Bakersfield Condors Blank The Phoenix RoadRunners 6-0 Behind Jamie Hodson And Alex Kim In The ECHL

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MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com – PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jamie Hodson stopped 42 shots for his second consecutive shutout, and Alex Kim headed the offensive barrage with two goals and three assists as the Bakersfield Condors thumped the Phoenix RoadRunners, 6-0, in front of 2,987 at the US Airways Center Wednesday night. The win keeps the Condors in first place in the Pacific Division, percentage points ahead of Las Vegas, who knocked off Fresno in a shootout.

Hodson recorded the Condors first back-to-back shutouts since October of 1999, and has now gone 173:31 without giving up a goal.

“We came out and played a great hockey game,” said Condors head coach Marty Raymond. “We dominated the second and third period and played really smart. It was good to pick up two more points.”

Neither team was able to score in the first period. Phoenix had three power-play attempts, but Hodson made some key saves.

Bakersfield (37-13-10, 84 points) broke through with three goals in a span of 7:27 in the second period. Andrew Ianiero opened it up at 3:20 with his 16th of the year on a setup by Tyler Scott and Alexandre Bolduc.

Bolduc was involved again at 5:18, when he slid the puck between his legs to Alex Kim, who snapped it past Rudkowsky for his 10th as a Condor to make it 2- 0.

A little over five minutes later, on a power-play, Kevin Truelson scored for the fifth time in six games when he slammed in a cross-ice pass from Kevin St. Jacques to expand the lead to 3-0.

The Condors turned the same trick in the third period, this time three goals in 4:47. Bolduc got into the act when his shot fluttered past Cody Rudkowsky to make it 4-0.

Ianiero followed with his second of the night on a picture-perfect play by Bolduc and Kim at 9:31 to increase the margin to 5-0.

Kim closed the scoring by banking the puck off Rudkowsky and into the net at 11:38 to make it 6-0.

Phoenix (25-31-5, 55 points) tried desperately to spoil Hodson’s shutout in the waning moments, but was unable to push one across the line, and suffered their second straight blanking after Texas turned the trick on them Thursday night.

Notes: Bakersfield is now 21-3-7 in 2007, and 13-1-5 in the last 18 games. The Condors are now 5-0-2 on the road trip and 3-0-1 against Phoenix this season.

Bakersfield reduced their magic number for clinching home ice advantage in at least the first round of the playoffs to 11 points with the win and the Falcons shootout loss. Any combination of points the Condors get and the Fresno Falcons don’t that totals 11 guarantees Bakersfield home ice in round one of the postseason. The Condors also knocked their magic number for clinching at least the third seed in the National Conference to 14 points. Any combination of points Bakersfield amasses and the Idaho Steelheads don’t that totals 14 guarantees the Condors the third seed in the National Conference.