Sure, a 6-3 loss to Utah on home ice Friday night stung, as it should, but not as bad as a pair of injuries to forwards Mathieu Aubin and Maxime Macenauer.
Aubin left during the second period and Macenauer went hard into the boards with just over six minutes remaining in the game and was helped from the ice while not putting any weight on his left leg.
Condors coach Marty Raymond confirmed both were “lower-body injuries” and was meeting with a team doctor long after the game ended.
As for the game, it was the sloppiest yet for the Condors, who looked pretty good for the first 10 minutes and pretty bad for the next 50.
Rookie Timo Pielmeir had a rough night as he allowed five goals on 22 shots (the final goal went into an empty net). But Raymond emphasized it was a team effort in losing, noting a lack of physical play, turnovers, individualism and an effort to be too fancy.
The loss came after two straight wins, it’s still way early in the season and most teams have yet to hit a stride.
Even in a fairly disjointed effort, there talent on the Condors can clearly be seen. There are certain to be growing pains, especially early on.
The Condors will try to rebound Saturday night when they travel to Ontario. The Reign lost their home opener to Las Vegas, 4-3, on Friday night.
Raymond said NHL veteran Kyle Calder, who had just a been assigned to the team by Anaheim, would not be in the lineup tonight, as he is with his wife, who gave birth on Friday morning to their third child.