The Bakersfield Condors average 3.40 goals per game and have plenty of skill on display on a typical night on the offensive end. It’s what’s highlighted their season as the Edmonton Oilers affiliate and staying in the mix in the Pacific Division.
The Pacific, or the wild west, lives up to the name with plenty of great offenses in the division. Yet, the Condors stand out with their ability to score, and it makes them a fun team to keep an eye on. That said, there’s only so far they will go with the team that they’ve put together.
Bakersfield’s Firepower on Offense
The Condors are built to score and score in bunches. They don’t just have a top line. They have a forward unit that comes at teams in waves, thanks to a sudden showing of prospects who have been a pleasant surprise this season.
It starts with Quinn Hutson, the rookie with 29 goals and 29 assists. Hutson isn’t a prospect by some measurements as a 23-year-old forward but he’s a young skater with his eyes on the NHL, which is a possibility considering the Oilers can use an injection of youth. The same is true about Isaac Howard, who has 21 goals and 23 assists in his first season at the American Hockey League level.
The rookies are the headline but the Condors have other forwards stepping up as well. Seth Griffith has 16 goals and 43 assists while Sam Poulin, who was acquired in the Tristan Jarry and Stuart Skinner trade, has fit in as a physical presence. It’s this group that allows them to score in bunches and assures that no lead is safe. With the Condors looking ahead to the playoffs, they can make every game a back-and-forth contest.
Bakersfield Still Struggles to Defend
The offense provides optimism, but the defense is where the downfall starts. The Condors aren’t a good team on the defensive end. They allow only 3.2 goals per game and have games where they allow goals in bunches.
Some of their issues come from goaltending. The Condors haven’t been the same since Connor Ingram was called up to the Oilers, which, of course, is a trade-off the team will take. However, it’s only part of the problems with the defensive unit struggling all season and allowing teams to find open looks on the net.
The defensive woes were noticeable on Saturday night in a 6-3 loss to the Ontario Reign. It’s been noticeable in their play lately, as the Condors have allowed 17 goals in their last three games. The Condors win high-scoring games and lose them as well, and it’s left them in an odd place with the playoffs around the corner.
Where They Stack up in the Pacific
This is the time in the season when the top teams are coming into form. The best in the Pacific Division, like the Reign and the Colorado Eagles, are gearing up for a run. The Condors aren’t in the same tier as them as a fun but not well-rounded team.
There’s also a group of teams that have gotten hot at the right time. The Coachella Valley Firebirds are becoming a tough team to face with a handful of top defense prospects leading them, while the Henderson Silver Knights have a great mix of veterans and prospects. The Condors are the same team they’ve been since the start of the season, and it’s left them a step behind.
Right now, the Condors can win a series and possibly pull off an upset. The problem is that they aren’t built to do much more than that.