Eagles Tripped up in Bakersfield, 4-3
Feb 5, 2022
BAKERSFIELD, CA. – Bakersfield forward Graham McPhee scored the game-winning goal with 3:41 remaining in regulation, as the Condors defeated the Colorado Eagles, 4-3 on Saturday. Eagles forward Ryan Wagner posted a goal and an assist in the loss while Kiefer Sherwood and Mikhail Maltsev also found the back of the net for Colorado.
The Condors would net the game’s first goal when a 3-on-2 rush led to a cross-slot pass deflecting off the skates of Bakersfield forward Seth Griffith and into the back of the net, giving the Condors a 1-0 edge just 4:06 into the contest.
The advantage would grow later in the first period when Griffith fired a shot from the blue line that would weave its way through traffic and past Eagles goalie Justus Annunen to put Bakersfield on top, 2-0 with 7:32 remaining in the opening 20 minutes of play.
Colorado would finally stem the tide 1:04 later when Wagner snapped a wrister from the top of the left-wing circle that would light the lamp and trim the Condors lead to 2-1.
As time ticked down in the opening stanza, Sherwood would collect a centering feed in the low slot and hammer a one-timer past Bakersfield goalie Stuart Skinner to tie the game at 2-2 with only 15 seconds left in the period.
Still deadlocked at 2-2 to begin the middle frame, a power play for Colorado would keep the momentum rolling as Maltsev batted a loose puck in the crease out of midair and into the back of the net to give the Eagles a 3-2 edge at the 8:34 mark of the period.
The Condors would generate an answer in the final minutes of the second stanza when defenseman Michael Kesselring buried a wrister from the blue line to knot the game at 3-3 at the 17:37 mark. Bakersfield would go on to outshot Colorado 18-12 in the period and the two teams would head to the second intermission still tied at 3-3.
The third period saw each side exchange quality chances but a late rush down the ice for the Condors set up McPhee to spin around and tuck the puck past Annunen at the side of the net to put Bakersfield on top, 4-3 at the 16:19 mark of the final frame. The Eagles would pull Annunen in favor of the extra attacker but would draw no closer, as the Condors held on for the 4-3 victory.
Annunen suffered the loss in net, allowing four goals on 38 shots. Colorado was outshot in the contest 38-32, as the Eagles went 1-for-4 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
The Eagles will be back in action when they return home to take on the Tucson Roadrunners on Friday, February 11th at 7:05 pm MT at the Budweiser Events Center. Tickets for all regular-season games are on sale now and start at just $19. You can find more information on ticket packages, theme tickets, and promotional nights, by visiting ColoradoEagles.com or by calling the ticket department at (970) 686-7468.
