GAME PREVIEW: Condors v Texas

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CONDORSTOWN, Calif. – The Bakersfield Condors (22-20-5-1, .521) host the Texas Stars (24-25-1-2, .490) on Mardi Gras Night on Dignity Health Home Ice at Rabobank Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. with doors opening for happy hour at 6 p.m. There will be Hurricanes available for purchase and beads will be given away. The Condors sit in a playoff position with 20 games left in the regular season.
BROADCAST INFO
RADIO:  Fox Sports 970 AM
PHONE: iHeartRadio App
FOOD
Club Room:  Pork loin with chimichurri sauce, Coconut rice, Winter veggies, Mixed Salad
Tap Room: Taco Tuesday: Beef, chicken, carnitas, chips and salsa
DOWNLOAD THE CONDORS APP TO VOTE FOR WHO SCORES THE FIRST GOAL OF THE NIGHT: iTunes | Google Play
BAKERSFIELD MARRIOTT POST-GAME AUTOGRAPH BOOTH: Mark Fraser and Mark Fayne
TONIGHT
The Bakersfield Condors meet the Texas Stars for the fifth of six season matchups. After dropping the first seven games between the two clubs dating back to November 2015, the Condors have taken the last three in the season series, including a two-game sweep in Cedar Park in January.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Bakersfield won their third straight on Saturday in a 3-1 victory over Stockton. C Brodie Dupont staked the Condors to a 1-0 lead after forty minutes and C Anton Lander extended the lead to 2-0 with his 18th of the season in the third. After Stockton rallied to within one, RW Jesse Puljujarvi deflected home a point shot to give the team a 3-1 final. G Nick Ellis stopped 24 in the win.
Texas dropped their fifth straight on Sunday afternoon in a 4-1 loss to Stockton. C Ethan Werek scored the lone goal for the Stars. G Justin Peters stopped 24 of 27 in the loss.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
Bakersfield enters tonight in a playoff position for the first time since game two of the regular season on October 21 in Winnipeg. The team they are tied with for the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division, Tucson, hosts San Diego tonight before embarking on a five-game road trip.
LANDER NAMED AHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
C Anton Lander garnered AHL Player of the Week honors after his five points (2g-3a) propelled the team to back-to-back home wins. Lander paces the club with 18 games in 22 games and his 30% shooting percentage is tops in the AHL.
CONDORS NOTES
G Nick Ellis, who won in relief on Friday, has won three straight decisions. It is the first time a Condors goaltender has done that this season… RW Jesse Puljujarvi (2g-3a) and C Anton Lander (3g-5a) are each on four-game point streaks. Puljujarvi had a team-high seven shots on Saturday… Bakersfield is 15-8-2 on home ice this season.
STARS NOTES
C Travis Morin is 19th in the AHL in scoring with 43 points (18g-25a)… D Dustin Stevenson is second among d-men with 106 penalty minutes… The Stars are ninth in goals-per-game at 3.08… G Justin Peters has started nine of 11 since being acquired from Tucson.
KEY MATCHUPS
Tonight
San Diego @ Tucson
Wednesday
Texas @ San Jose
Ontario @ Stockton
Friday
Tucson @ San Diego
TRANSACTIONS
2/23 – C Zach Pochiro recalled from Norfolk (ECHL)
2/23 – LW Brodie Dupont signed to PTO
2/22 – D Ben Betker assigned to Norfolk (ECHL)
2/20 – D Mikael Tam assigned to Norfolk (ECHL)
2/19 – D Jordan Oesterle assigned from Edmonton (NHL)