GAME 1 PREVIEW: Condors v Gulls

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CONDORSTOWN, Calif. –  The Bakersfield Condors (3-1) open the Pacific Division Finals on Dignity Health Home Ice at Rabobank Arena at 7 p.m. It is Game 1 of a best-of-seven series against the San Diego Gulls (3-1). Tickets for tonight’s contest are available by clicking here or at the Rabobank Arena Box Office which opens at 10 a.m. The Condors are third in the AHL in postseason attendance with an average of 7,167 a game.
Playoff Passes are on sale by clicking here. The Playoff Pass saves money off box office pricing, freezes your price for all games in every round, and guarantees your seat location to every game.
PROMOTION DETAILS: Game 1 of the Pacific Division Finals with rally towel giveaway and fans encouraged to arrive early with a large crowd expected.
The 2019 Condors Playoffs are presented by Adventist Health. 
Please allow extra time for arrival as metal detectors are at all entrances. Doors open at 6 p.m. (5:45 for Condors365 Members)
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TONIGHT
The Bakersfield Condors and San Diego Gulls open a best-of-seven Pacific Division Finals. Bakersfield was 4-4-2 against the Gulls during the regular season while San Diego went 6-3-1 against the Condors. San Diego was the lone team in the AHL to have a winning record in the regular season against Bakersfield. Over the final four games of the season series, the Condors went 3-0-1 against the Gulls.

HOW THEY GOT HERE
Bakersfield dispatched the Colorado Eagles in four games. After gaining a split on the road to open the series, Bakersfield won both in Bakersfield by a 5-2 count. C Brad Malone paced the Condors with five points (2g-3a) in the four games while D Evan Bouchard made his debut in Game 3 with three points (1g-2a). The 19-year old had a game-tying goal in the third period of Game 4 to help the Condors seal the series. G Shane Starrett started all four games for the Condors and stopped 84 of 93 shots.

San Diego also eliminated San Jose in four games, but did so on Wednesday, April 24. The Gulls won Game 1 in overtime at home, dropped Game 2, and then won both on the road in San Jose. G Jeff Glass, who came on in a relief victory of Game 1, ended up starting the next three games and stopped 99 of the 108 shots he faced. C Sam Steel (3g-3a) and C Sam Carrick (2g-4a) led the Gulls in scoring with six points each while C Chase De Leo had four goals in four games.

BACK END BOLSTERED
Defensively, the Condors were one of the top teams in the regular season at 2.68 goals against per game (4th). However, the defensive corps provided significant offense in the first round as all seven who saw action in the round recorded at least a point. D Evan Bouchard, who joined the lineup for Game 3, led the way with four points (2g-2a). D William Lagesson had three points (1g-2a), D Logan Day had a game-winning goal in Game 1, and D Caleb Jones led the group with a +4 first round.

THE CAPTAIN SHOWS THE WAY
D Keegan Lowe picked up the lone fighting major of the first round in addition to his strong work at both ends of the ice. He had three assists in four games, was +2 and had 13 penalty minutes.

RUSSELL FILLS THE STAT SHEET
RW Patrick Russell scored a game-winning shorthanded goal in Game 4 and filled up the stat sheet in the series. He had four points (2g-2a) in four games, was a team-leading +5, and paced the team with 11 shots.

OLD RIVALS, NEW ERA
It is the third different league the Condors and Gulls have faced off in and the fifth time they have met in the postseason. San Diego won all four previous postseason matchups in the West Coast Hockey League, with the final series coming in 2003.