GAME 5 PREVIEW

The Bakersfield Condors and San Diego Gulls play Game 5 of the Pacific Division Finals as the series shifts back to Bakersfield. The road team took the first three games of the series. It is a must win for the Condors who look to extend the series to San Diego for Game 6 on Monday.

Bakersfield had two veteran d-men in Ryan Stanton and Keegan Lowe record goals, but San Diego took a 3-1 series lead last night with a 4-2 win. G Jeff Glass stopped 26 of 28 and C Adam Cracknell had two goals.

The Condors jumped out to a 3-1 lead early in the second period when D Ethan Bear scored his second of the postseason. San Diego scored three conseuctive to nab its first lead at 4-3. LW Joe Gambardella completed a hat trick late in the second period to tie it at 4-4 into the second intermission. The Gulls scored twice in the opening 10 minutes of the third and led 6-4. C Brad Malone, who finished with four points (1g-3a), brought the Condors within one with nin minutes left. In the waning moments, LW Tyler Benson (1g-2a) scored his first of the postseason to tie it with 10.5 seconds left. D William Lagesson ended the game, 33 seconds into overtime, with his second of the playoffs.

San Diego led 2-0 after two periods before D Ethan Bear’s first of the playoffs brought the Condors back in the game at 2-1 early in the third period. It would be as close as the Condors would get however as Isac Lundestrom’s insurance marker put the game out of reach. The Gulls added an empty-net goal for a 4-1 Game 2 win.

The Condors could not hold a 2-1 lead after two periods and Game 1 ventured into overtime. And another overtime. And another overtime. And another overtime until RW Maxime Comtois ended the fifth longest game in AHL history at 4:20 of the fourth OT. The game went 124:20 in total.

Bakersfield’s blueliners have been offensive in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Of the 26 goals scored by the team, 10 have come from d-men including a game-winner from Logan Day in Game 1 of the first round and William Lagesson in overtime of Game 3 on Wednesday.

With 11 points (4g-7a) through eight games, C Brad Malone is second in the Calder Cup Playoffs scoring race. He has four multi-point games, including four points (1g-3a) in Game 3 of the Pacific Division Finals.

LW Joe Gambardella recorded a playoff hat trick, the first in team history, and his five points in Game 3 were the most in a single game for a Condors player, regular or postseason (3g-2a).

RW Tyler Benson went pointless in the opening three games of the playoffs but has five points (1g-4a) in the last five games.