After a disastrous start to his assignment in the AHL, Jack Campbell got a shutout win at home for the Condors on Tuesday night versus the Silver Knights.
Bakersfield Condors fans could have been forgiven for letting out a collective groan prior to Tuesday night’s home game versus the Henderson Silver Knights. That’s because Jack Campbell was scheduled to get the assignment in net at Mechanics Bank Arena.
Campbell had been nothing short of awful during his first three games for the Condors. The team lost all three as he allowed a combined 13 goals, resulting in an atrocious 81.9 save percentage.
The 31-year-old’s lack of form had contributed towards an overall five-game losing streak for the Condors, after they had started the season a franchise-record 4-1-0 through five games. As a result, confidence was low entering the contest with the Silver Knights.
As it turned out however, a game against the Silver Knights was just what was needed. The Condors entered the night with an all-time record of 18-8-1 versus their opponents, including 10-4-0 at home.
The good Jack Campbell comes to play
In the end, Campbell had his best game of the 2023-24 season — at any level — as he stopped all 30 shots he faced. He quite rightly earned the game’s First Star in a 2-0 win, which doubled as his 100th victory in the AHL.
The 2010 11th overall draft pick’s performance came on a night when it was needed most, as the Condors struggled to score themselves. They did have a 12-10 edge in shots on goal during the opening 20 minutes, but were unable to break the deadlock.
In the end it would need a power play — just one of two on the night for the Condors — to finally take the lead at the 13:21 mark of the second period. And it was a familiar face who opened the scoring for the hosts.
Returning from his time with the Oilers, Raphael Lavoie scored on the power play in his first game back for the Condors. It was his fourth power play score of the AHL season, as well as his team-leading fifth goal overall.
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It alludes to how much the Condors have struggled recently, that Lavoie leads the team in goals — as well as overall points — despite only appearing in six of their 11 games to date. Regardless, the goal was much needed, with the helpers going to Seth Griffith and Lane Pederson.
Despite the goal, the game remained tight the rest of the way, with the Silver Knights pushing for the tie in the third but unable to get past the brick wall version of Campbell. The Condors secured the win inside the final minute courtesy of Cam Dineen’s empty-netter, which represented his third straight game of scoring a goal.
Aside from Campbell’s strong game and Lavoie’s return goal, the Condors helped themselves by remaining disciplined throughout. The Silver Knights would only get one power play opportunity on the night, as they just couldn’t break down the hosts’ defence.
Whether this win represents a turnaround for Campbell specifically and the Condors in general, remains to be seen. However, at least the 3,363 fans in attendance got to go home having seen their team end a five-game losing streak.
Jack Campbell talks, but not about himself
A delighted (and relieved) Campbell spoke to the media postgame., but seemed reluctant to talk too much about himself. Instead he focused on the team as a whole, as he said:
"“The guys just worked super hard this week and you could see it in our game. For 60 minutes they were battling, doing whatever it takes to win and beat a really good team, so it feels good. … It’s a great group of guys, they work hard. The coaches do a great job of pushing us.”"
With Campbell saying little about himself — and we can appreciate why — it was left to his coach to discuss him. Talking to the media about the goalie’s tough start to his stint in Bakersfield, coach Colin Chaulk said:
"“It’s tough on Jack. Everybody knows what’s going on. For him to come and struggle in the beginning, but he put his work boots on. He’s done tons of video, he’s got lots of reps and lots of touches in practice, all that kind of stuff.”"
Chaulk also talked about Campbell’s performance on Tuesday night specifically, albeit with a note of caution. He said:
"“He put his focus in the last five days and we’re excited to see him give our team a chance tonight. He made some real big stops in the third period and it’s amazing what one win can do, how much it can change your confidence. … Enjoy it, (but) he’s got to get back to work tomorrow and be ready to go for the next one.”"
With the victory the Condors improve to 5-6-0 on the season, although they do remain second-bottom in the Pacific Division. Next up, they will host the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Saturday night.