |
5-37-42
(-11) |
| PATRICK
COULOMBE |
8-22-30
(-1) |
| DYLAN
YEO |
10-18-28
(+4) |
| GOALTENDERS |
| JULIEN
ELLIS |
24-11-2
(2 SO)
3.18 GA
.908 PCT |
|
| BILLY
THOMPSON |
12-2-0
(2 SO)
3.24 GA
.907 PCT |
|
|
|
