With only 10 games left in the regular season and time quickly running out before it is pencils down for the Texas Stars, they set out for their final trip through California with hopes of taking a big step to clinching their spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
They stumbled on that first step of the trip, falling to the Bakersfield Condors 4-3 Friday night at Dignity Health Arena.
Texas' defense corps provided the scoring all night for the Stars as Tristan Bertucci, Jeremie Poirier, and Luke Krys all scored from the back end, but it was not enough to complete the comeback.
The Stars found themselves down early after two crucial breakdowns in defensive coverage put them in a 2-0 hole.
James Hamblin skated into an open lane after a badly timed line change left him wide open for Condors captain Seth Griffith to find with a picture perfect pass to make it 1-0.
Bakersfield struck again after an extended stay in the Stars’ zone. Quinn Hutson was able to force a turnover from Trey Taylor that set up a sizzling cross-ice pass for Isaac Howard to eventually fire past Stars goaltender Remi Poirier to make it 2-0 at 11:42 of the first period.
The Stars would eventually find their footing toward the end of the first period and were back in the game when a point shot from Bertiucci got past a screened Calvin Pickard.
That momentum carried over into the second period when another shot from the blueline, this one from Jeremie Poirier, found the back of the net to make it 2-2.
28 seconds later, though, the Condors were back up on top when a net front scrum ended with Sam Poulin digging up a loose puck and putting Bakersfield back up 3-2. Bakersfield would make it 4-2 thanks to a shot from Viljami Marjala.
Krys put the Stars back into position to tie when he capped off a shorthanded rush to make it 4-3 at 14:31 of the third period, but Texas would not be able to get another puck past Pickard before the end of regulation time.
Texas will get another shot at the Condors Saturday night as they kick off the final 10-game stretch of the regular season.
Tonight’s lines
Hughes-Shlaine-Seminoff
Lind-Becker-Hryckowian
Stranges-Scott-McKenzie
Ertel-Hanas-Martino
Taylor-Krys
J. Poirier-Karow
Bertucci-Kolyachonok
R. Poirier
Injuries, scratches and notes
Hyry (callup)
Anderson, Minnetian, McDonald, Looft (scratch)
Wheatcroft, Tuomaala (injury)
Tonight’s attendance was 4,693.
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