Jack Campbell is back to his old ways as the Condors fall short 4-2.

We are grateful that the Oilers are trying to avoid a trade by exploring all internal options to address their goaltending uncertainty. But you simply cannot bring back a player who lacks form and confidence to such an extent.

To be clear, this isn’t an attempt to kick Campbell while he’s down; teammates really like him and he’s a decent man. Nevertheless, it’s undeniable that he hasn’t really produced consistently while he’s been in Edmonton, and things haven’t gotten any better in Bakersfield either.

A bright spot appeared to exist, as the Condors emerged victorious in their previous encounter, 2-0. All thirty shots he faced were stopped by the 2010 11th overall draft pick, raising hopes that this was a performance he could build on.

Rather, the Condors dropped their sixth game out of the previous seven. It’s not as though Campbell should bear the entire burden of blame.

The opponent started the game with more vigor, determination, and motivation—something that has happened far too frequently in recent games. The Firebirds looked like the team that advanced to the Calder Cup Finals the previous season, dominating 17–5 in shots on goal in the first 20 minutes of play.

It took the visitors just under five minutes to make their breakthrough. For the early 1-0 lead, Shane Wright scorched down the left win and beat Campbell with his seventh goal of the AHL season.

Unfortunately, the Firebirds doubled their lead in just three minutes, so it wasn’t over for the Condors. After a three-on-two break for the visitors, Tucker Robertson scored his first goal of the year on a shot that Campbell ought to have stopped.

Despite their current struggles, the Condors should be commended for their second-period comeback. Finally, they took the lead at 6:09 thanks to Matvey Petrov’s first professional goal, which he took with confidence and fired past the Firebirds goalie’s far post.

The 8,994 spectators at Mechanics Bank Arena also threw thousands of teddy bears onto the ice in response to Petrov’s goal. On Monday, the bears will be formally tallied and given to the Central Eastern California United Way.

Inspired, the Condors scored their second goal of the 2023–24 season less than two minutes later, tying the score. McKegg made it 2-2 during a scramble in front of the Firebirds net because he was hungry for more.

Because of this, the Condors went into the third quarter full of hope, and in the last twenty minutes, they did have some opportunities. Even though it required a power play to do so, the Firebirds would eventually regain the upper hand.

After Campell had already made two crucial stops, the pivotal moment occurred at 13:44. Sadly for the Condors, he was unable to stop Kole Lind from giving the visitors a 3-2 victory.

The Condors pulled Campbell and added the extra skater in the closing moments as they pursued the game-winning goal. With one minute left, Max McCormick took advantage of a turnover by Seth Griffith to score the empty net goal, making the final score 4-2.

In all honesty, the Firebirds were the superior team that evening and thus deserved to win. The Condors, who notably went 0-for-4 on the power play, were outshot 37–22 by them.

Despite having his moments that evening, Campbell was unable to stop 33 of the 36 shots he faced. With a 3.22 goals against average and a.884 save percentage, he is currently 1-4-0 in his five games with the Condors.