Game 1 of the Kelly Cup ECHL playoffs is in the books, a 3-1 win for the Victoria Salmon Kings over the Bakersfield Condors Monday night. Both teams are right back at it tonight for Game 2 of the best-of-five series, 7:05 p.m. at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
The Salmon Kings set a team playoff record with 24 shots in the first period but only managed one goal on Condors' goalie Brian Stewart.
Milan Gajic opened the scoring Monday night 9:23 into the first, corralling a Kiel McLeod rebound.
Bakersfield had their chances to tie with a 5-on-3 powerplay that carried into the second period but the Salmon Kings penalty killers outlasted the disadvantage.
Later in the second period, Condors’ captain Andrew Ianiero stole the puck in the neutral zone and went in on a breakaway. Salmon Kings goalie David Shantz won the battle as Ianiero fired the puck just outside of the post.
Rookie Chad Klassen scored his first professional goal in his second pro game on a one-timer during the Salmon Kings' powerplay to start the third period.
Five minutes later Chad Painchaud converted a 2-on-1 pass from Rob Hennigar, one-timing it for the 3-0 lead.
With Ryan Turek and Kiel McLeod in the penatly box for the Kings with 90 seconds remaining in the game, the Condors goalie pulled their goalie and Guillaume Lefebvre scored to make it 3-1.