Condors shoot blanks in 4-1 loss to Stockton
| Wednesday, Feb 01 2012 10:49 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Feb 01 2012 11:27 PM
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Bakersfield's Aaron Lewadniuk gets his stick on the puck with Stockton's Brock Matheson on his back during the first period of their game at Rabobank Arena on Wednesday night in Bakersfield.
Bakersfield's Evan Trupp cuts the puck back against the defense of Stockton's Max Campbell during the first period of their game at Rabobank Arena on Wednesday night.
Bakersfield's Chris Kushneriuk cuts toward the net against the defense of Stockton's Sebastian Owuya while Max Campbell watches, left, and goalie Olivier Roy gets ready to make a save during the first period of their game at the Rabobank Arena on Wednesday night.
Stockton's goalie Olivier Roy gets an ice shower from teammate Ian O'Connor after making a save on a loose puck that O'Connor and Bakersfield's Casey Pierro-Zabotel were contesting during the first period of their game at Rabobank arena on Wednesday night.
The tone was set early -- the Condors failing to score despite firing 19 first-period shots -- and the Stockton Thunder connecting on it's only quality scoring chance in the period.
The Thunder went to a 4-1 victory Wednesday night at Rabobank Arena, dimming the already dim playoff hopes of a team that just can't find ways to win.
The Condors set a season high for shots with 56, while allowing just 28 to the Thunder.
"Fifty-six shots, what are you supposed to say," said Condors coach Matt O'Dette. "And we missed the net quite a few times. There could have been 65 shots. It seems like pucks were just trickling by empty nets, guys just couldn't get their sticks on it with wide-open opportunities.
"It would be alarming if we didn't get chances. But that's not the case."
What's alarming is the Condors (10-30-4) have just two wins over their last 10 games and keep sliding farther and farther into the dark recesses of the ECHL Western Conference cellar.
Chris D'Alvise scored Stockton's first goal midway through the first period when he got past a Bakersfield defender and had the puck bounce off another defender's skates and onto his stick.
Two goals in a span of 38 seconds in the second period put the game out of reach for the Condors, who have scored just one goal in four of their last five games.
Chris Doyle beat Matt Keetley at 7:42 and Kevin Baker finished an odd-man rush at 8:20.
Stockton's final goal came with 1:18 left in the period when Doyle scored on a two-man advantage.
"They had chances," Odette said of the Thunder goals. "They were few and far between, but they scored on them. You can't go down on a 5-on-3. That was a no-brainer there. That was a gimme goal for them, a full two-minute 5-on-3."
Olivier Roy stopped 55 shots to improve his record to 3-1 against the Condors and the one that got by him didn't even come off a stick. It came off the blade of Jesse Gimblett's skate as he followed his shot to the net and had the rebound hit his skate blade as he was sliding to a stop.
That came 3:46 into the third period and kept Roy from his fourth shut out of the season.
"You gotta give their goalie credit," O'Dette said. "Bust ad for the full body of work as far as the game was concerned, I think we had the better of the play.
"But once again we get no points out of it."
Notes
* Rookie Alex Hudson left today for Manchester, N.H. for a stint in the American Hockey League with the Monarchs, the affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings. "He was on their radar before they saw him play in Ontario, and they want to take a look at him," Condors coach Matt O'Dette said. Hudson has a goal and an assist in 11 games with the Condors.
* The Condors conclude a six-game home stand against the Colorado Eagles on Friday and Saturday nights.
