The San Jose Barracuda showed exactly what resilience looks like on Saturday night, storming back from an early deficit to take down the Bakersfield Condors 5-3 at Tech CU Arena. It wasn’t just a win-it was a statement. Down for much of the first two periods, San Jose flipped the script in the third, rattling off three unanswered goals to seal a crucial victory in a tightly contested division race.
First Period: Trading Blows Early
San Jose got on the board first, capitalizing on some early Bakersfield penalty trouble. With two minors in the opening four minutes, the Condors handed the Barracuda an early power-play opportunity, and Oliver Wahlstrom didn’t waste it. At 5:28, Wahlstrom buried a man-advantage goal with assists from Igor Chernyshov and Filip Bystedt, giving San Jose a 1-0 lead.
But Bakersfield answered quickly-and emphatically. Just under four minutes later, with a power play of their own, Quinn Hutson found the back of the net at 9:03, assisted by Viljami Marjala and Seth Griffith. That tied things up at one apiece and set the tone for a physical, back-and-forth contest.
Late in the first, the Condors grabbed their first lead of the night. Damien Carfagna scored at 18:48, with Max Jones and Josh Samanski picking up the assists.
Despite San Jose outshooting Bakersfield 12-8 in the period and generating several quality looks, they went into the intermission trailing 2-1. Both teams weren’t shy about getting physical either, with penalties for tripping, holding, and roughing keeping the referees busy.
Second Period: Trading Punches
San Jose came out of the locker room with purpose. Just 1:53 into the second, Cam Lund evened the score at 2-2, finishing off a setup from Jimmy Huntington. The Barracuda kept the pressure on, firing 19 shots on goal in the period and keeping Bakersfield’s defense on its heels.
But Bakersfield wasn’t done. At 8:48, Josh Brown reclaimed the lead for the Condors, assisted by James Hamblin and Riley Stillman.
The Condors even had a chance to extend that lead late in the period when Max Jones was awarded a penalty shot at 17:01. But San Jose netminder Laurent Brossoit came up big, turning aside the attempt and keeping it a one-goal game.
Despite trailing 3-2 heading into the third, San Jose had tilted the ice in their favor. They were generating more shots, controlling possession, and drawing penalties.
Head coach John McCarthy summed it up postgame: “We carried the play, which was good.” The score didn’t reflect it yet, but the momentum was starting to shift.
Third Period: Barracuda Take Over
That shift became undeniable early in the third. At 2:23, Jimmy Huntington tied the game at 3-3, finishing off a feed from Egor Afanasyev and Mattias Havelid. It was the kind of high-energy, net-crashing goal that can swing a game-and it did.
The go-ahead moment came with just under five minutes to play. Colin White, in the right place at the right time, buried the go-ahead goal at 15:15, with Afanasyev and Nolan Allan collecting the assists. White’s tally would stand as the game-winner, and McCarthy made sure to point out his impact: “He scored some big goals for us.”
With Bakersfield pressing late and pulling their goalie, San Jose sealed the deal. Igor Chernyshov iced the game with an empty-netter at 19:40, capping off the comeback and sending the home crowd into celebration mode.
A Win That Means More
This wasn’t just a win-it was a blueprint. The Barracuda showed they can take a punch, regroup, and come back swinging. They outshot Bakersfield in every period (12-8 in the first, 19-10 in the second, 12-8 in the third), controlled play for long stretches, and got contributions up and down the lineup.
Colin White’s game-winner was the headline, but the supporting cast was just as important. Egor Afanasyev had a pair of assists in the third.
Jimmy Huntington played a key role offensively. And Chernyshov, returning to the lineup, made his presence felt with both a helper and the empty-net dagger.
In a division where every point matters, this was a critical two points. San Jose not only kept pace in the playoff hunt-they gained confidence and momentum heading into a stretch of home games. If they can bottle what they did in that third period, the Barracuda could be a tough out down the stretch.