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Mental mistakes sink Barracuda in loss to Condors

Despite firing a franchise high 42-shots on goal, the San Jose Barracuda made too many mental mistakes in their own zone that led to five goals in their 6-2 loss to the Bakersfield Condors (AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers) Sunday afternoon at SAP Center.

With the loss, the Barracuda fell to two games under .500 (3-5-1) and are 1-4-1 on home ice after wrapping up their five game home stand 1-3-1. Barracuda forwards Jeremy Langlois and Bryan Lerg, who was reassigned from the San Jose Sharks after their game Saturday night against the Anaheim Ducks, had the two scores.

Langlois scored his second goal in the Barracuda’s last three games just 35-seconds into the contest when he crashed the net and pushed the puck past Condors goaltender Laurent Brossoit for his second goal of the season. Langlois’ linemates Ryan Carpenter and Melker Karlsson had the assists on the goal, which was the fastest goal to start a game in the Barracuda’s brief history.

With the Barracuda on their first power play of the game, Condors forward Ryan Hamilton swept a backhanded shot through the wickets of Barracuda goaltender Aaron Dell to tie the game at 6:57 after Dell had moved the puck behind his own net to no one. The goal was Hamilton’s fourth of the season and the first shorthanded goal allowed by the Barracuda.

Five-and-a-half minutes later at 12:13, Condors forward Jujhar Khaira scored his second goal of the season when he flipped a backhanded shot from on top the crease past Dell after Barracuda defenseman Mark Cundari turned the puck over behind the net to Condors forward Mitch Moroz.

Lerg pulled the Barracuda even at 14:36 with his team leading fourth goal of the season off a rebound strike that saw Lerg crash the net and fire a quick shot past Brossoit after linemate John McCarthy’s backhanded shot on the left side had been stopped.

The game didn’t stay tied for long as another Barracuda turnover in their own zone, this time by McCarthy on the right side end wall, resulted in Condors forward Matthew Ford shoveling the puck past Dell from on the right side of the crease at 16:18 for his fifth goal of the season.

Looking to send a message to the Barracuda skaters, head coach Roy Sommer replaced Dell with Troy Grosenick to start the second period after Dell allowed three goals on 10 shot attempts but the goaltending change didn’t have the effect the Barracuda coaches and fans hoped for as the Condors extended their lead to 5-2 with two goals in the middle frame.

Condors defenseman David Musil, the son of retired NHL defenseman Frank Musil, pushed the lead to 4-2 at 5:15 with his first goal of the season off a snap shot from inside the left circle that beat Grosenick glove side after Barracuda forward Barclay Goodrow was unable to clear the puck out of the zone along the right side.

Nearly three minutes later at 8:11, Condors forward Kyle Platzer fired a snap shot from on top of the left circle that beat a screened Grosenick for a power play goal, Platzer’s first of the season, that was set-up by an own zone tripping penalty to Barracuda defenseman Mirco Mueller.

Though the Barracuda out-shot the Condors 14-7 in the third period, the only goal scored in the final frame was a garbage goal by Khaira with 87-seconds left in the game.

NOTES… Shots on goal were 42-32 in favor of the Barracuda… The Barracuda went 1-for-2 on the penalty kill and 0-for-4 on the power play… Dell is now 3-2-0 with a 2.62 goals-against-average and .914 save percentage… Grosenick made 19 saves on 22 shot attempts in 40-minutes of relief time. Grosenick now has a 3.21 goals-against-average and .903 save percentage… Karlsson played in back-to-back games for this first time this season… Barracuda forward Ryan Carpenter and defenseman Joakim Ryan had a game high six shots on goal each… Along with Lerg, Cundari and forward Nikolay Goldobin were reassigned to the Barracuda from the Sharks after the game against the Ducks last night… The Barracuda debuted their orange alternate jersey… This was the second of 12 meetings between the Barracuda and Condors this season… The Barracuda are 1-1-0 against the Condors… The Barracuda are back in action Wednesday night (Nov. 11) as they kick off a seven game road trip against the Ontario Reign with puck drop at 7pm/pt.

THREE STARS
1. Jujhar Khaira – Condors (2-0-2)
2. Mitch Moroz – Condors (0-2-2)
3. Laurent Brossoit – Condors (40 saves, win)

LINES
*In order of appearance*
Karlsson / Carpenter / Langlois
Goldobin / McCarthy (A) / Lerg (C)
Goodrow / Timmins / Parkes
Jevpalovs / Emanuelsson

DEFENSE
*In order of appearance*
Young / DeMelo (A)
Mueller / Ryan
Stollery / Bergman
Cundari

GOALIES
Dell
Grosenick

SCRATCHES
Arseneau
Crane
McLaren
McNally
Steffes

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