For the month of March, the Bakersfield Condors have started off with a 4–4–0 record. They have been just a .500 team and, as I stated in the title, their highs have been at their peak and their lows have been at their lows. The lows have started to mostly show in their defensive game and goaltending.
The forwards
We will start with the Condors lows. The starting player, who has started to slowly pick up his game in the last five games, is Xavier Bourgault. He has scored one goal. It may not seem like much but the youngster is showing some consistency and confidence in his game now. To be fair, he is not really getting put in positions to succeed by his head coach. I think that if Bourgault got more time with skilled players, he may just break out of this cold streak and start to exhibit the skill and brilliance the scouts saw when he played with Mavrik Bourque.
Ty Tullio has continued his consistent play in all zones of the ice as he has scored three points in his last five games. I am very excited about where Tullio is taking his game. He’s continuing to bring that snarl to his game and he is continuing to show the offensive instincts we’ve seen from him before. Tullio is very underrated offensively and the way he attacks the net is somewhat how Zach Hyman plays the game. Word has started to reach the Edmonton Oilers professional scouts about this kid and about how NHL ready he really is. Tullio needs to continue this play and we may be seeing a call up in the near future.
Another top prospect who has started to pick up his play is Matvei Petrov. In fact, I believe he is started to break out in his rookie year. He has gotten way more comfortable with the North American game and now he is finding his spots much more easily. His hockey sense is undeniable but he is now also starting to pick his spots better. It has led to better point production. In his last five games, Petrov has scored two goals and one assist. He is shooting the puck a lot and is getting more time with the stars on the team. I truly believe Petrov is started to show the start of finally starting the journey to his potential. He has seven goals now. He is on pace for 12 to 13 goals.
Jayden Grubbe has continued his cold streak. He has been held pointless in March so far and his consistency in his physical play has started to show. When a player starts to close confidence, especially a rookie, dry spells like this show. I am not really worried about this because, like I said, this is his rookie season.
Carter Savoie, surprisingly, is also in a cold spell as he has no points in March. But other than not garnering points, Savoie has continued to be consistent in generating chances and being smart in the defensive zone. He has certainly been a plus player in the majority of the games in March.
Raphael Lavoie has scored four goals and one assist in his last eight games and he has been very good in the defensive zone, which is surprising. I believe that he has gotten the message from his coaching staff that, in order to get another shot in the NHL, he needs to be good in all three zones of the game and not just the offensive zone. The Oilers did not get any right winger that can play top six duty. Therefore, Lavoie may get another shot. I think it’s time to see what Lavoie can do in the NHL. There’s rumours that he may get his shot near the end of the season.
The defence
Philip Broberg continues to impress in the AHL as his consistency in all three zones is showing more. He has scored four goals in the six games he has played with the Condors in March (one goal and three assists) and he has been eating up minutes by quite a wide margin next to Max Wanner. With the Oilers acquiring Troy Stecher, I don’t see Broberg getting a call up soon unless an injury occurs. There is no doubt that Broberg will be the Oilers black ace on defence when the playoffs start. Barring any trades in the offseason, Broberg will be on the Oilers opening roster as a part of their top six defensive core and I see him being a permanent staple there. He has shown so much in the AHL and that is a big reason why Ken Holland did not trade him even though lots of teams were interested
Max Wanner started off March very good with a +1 and +2 rating but then he had a pretty bad game against San Diego. It wasn’t all that concerning because the kid just pushed it out of his mind and continued on with his consistency in the games that occured after. There is a noticeable change in Wanner’s game as he has started to work more towards the offensive part of his game. This is a good thing and may very well be a bad thing because he may have started to exhibit one rookie habit we see all the time: Trying to do too much.
He hasn’t scored in March except for one assist and he is still working very hard. I believe Wanner has to stick to the simple game. When he plays the game simple, he starts to get his opportunities offensively. In a way, he remind me of a right handed Darnell Nurse at times with less offensive flair. I think Wanner will learn, in time, that playing it simple is the key to becoming a cog in the NHL. I am excited to see him when/if the Condors make the playoffs
The goaltending
This is where I am seeing a bit of a drop off from Olivier Rodrigue, but it is not as big as some may think. It is just a consistency issue with Rodrigue that I am seeing now. Rodrigue has had a save percentage over .900 in two of his last four starts. In the games he has had a save percentage under .900, he has allowed +4 goals. Jack Campbell has also started to take away the starts from Rodrigue. I don’t think this is a big issue but I think Rodrigue has to pick up his consistency if he wants to be the starter in the playoffs.
