Sense of urgency
| Tuesday, Mar 25 2008 01:41 AM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 08:43 PM
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Felix Adamo / The Californian Fresno Falcon Kenny Bernard is flattened at mid-ice by Bakersfield's David Kudelka in the first period at Rabobank Arena.
By MIKE GRIFFITH
Californian staff writer
e-mail: mgriffith@bakersfield.com
Perhaps it's time for fans to break out the "We Still Believe" signs.
The Condors apparently do.
After months of saying they were going to make the ECHL playoffs, the Condors are now playing like a team determined to get there.
Five players scored and and Yutaka Fukufuji stopped 36 shots as the Condors rolled over the Fresno Falcons 6-2 Monday night at Rabobank Arena before 4,602.
The Condors, who have five games remaining, are tied with Stockton and Phoenix for seventh in the National Conference, where the top eight teams advance to the playoffs. Stockton, with seven games left, has three more wins than Bakersfield and based on winning percentage is seventh. Phoenix and Bakersfield are tied with 22 wins but Phoenix has one more game than Bakersfield to play and is a couple of percentage points up on Bakersfield.
"We've won three of four and are getting hot at the right time," said Andrew Ianiero, who had a goal and two assists. "Fuj is the cornerstone of our team right now and our defense is playing great."
Fukufuji stopped 32 shots in a 3-0 win at Fresno on Saturday night.
Leading 1-0 on the strength of a first-period goal by Tim Konsorada, the game turned in a matter of seconds early in the second period when Fukufuji made a huge point-blank save at the 40-second mark. Steve Slonina gobbled up the loose in the puck and started an up-ice rush which ended with Andrew Ianiero scoring off a feed from Kevin Truelson.
A near 1-1 game turned into a 2-0 Condors lead in a span of 16 seconds and the Condors were on a roll.
"We've talked about goaltending all year and this is what (good) goaltending can do," Condors coach Marty Raymond said. "When you get the big saves the team gets confidence and it's uplifting. That's what Fuji did tonight. He's had two solid games in a row."
Chris Di Ubaldo scored a power-play goal at 5:03 and 49 seconds later it was 4-0 as defenseman Jay Langager finished an up-ice rush.
That was it for Fresno starting goaltender Jake Moreland, who skated to the bench and called it a night after giving up the four goals on 11 shots.
Fukufuji continued his stellar play in the second half of the period, stopping back-to-back point-blank shots with 5:55 left as well as a slap shot 40 seconds later.
Once again, the Condors responded to the big saves as Konsorada got his second goal from an impossibly bad angle -- the goal line below the right circle.
The Condors took a 6-0 lead 14 seconds into the third period on a goal by Steve Slonina.
Fukufuji lost his bid for a second straight shutout when a puck deflected off Kenny Bernard's skate at 8:58. The Falcons added a power-play goal by Matt Stefanishion with 1:31 remaining.
Notes
The Condors organization, as well as coach Marty Raymond, were fined an undisclosed amount by the league on Monday as the result of the actions of winger Jason Kostadine during Saturday night's game against Fresno. Kostadine received a two-game suspension and was also fined as he came off the bench on a line change and immediately went after Fresno's Josh Ciocco, making no attempt to join the play after Ciocco had roughed up Jay Langager.
The Condors could have another youngster in the lineup on Friday as Tylor Michel, a four-year player at Wayne State University (Detroit), is awaiting processing of immigration. Michel had 61 points in 123 games at Wayne State.
