GAME PREVIEW presented by Rodriguez & Associates

The Bakersfield Condors look to stop the hottest team in the American Hockey League tonight as they take on the Abbotsford Canucks. Abbotsford has won nine straight games and taken five of the opening six games in the season series.

LOOKING BACK

Bakersfield moved into a playoff spot for the first time since February 12 with a 3-2 win over Tucson Saturday. Drake Caggiula scored his career high 23rd goal of the season in the third period which proved to be the game winner.

LOVE THE DRAKE 

Caggiula’s game winner was his second in a row and team-leading sixth on the season. Since February 1, he has 27 points (13g-14a) in 24 games, sixth most in the AHL.

NEAR THE TOP

Condors captain Seth Griffith is third in the AHL scoring race with 63 points (18g-45a) in 59 games. He has a goal and 10 assists for 11 points in his last seven games. Griffith leads the league with 45 assists.

CAM THE MAN

Cam Dineen tied Brad Hunt’s team record for scoring by a d-man with 41 points (9g-32a) in 55 games. He had five points (1g-4a) in two games over the weekend.

‘C’limbing the ‘C’harts

Connor Carrick scored his 16th goal of the season on Friday and added an assist on Saturday. He is second among all d-men in goal scoring. He is also second among d-men in shots with 177.

GO ON YOUNG MAN

Matthew Savoie scored his 18th goal of the season on Saturday. He is the youngest Condor to hit 18 goals in a season and one off the rookie record of 19 set by Cooper Marody in 2018-19 and matched by Noah Philp in 2022-23. He is seventh in the AHL rookie scoring race and second in plus minus at +18.

WE NOAH A GUY 

Noah Philp has five points (2g-3a) on the homestand. He has 28 points (15g-13a) in 49 games this season.

BRO SHOW

Goaltender Brett Brochu earned back-to-back wins over the weekend, stopping 51 of 55 shots for a .931 save percentage. It was the first time a Condors goaltender has recorded a .910 save percentage or better in back-to-back starts since the first week of February.

ONE GOAL GAMES

Bakersfield is 17-7-10 in one-goal games this season.

GRAB A LEAD 

Both teams have been excellent when opening the scoring this season. The Condors are 20-8-6 (.676) and the Canucks are 28-6-0 (.824) when scoring first.

DROPPING ‘EM

Alex Kannok Leipert fought twice over the weekend and is second on the team with six fights. Ronnie Attard also dropped the gloves on Saturday for his second fight of the season. The Condors have fought 28 times this season.

PACIFIC OUTLOOK

Seven teams will once again make the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs from the Pacific Division. Currently, Bakersfield is one point ahead of Tucson with a game in hand for the final playoff spot. Calgary sits five points clear of Bakersfield is sixth. San Diego lingers in ninth, four points back of Bakersfield. Calgary is in Tucson for two games this week. San Diego is off tonight, but hosts Abbotsford tomorrow. (Click here for the playoff primer)

STOPPING THE STREAK 

Abbotsford has won nine straight games, the second longest streak in the AHL this season. Nikita Tolopilo stopped 38 of 39 on Friday as the Canucks allowed just two goals on the weekend to San Jose and chased netminder Gabriel Carriere twice in a two-game sweep. Nate Smith had four points (2g-2a) on Saturday. The Canucks are tied for third in the Pacific with 77 points, three points out of second with a game in hand on Ontario.

UP NEXT

The Condors head out on the road for three games, beginning Saturday (7 p.m.) and Sunday (4 p.m.) in Tucson.