Win Streak Ends in 6-5 Loss to Bakersfield
Apr 9, 2022
LOVELAND, CO. – Colorado forward Dylan Sikura scored a pair of goals, as four different Eagles registered multi-point efforts, but it wouldn’t be enough as Colorado fell to the Bakersfield Condors, 6-5 on Saturday. The loss also brought to an end the Eagles six-game winning streak. The Condors were led in the game by forward Adam Cracknell who notched two goals and an assist.
Colorado would strike just 32 seconds into the contest when Sikura buried a wrister from the slot to put the Eagles on top, 1-0. Bakersfield would then generate an answer just 1:04 later when Cracknell tucked a backhander from the top of the crease into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1.
Colorado would jump back on top when defenseman Jacob MacDonald beat Condors’ goaltender Ryan Fanti with a wrist shot from the left-wing circle to give Colorado a 2-1 advantage at the 4:29 mark of the first period.
Bakersfield would again find an answer when forward Graham McPhee collected a pass from behind the net in the low slot and blistered a shot past Eagles goalie Justus Annunen to knot the game at 2-2 with 10:50 left to play in the opening 20 minutes.
The Condors would build on the momentum when forward Luke Esposito dug out a loose puck in the crease and fed it home to give Bakersfield a 3-2 edge at the 14:20 mark of the opening frame.
A power play for the Condors would stretch their lead, as forward Seth Griffith snagged a cross-slot pass and banged it past Annunen to give Bakersfield a 4-2 advantage with 4:05 left in the period.
Still trailing 4-2 to begin the middle frame, Colorado would throw a bevy of shots the way of Fanti, outshooting the Condors 19-7 in the period. A scary moment would bring play to a halt when Bakersfield defenseman Phillip Kemp collided awkwardly into the corner and had to be stretchered off the ice. Kemp would get a standing ovation from the crowd as he gave a ‘thumbs up’ as he exited.
Colorado would finally bite into the deficit when forward Mikhail Maltsev bashed a rebound in the slot into the back of the net to trim the Condors lead to 4-3 at the 16:53 mark of the second stanza.
The momentum would quickly swing the other direction when Bakersfield defenseman Alex Peters skated down the left-wing boards before beating Annunen five-hole to put the Condors on top, 5-3 with only one second to play in the period.
The third period would see Hunter Miska take over in net for Annunen, who finished night with 19 saves on 24 shots. The final frame would also begin with a quick goal for the Eagles when Sikura tapped home a puck from the bottom of the left-wing circle to slice Bakersfield’s lead to 5-4 just 28 seconds into the period.
Cracknell would summon an answer 59 seconds later when he wired a shot from the left-wing circle through traffic, beating Miska and giving the Condors a 6-4 advantage.
Colorado would strike back on the rush when Martin Kaut dished a pass to the top of the crease and forward Jean-Luc Foudy directed it past Fanti to cut the deficit to 6-5 with 7:52 left to play in the contest.
The Eagles would earn a power play late in the contest and would pull Miska in favor of the extra attacker. Despite generating multiple chances, they would come no closer, falling by a final score of 6-5.
Colorado finished the night 0-for-4 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill, as the Eagles outshot the Condors 41-33.
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