Bakersfield bops Alaska

A lot of them probably didn't want Anchorage's own Evan Trupp to be the guy wearing a winner's grin at evening's end.

Despite a storybook start for the Alaska Aces and returning star Chris Langkow, Trupp and the rest of the Bakersfield Condors earned a decisive 4-1 ECHL hockey win in front of an announced crowd of 4,921.

Langkow, who had been in the American Hockey League before returning to the Aces this week, scored 36 seconds into play in his first game since suffering a concussion four months ago.

But the Aces (33-14-6), despite totaling a hefty 50 shots on goal on their first game at home after an 11-game road trip, couldn't build on the early lead and lost in regulation for the ninth time in 14 games.

"We do expect more out of ourselves and I'm sure our fans expect more out of us as well," Aces captain Brian Swanson said. "We've been trying a lot of different things, but it's just not happening."

The same can't be said for Bakersfield, which sits in last place in the Western Conference. The Condors improved to 14-32-5 and snapped a six-game losing streak against Alaska.

Anchorage's Trupp, who starred in high school at both Service and South, scored Bakerfield's first goal to tie the game early in the second period. The Condors pumped in a pair of goals 32 seconds apart later in the period before turning to goaltender Matt Keetley (49 saves) and securing their fourth consecutive win.

"The guy has been consistently outstanding, standing on his head," Trupp said of the goalie. "My hat's off to him and his effort."

Trupp, 23, last played at Sullivan in front of friends and family as a University of North Dakota senior at the 2010 Kendall Classic. He collected a pair of assists against UAF in a 3-1 Classic-clinching win on Oct. 9, 2010.

Bakersfield acquired Trupp in a January trade with Cincinnati, and it didn't take long for him to look at the Condors schedule to see when he'd be coming home.

"Then one of my first games with Bakersfield was against the Aces (in California). It's kind of funny seeing a lot of those guys because I train with them here all summer," he said.

"It's pretty nice to be home. When I was with Cincinnati, it was just a little too far to come home over Christmas break."

The night's first homecoming of note belonged to Langkow and the Aces.

Langkow, who starred for the Aces as a rookie last season, was playing with Bridgeport (Conn.) of the AHL. A concussion sidelined him Oct. 22 and now he's back with the Aces indefinitely.

Langkow took Nick Mazzolini's brilliant no-look feed from behind the net and roped a shot past Keetley for his first goal in an Aces sweater since Game 5 of the 2011 Kelly Cup Finals in Kalamazoo, Mich. That goal proved the game-winner as Alaska secured its second ECHL championship with a 5-3 victory on May 21.

The line of Langkow, Mazzolini and Gary Nunn hummed all night and finished with a combined 10 shots on goal.

"The quick start was nice for (Langkow)," Swanson said. "The line had a lot nice looks and played well. Hopefully, it can continue to do that and bring us some energy."

Trupp tied the game at 4:15 of the second period. He worked himself loose along the left boards and lined a shot in the direction of the high slot. The puck deflected off traffic in front and slid past Aces goaltender Adam Courchaine.

The Condors then stunned the Aces and the Sullivan crowd with the quick-strike goals to earn a 3-1 lead.

Parker Stanfield walked down the slot in highlight-reel fashion and stuffed a shot through Courchaine's legs at 14:26. The goal was Stanfield's sixth in 11 games.

Moments later, former NHLer Kyle Calder tipped in a shot from the left point for his second goal since signing with Bakersfield earlier this month.

Tyler Helfrich added an insurance goal for Bakersfield at 14:15 of the third.

The Aces remain on the lookout for a way to finish. In the first 26 games that Alaska scored first this season, the Aces won 24 of them. The last eight times the Aces have scored first, their record reads 3-4-1.

"It seems like every mistake we make ends up in the back of the net," Swanson said. "It's part of a long season and teams are going to go through stretches like this.

"With our team, it's just not usually this long, and that's what frustrating."

Shuffling the deck

Langkow's return meant a change in sweater numbers for Aces forward Blair Yaworski, who switched to No. 23 so Langkow could wear his familiar No. 19 ... The teams play the second game of three on the weekend tonight at 7:15. The series finale is Sunday at 5:05 p.m.

Bakersfield 0 3 1 -- 4

Aces 1 0 0 -- 1

First Period -- 1, Aces, Langkow 1 (Mazzolini, Nunn), :36. Penalties -- None.

Second Period -- 2, Bakersfield, Trupp 6, 4:15; 3, Bakersfield, Stanfield 8 (Van Dyk), 14:26; 4, Bakersfield, Calder 2 (Pender, Dee), 14:58. Penalties -- Harrison, Aces (interference), 5:07; Gimblett, Bakersfield (slashing), 7:28.

Third Period -- 5, Bakersfield, Helfrich 11 (Calder), 14:15. Penalties -- Markowitz, Aces (tripping), 4:49; Pierro-Zabotel, Bakersfield (tripping), 19:00; Burgdoerfer, Bakersfield (slashing), 19:29.

Shots on goal -- Bakersfield 8-11-5--24. Aces 17-14-19--50.

Power-play Opportunities -- Bakersfield 0 of 2. Aces 0 of 3.

Goalies -- Bakersfield, Keetley, (10-16-2) (50 shots-49 saves). Aces, Courchaine, 16-10-4 (24-20).

A -- 4,921 (6,399). T -- 2:11.

Referee -- Don Jablonski. Linesmen -- Steve Glines, Travis Jackson.