The Alaska Aces' latest loss, Sunday's 4-3 setback to the Bakersfield Condors on a last-minute goal, stung them like no other this hockey season.
It was like being struck in an unpadded area by a one-timed laser of a shot – it is excruciating, and it leaves a mark.
Surrendering the game-winning goal inside the last minute delivers such damage, as does squandering an early two-goal lead.
What added to the anguish too was that Olivier Archambault's sick dangle-and-snipe with less than four minutes to go forged the Aces a 3-3 tie and the prospect of earning points in consecutive games for the first time this ECHL campaign.
And yet the Aces wandered out of Sullivan Arena without securing even a single point in the standings after Bakersfield rookie Connor Jones scored a power-play goal with just 38 seconds left to give the Condors three wins in the four-game series.
Just when it looked as if Saturday's 4-1 Alaska win, its first on home ice this season, could possibly stand as a turning point in the Aces' difficult start to the season, they instead find themselves 2-8-0.
That shabby record comes with heavy work ahead. The Aces are scheduled to fly Monday to Boise, Idaho, where they play games Tuesday and Wednesday nights before traveling home Thursday for games Friday, Saturday and Sunday against Stockton.
On the upside of that exhausting schedule – nine games in 12 days, with two travel days thrown in – at least the Aces get an almost immediate chance to redeem themselves.
Also, Aces winger Brendan Connolly emerged from his season-long goal funk and the club continued to get unexpected scoring from rookie defenseman Quinn Sproule.
As much as the loss pierced the Aces, the sequence of events that led to it was equally agonizing. The Aces led 2-0 inside the opening 16 minutes on Sproule's third goal of the season and Connelly's marker.
But Bakersfield (8-5-0) responded 71 seconds after Connolly's goal with Graeme Craig's rebound goal after Josh Winquist rang a shot off the right post. And Chase Schaber and Nick MacNeil scored in the opening four minutes of the second period, earning the Condors a 3-2 lead after those three goals in a span of seven minutes bridging the first and second periods.
"That's the one that burns,'' Connolly said of giving up an early cushion.
For the Condors, the comeback, and Jones' late goal after the announced crowd of 3,165 was revved up by Archambault's sensational goal, proved encouraging.
"We chipped away, took it one goal at a time and didn't look too far forward,'' said Bakersfield coach J.F. Houle.
Archambault furnished the equalizer, his team-high sixth goal and fourth in the last three games, when he danced around a sliding defender in the right circle and flicked a dart past Ty Rimmer (34 saves).
"He's a threat every time he has the puck on his stick,'' Connolly said.
Yet, after Aces defenseman Colten Hayes was sentenced for hooking, Jones, stationed at the edge of Andy Iles' crease, got a piece of Schaber's shot and his redirection eluded Iles (23 saves).
"It took a good bounce,'' Jones said.
His goal was obviously pivotal, but Jones said Craig's goal late in the first period revitalized the Condors.
"Going into the second period down two is a whole lot different than being down one,'' he said. "That goal gave us confidence – 'Hey, we're in this game.' "
Connolly entered the game without a goal in the Aces' first nine matches, and that is rare territory for a winger who has bagged 22 or more goals in each of the last four ECHL seasons. That wore on Connolly, even though he's a veteran in his sixth pro season.
"It doesn't matter the age or the year – you expect so much of yourself,'' Connolly said. "I expect to score every night, and every time I get a scoring chance. It starts with frustration and then confidence starts to deteriorate, so it's nice to get a goal.''
Still, Connolly said he needs to get back to having a shooter's mentality – in hindsight, he wishes he would have shot the puck instead of passed to Archambault when the pair enjoyed a 2-on-1 with 15 seconds to go. Rimmer gloved Archambault's bid.
Sproule's goal was his third in eight games with the Aces, and while that's strong production for any defenseman, it is particularly the case with Sproule. He scored just five goals in 138 career games at UAA.
Losing three games in a four-game series at home pained the Aces, of course, but at least in the last two games their offense proved attacking and threatening. That has offered them some hope.
"It's teaching aggression, getting in on the forecheck, creating turnovers and getting pucks to the net,'' Connolly said. "That's Aces hockey.
"It's baby steps. But it's better than no steps.''
Shuffling the deck
Rookie winger Greg Wolfe's assist on Sproule's goal pushed his point streak to six games – he owns 4-3—7 totals in that span.
Center Tim Coffman also assisted on Sproule's goal, giving him a four-game point streak in which he has furnished six assists.
And Archambault's goal not only marked his third straight game with at least one goal, it pushed his point streak to four games, with 4-3—7 totals in that stretch.
Connolly's goal drought extended back to the Kelly Cup playoffs last spring. He didn't score a goal in the Aces' last eight games in the run to the franchise's third Kelly Cup, so he had gone 17 straight games without a goal.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr
Bakersfield 1 2 1 4
Aces 2 0 1 3
First Period – 1, Aces, Sproule 3 (Wolfe, Coffman), 9:56; 2, Aces, Connolly 1 (Francis, Cole), 15:56; 3, Bakersfield, Craig 3 (Winquist, C. Jones), 17:07. Penalties – Johnson, Aces, double-minor, served by Coffman (roughing), 2:29; Verreault-Paul, Bakersfield (roughing), 2:29; Verpaelst, Bakersfield (tripping), 7:51.
Second Period – 4, Bakersfield, Schaber 3 (Currie, Marciano), :57; 5, Bakersfield, MacNeil 1 (Sylvestre, Verpaelst), 4:03. Penalties – Verpaelst, Bakersfield (hooking), 1:11; Coffman, Aces (holding), 14:19; Nash, Bakersfield (interference), 16:13; Craig, Bakersfield (cross-checking), 18:00.
Third Period – 6, Aces, Archambault 6 (Cole, Richard), 16:33; 7, Bakersfield, C. Jones 4 (Schaber, K. Jones), 19:22 (pp). Penalties – Kremyr, Bakersfield (roughing), 8:54; Sproule, Aces (tripping), 12:19; Hayes, Aces (hooking), 18:47.
Shots on goal – Bakersfield 13-5-9—27. Aces 17-15-5—37.
Power-play Opportunities – Bakersfield 1 of 4. Aces 0 of 5.
Goalies – Bakersfield, Rimmer, 6-4-0 (37 shots-34 saves). Aces, Iles, 1-3-0 (27-23).
A – 3,165 (6,399). T – 2:24.
Referee – Nic Leduc Linesmen – Travis Jackson, Josh Ellis.