Matchup: Bakersfield Condors at Idaho Steelheads. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 7 PM at Qwest Arena.
One versus two: The matchup represents the top two teams in the ECHL’s National Conference with Idaho leading the race for a first-round bye. Bakersfield is close behind, though, thanks to strong goaltending from Timo Pielmeier and the scoring of Stephane Goulet and Andrew Ianiero. The Condors are trying to hold off Stockton in the Pacific Division race, while Idaho has to keep its eye on Victoria down the stretch in the West Division.
Facing his old team: High-scoring forward Mark Derlago has only gotten two chances to face his former squad so far this season (he played in Bakersfield the past two seasons before coming to Idaho this season) but he made the Condors pay. In two key Idaho wins in Bakersfield, Derlago scored two goals and handed out four assists. For the season, Derlago is among the leading scorers in the entire ECHL.
The Idaho Steelheads’ (37-13-5) saw their three-game winning streak and four-game unbeaten-in-regulation streak snapped at the hands of the Pacific Division-leading Bakersfield Condors (31-19-5), who emerged with a 3-1 win over Idaho tonight at Qwest Arena. Evan Barlow’s seven-game goal scoring streak also ended with the defeat.
After a scoreless first period, Andrew Ianiero scored to put Bakersfield on top after some tic-tac-toe passing on the power play; Brendan Milnamow was serving a slashing penalty for the Steelheads. The goal came at 4:00 of the second period.
At 10:46 of the second period, Mathieu Aubin found a puck in the slot after Bakersfield defenseman Ken Morin had an attempt blocked. Aubin fired a turnaround backhand shot that found its way through traffic, and into the net to give the Condors a 2-0 edge.
The Steelheads had life in the third period when Mark Derlago popped a puck home from the top of the crease on the power play, his 28th, assisted by John Swanson and Marty Flichel. However, Bakersfield would counter when Stephane Goulet scored an empty-netter for the Condors.
Rejean Beauchemin suffers the loss for Idaho; he stopped 15 of 17 shots, and is now 21-8-2. Tyler Sims improved to 2-3-1 for the Condors; he stopped 36 of 37.
The Steelheads and Condors are back in action at Qwest Arena on Friday night. The puck drops at 7:10 PM.