Fire & Ice Podcast
A Coachella Valley Firebirds podcast.
Fire & Ice Podcast
The Desert Sun's Fire & Ice Podcast - A Visit with Gustav Olofsson -- Playoffs Edition (April 20, 2026)
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With the regular season now in the books, the 'Birds advance to the playoffs for the fourth time in as many campaigns. Up next: A best-of-three, first-round duel with the Bakersfield Condors. Get your goose loose with some postseason prep via a visit with defenseman Gustav Olofsson, and stay tuned for a playoff-centric "Desert Shootout" segment with Shad Powers, sports & leisure editor for The Desert Sun.
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Greetings, friends, and firebirds fans, and welcome to the Desert Sun, Fire and Ice podcast, presented by Desert Willow Golf Resort. Coming to you from home Desert California, a mere condor clipper away from the Birds Bar and the Aperture Arena. I'm your host, Judge Spicer, fourth season of CB Firebirds Hockey, fourth season of Fire and Ice, and AI editorialized, fourth season of the birds reaching the second season. Yeah, the regular season. All 72 games. It's been an odyssey, it's been a traverse, it's been a sojourn, it's been a journey. Those games are now all in the book's friends as we move on to the first round of the playoffs best of three series versus the Bakersfield Condors. More on that momentarily. Also coming up at the show to be joined shortly, actually making his debut appearance. It's a little weird because he's been with the Firebirds for four years, nonetheless. Able to flag him down for today. Defenseman Gustav Olovson is gonna be joining me here shortly. In the interim, let us first recognize partner in crime, the Desert Sun newspaper. Come into you since 1927. Yonder 1927. They'll have the centennial next year. I expect a great party. In the meantime, get all the local news, sports, and certainly everything you want to read about Cotello Valley Firebirds, find it online at DesertSun.com. Or heck, just go get yourself a physical newspaper, a tangible newspaper. People still do that, people still read those. Uh Ched Powers, the sports and leisure editor for said Desert Sun, going to be joining me as an epilogue compliment to this episode. Not just your regular desert desert shootout segment, rather, that we've all become accustomed to over the course of the sports season, but a special playoffs edition. Fresh questions, and I expect subsequently fresh answers from Ched Powers as we dig into the Desert Shootout segment. Stay tuned for that at the end of the episode. In the interim, we need to recognize the presenting sponsor, of course, proudly recognized Desert Willow Golf Resort, also right here in sunny palm desert, California. I gotta tell you, dudes, the shoulder seasons, kind of talking about October and then April, May, somewhere around there. Perfect time to be teeing it up in the Coachella Valley and a prime time to be going play at Desert Willow Golf Resort, whether it be the Mountain View, whether it be the Fire Cliff course, whether it be 36, you know I love the good putt to put segue. Go tee it up over at Desert Willow and then skate it right on down a mile and a half to Acrochure Arena to catch off not just a birds game, but a birds playoff game. Tea times for Desert Willow Golf Resort may be found online at DesertWillow.com. And when you're on there poking around and clicking around, check out the awesome and on-site Palm Desert Golf Academy for all your swing, instruction, and tutelage needs. Alright, friends, it's gonna skate us right into this episode's Firebirds Freeze Frame segment, which is a first round playoff preview. Birds vs. Condors, and of course, enjoyed it. Great new sponsor for the Firebirds Freeze Frame segment over the course of this fourth season because you know that ice action isn't a limited to accuracy alone. I've told you this. You're hockey fans seeking some pregame drinks, post-game toasts. You need only look up to our high desert, where our Firebirds friends at both the 29 Palms Beer Company and the Ground Squirrel that's spelled G R N D. SQRL. They're both serving up some awesome eats and incredible beers in downtown 29 Palms. Ground Squirrel, awesome gaster pub style scratch made menu. They pair that with the rotating list of craft beers. I tell you, friends, when you go and heat there, you're gonna be surprised, you're gonna be amazed, you're gonna be blown away. You think you're walking into a fun and funky bar with an alien painted on the wall? Believe me, trust me, you're walking into much, much more. You're also seeking a potent power play. What I want you to do is skate it right on down the street. To the 29 Foams Beer Company, they're brewing up their own phenomenal beers right on site. And wait for it, this is important. They're televising every Firebirds game, whether it be home or away. What a perfect perch to check out this Thursday's first round game. Birds at Bakersfield again. More on that schedule momentarily. Look, it's getting hot out a little bit. The sizzle season is soon upon us. So you're local, you want an escape, you're seeking a fun new scene. Perhaps you're a desert guest. Coachella is done. We got Stagecoach coming up. Hey, you're getting here a few days early for Stagecoach. You want to explore the desert? You might go check out Joshua Tree, play cowboy in Pioneer Town. You're uh celebrating a birds win, maybe drown your sorrows after a loss. You lace up the hospitality in 29 Palms for both the ground squirrel and the 29 Palms Beer Company. Those are proving your high desert hockey homes. All right, dude, 72 games in the book for the fourth time in as many fine seasons of the Coachella Valley Firebirds history. We are back in the playoffs. Birds finish the regular season with a record of 41, 25, and 6. Good for fourth place in the ever-competitive Pacific Division. Uh 88 total points on the season. Uh, that's the 10th best in the AHL, and actually four more points than the birds authored last year. 235 total goals. We saw them score. That was good for 11th in the AHL, suffering a mere 218 against. That was 10th best in that metric. Special teams, something to keep an eye on as we get into this playoff series. They were okay. The power play finished at a mere 15.7%, only 26th in the AHL. On the kill, uh, a little bit better, uh, 80.4%. You do want to hit that 80-point metric. That charted 22nd in the American Hockey League. Per Bakersfield, the schedule lays out as such. Best of three series. It can get weird, it can get wild, it can get a little quirky, even though we are the better seed. Bakersfield finishing right behind us at fifth place in the pack with a record of 37-23, 11-1. And I put italics and emphasis on that 11th because those overtime losses, not a format that we'll see in the postseason, mind you. Those were the most in the entire AHL. Bakersfield, as mentioned, finishing finishing in fifth. And while we are the better seed, the series will nonetheless start on the road yonder's Bakerfield this Thursday, April 23rd. Birds at Condors. Their barn is the Dignity Health Arena. 7 p.m. start for those that uh subscribe to the Firebirds newsletters, emails, poke around the website, a whole list of uh watch parties that are taking place. If you want to get together with the like-minded, you want to get together with some fellow birds fans to watch that game, uh, go to cbfirebirds.com. You're gonna have a whole list. I might personally suggest this this would be really cool. Maybe you should go up to the ground squirrel and the 29 Palms Beer Company. Let that prove you're not just your high desert hockey home, but your high desert playoff hockey home. 29 Palms Beer Company. They got some great brews there. Might be an awesome place to go watch with your fellow Firebirds fans for that first game. The series that ensues comes back to the Desert Proper this Saturday, April 25th. Uh, condors at CV. That is a 6 p.m. pup drop. And then, of course, the ever-present asterisk in a uh best of three series or any series, but the if necessary would take place. If a third and deciding game is necessary, it would be this Sunday. Condors at Coachella Valley, Acrocher Arena, of course, that would be a 5 p.m. puck drop. Talked about this on the last uh media roundtable episode, dudes. If there was a team didn't necessarily want to play in face in this first round, yeah, it might be Bakersfield. Birds had a mere 2-4 and 2 record versus the Condors this year. But now, after a little further digging, I feel it worthy to mention that six of those games took place in the 2025 calendar. Played them most recently on February 20 uh 28th. Before that, there was a game on February the 18th, but all the other games preceding that, six of the eight, took place during the 2025 calendar. Uh, five of those games, a lot a lot of tight. There was tight. Most of them. For the I guess, most of those games, I think I can say were tight. There were a couple that weren't necessarily as close, and that goes both ways. Birds did blow them out uh in one of those games. Um, but five of those games, five of those eight Birds versus Bakersfield in the regular season were one goal games. Uh, couple went to overtime, and the last time we played, the birds beat the condors 3-2 in a shootout scenario. Birds were so good uh in the shootouts this year, that was the final game on 228. Bakersfield, interesting team. They score a lot, they also give up a lot of goals. Their 244 seasonal tally was good for third most in the entire AHL. As mentioned, they also allow a lot of netters, 236 goals against that chart 25th out of the AHL's 32 teams. Pretty solid on these special teams. Six best power play did the condors have over the course of this season, and they were right in the middle of the AHL as far as the kill, 81.9 percent. That was good for 14th in the American League. Couple guys to keep an eye on as far as their side. They have an interesting mix, uh, pretty darn good top two lines, as mentioned. They can definitely score. Um, Seth Griffin, he'd be uh an AHL vet. He finished with 67 points on the year, which was good for fifth in the entire NHL. And Quinn Hudson, he gave the birds decidedly some problems. He appeared in six of the eight contests, the regular season contests, uh, the condors versus the fire birds, accounting for eight points, four goals, and four assists in those six games. Uh Quinn Hudson, the rookie, finished with 63 points. That also charted top ten in the entire AHL. But look, Bakersfield Parent Club, the Edmonton Oilers, they did make the Stanley Cup playoffs. They will not be receiving for this first round series. The reinforcements that the birds have recently enjoyed, that includes Messrs. Malanson, Newman, and uh Oscar Fisker Molgard, all back with the Firebirds now for this playoff run. And of course, we had both of our goalies up there for about a week. Um, Messrs Coco and Osman. Kudos to Nikkei Koko for getting that first AHL uh AHL uh NHL win, I tried to say. Uh he did that versus uh the Calgary Flameth. Birds leading scorers for this season, Logan Morrison led the team with 61 points, a team high 29 goals. Jagger Furkas, now back and healthy, uh 56 points on the year. Tyson Jugnoth, 9 goals, and a team high 36 assists. Also, kudos to Tyson for making the AHL's all-rookie team. Leighton Road finished the year with 38 points, 11 goals, and 27 assists. It'll be interesting for these playoffs to see which netminder we go with. I think we can assume the obvious will be the very talented and the very skilled Nike Coco, who finished the season with the mark of 1910 and two, goals against 3.13 in a save percentage. He did uh cross that 900 metric 0.901. I assume that we will go with Nikkei in game one. But Victor Osman, the Swede, is also ahead of himself a fine year in a Birds jersey, going uh 17-15 and three. His goals against lower at 2.81, his save percentage higher than was Nikkei's. Victor finishing the year with a clip of 0.906. Also, stick taps got to go to Logan Turner's two spot starts, came up for KC in the ECHL, went 1-0-1 in those two games. The goals against very thin, razor thin, two flat, 2.00, and a monster save percentage. So did Augur Logan of 0.946. Nonetheless, come to the second season, we'll be looking at Mr. Coco, we'll be looking at Mr. Osman again. I assume we will see the former Between the Birds pipes in game one at Bakersfield on Thursday. Alright, dudes, all that offered, all that prefaced again. Thanks to the Ground Squirrel and the 29 Plumps Beer Company for sponsoring that Firebirds freeze frame segment. Let's get to this episode's visit with Defenseman Gustavo. Precipice of the playoffs. My guest on this episode is Native Foras, Sweden. Let's see if I pronounced that correctly. I know I've butchered many hometowns in the past. His 13th season of professional hockey, the last four of which we've enjoyed his services and his leadership here in the Coachello Valley. One of just three players, along with John Hayden and Ian McKinnon, to play all four seasons in the brief and brilliant history of the Firebirds. His resume includes 63 games in the National Hockey League, along with 414 more in the AHL, during which he's authored 147 points and a very impressive plus-minus rather of plus 59 in that time. Didn't even count in his stats, his 57 AHL playoff games. We'll get to that momentarily. He has been a standard, he has been a stalwart, he has been a constant on the blue line for the birds. Welcome Gustav Olovson to the Desert Suns Fire and Ice Podcast. Hello, Goose.
SPEAKER_02Hey, thank you, John. Yeah, good uh good to be on the podcast.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, great to have you, and I'm almost embarrassed to say great to have you for the first time. Probably should have had you on long ago. So my apologies for that, man. But a fine time for you to be uh making your debut on the program as we get in to the second season and we get ready for the series versus Bakersfield. But before we get to the condors, again, because I haven't had you on before, a few things to uh just talk about you, man. I mean, yes, you are Swedish. You are a native of Sweden, but at the same time, you spent like basically half your life playing pro hockey in the United States, but you're still Swedish, yes?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely. Uh I feel it at heart and um you know speak as much Swedish as I can to my kids right now. And um we've been over a few times the last few summers, and I think yeah, I I do my English kind of comes out a little more naturally, and and most of my thoughts are still in English, but uh it's a good mix because it kind of allows allows me to connect to some of the European players a bit too, and and and you know, our Danish, Danish guy Oscar and and Vic as well. So um yeah, no, it's it's a good mix and and definitely feel a little bit of both.
SPEAKER_00Well, as far as thinking or speaking in Swedish or English, the only Swedish I think I can remember for my semester abroad, I think that was in college back in 1998. I was in Veqwa, and I think I can only remember talk.
SPEAKER_02Okay, talk, yeah. That's a good one.
SPEAKER_00I think that's pretty much all I got. I I may have gotten a D in the Swedish language class. I was too busy running around Veqwa and doing whatever 22-year-olds do in Veqwa. We don't need to spend the entirety of the show discussing that in a wonderful and beautiful place. But it was tough to learn Swedish in five months, man.
SPEAKER_02I know. I and I when you're immersed in it too like that, I'm sure people are talking fast and it's hard to pick up. But um, yeah, no, that's that's that's a big reason why, too, when my kids are young, I want to kind of get them going on it while they're while their brains are are receptive to it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well, again, I won't delve into what my brain was receptive to when I was 22 years old running around Vecquist, Sweden, but a wonderful and beautiful and inviting place. And basically everyone spoke English anyway. That's probably why I got a D in that class. Speaking of D, you're always listed as D. We've always known you as a defenseman. I'm a Minnesota Wild fan. I remember when you played defense for the Minnesota Wild. I'm sure your time on the blue line far precedes that time. Uh but we've learned over your Firebird's career. I'll put it this way, man. I don't I I think if you wanted to score 20 goals with your skills and shooting and sticking, handling ability, you probably could. Would you agree with that?
SPEAKER_02I don't know. I think I think it's hard hard to score even in this league. And um, you know, I I think I've I've I've not reinvented my game, but I've kind of shifted towards uh a more defensive mindset over the past minute, and it's it's allowed me to to continue playing and at a high level too. And um I I really enjoy it. Like it's it's not as pretty sometimes and not as glamorous to block shots and um you know have a good stick and defend first, but it's it's something I take pride in and you know feels just as good to block a big shot as it does putting the puck in the net. So that's um you know, just just a part of part of my career path too, and um, you know, been a big part of of me continuing playing at this age.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I I think for you it's I mean the the skill set, yeah, that those those aren't things that are always gonna find the box score. It's not always on the poster or the photograph, or it's not always the the glory that you're gonna get for doing the things that you do, some of the dirty work, some of the blocking shots, some of just the hockey IQ stuff and being in the right place at the right time. But you know, we see this kind of modern defenseman, this Quinn Hugh-style defenseman, which Tyson Jugnauth in many ways echoes that with his skating ability. Just incredible to watch him in the overtime sessions over the course of this last regular season. But for you, I mean your shot has the quality of a frontliner shot. I'm saying that you could score 20 goals easy if you wanted, but that's my thought.
SPEAKER_02Alright. We'll we'll shoot, we'll shoot for that next year. Let's do that. Or in the or in the playoffs, we'll we'll turn it on.
SPEAKER_00Ooh, I like that. And that's a good segue for me, Goose. We're gonna turn our attention to these playoffs. Fourth season, of course, of Firebird hockey. Fourth time, making it to the postseason, albeit against an opponent in Bakersfield that we've never faced in the playoffs before. Let's talk generally before we dig a little deeper into the birds and the condors and this series coming up that's gonna get underway in Bakersfield this Thursday. Broadly speaking, and I asked this to your teammate John Hayden in the post-game pressure after the regular season finale uh against Abbotsford. You know, at the outset of this season, man, yeah, a lot of the narrative was this is the youngest team in the league. There's a lot of hope and talent and sanguinity. There is a veteran presence, we've got good goaltending, but we were really not sure what to expect. And now, after 72 games, a very fine year with some impressive, at times incredible surges that we saw from these Firebirds. As you look back at the season, which can be kind of a blur, I know. Did this team exceed your expectations?
SPEAKER_02Um yeah, I think so. I mean, we've um we've definitely come together and we've definitely grown in all the individual pieces um to our team, like all the players have taken big steps, and it does feel like you know we have that that low low age number feel anymore. Like it just um everybody everybody's matured, and um, I think that comes with a long season too, like guys kind of get comfortable with the routine, the ranks, and um you know how how we want to carry ourselves too as an organization and and some of our leadership. It it always takes a little bit of time at the start of the year, but you know, everybody's on board. And um I I think it it feels feels like an older group than the age. Um, you know, we have a lot of guys that, like I said, have taken big steps and um you know will continue to do so. So I think the the growth was definitely accelerated in a sense, and um we saw that over the year, over the course of the year, and you know it's good to have some big pieces too back from from guys that have have gone up to Seattle and gotten a taste of that as well, which which helps a young player in their career and kind of settles them into this league as well. And and uh that's gonna help us too along the way. So and playoffs is a different beast, but I think we've done a good way, good job to prepare ourselves for that.
SPEAKER_00In what particular aspect, if you want to just pick out one or two things to really specify in what areas do you think that the Firebirds exemplified that growth or maturation over the course of this fourth season goes. I think um I think a bit of uh you know stick into our systems um you know not not playing not playing in in an individual you know fashion it's it's playing for the team first and I think uh you can see that like in games where the team's kind of everybody's playing the same way and um you know I think we bought into our identity really well and um and then also the the feeling the mojo and and kind of the cohesiveness of the guys um you which is a sense and a feeling you get away from the away from the ice sometimes just in the locker room and and you know this group is very tight and um that that takes takes a bit of time during the year but we've gotten to a good point here where um you know things are a little bit more seamless and and desert guys are just going out and playing firebirds hockey your veteran influence along with that of we could say John Hayden we could say Mitchell Stevens obviously a few other guys that um have time in this league and have time as well in the National Hockey League how does that really come into play for the postseason Goose? As an example in this postgame presser John Hayden used the word patience more than a few times that there's some extra degree of patience involved with these playoff games and it's not always a word that feels like a natural segue to hockey where there is constant motion and the playoff games get tight and there's a lot of body on body and there's not as much space. I don't know if that same word extends to how you see the playoffs but when we talked about veteran presence and really expressing to the young guys how success comes in the playoffs I'm curious to see what what you think and what you're gonna try to impress on a lot of these guys making their first ever playoff appearance or some guys just their second or third ever playoff series.
SPEAKER_02Yeah um I think it's a build up like we'll we'll be we'll be practicing hard these next few days and getting ready and um you know the teams we'll be facing too we'll be looking at and getting familiar with and then when it comes to uh to the games themselves I think being patient is is a big thing and I I don't know like to me you know you want you don't want to force plays you want to play within your system and uh you know playoff games are so tight that that if you're trying to do too much um you gotta kind of let the game come and when things open up you pounce on them and um yeah I I think too there's a lot of momentum swing so you can't get too high can't get too low um and yeah you just gotta kind of kind of stay positive keep your keep your mojo going keep your feeling going and swagger and uh things things typically you know end up going your way if you if you do stay patient you do stay on it and um yeah I think I think it's just uh quick resets too like these playoff series go by quick and and you know one game's over you gotta look to the next so a lot of it is just staying present and I think that's the that's a big takeaway for for the young guys coming in is just you know focusing on your next shift and focusing on on the play that's on your stick and and you know moving on from there. So um you know it'll be interesting to see but a lot of us uh the leaders will we'll try to lead by example and you know try to set the tone for this for this week and the next few days here even before the games begin.
SPEAKER_00Not necessarily a fair question Goose but what I'm gonna ask nonetheless it's tough to compare and contrast different seasons and different teams but of course in the three years previous and now extending into the regular season through year four we've enjoyed so much success here in the Coachella Valley with the Firebirds compare and contrast this version of C V with the teams that you played on the past three years. How is this team different?
SPEAKER_02Um yeah I don't know I every every year has felt different even from years one and two uh you know when we went to the finals both years they both felt drastically different but I I think individually guys step up and and in different roles and and but I mean we we've got a really good good forward group really good defensive group and our goalies are stellar too and um you know our our systems are solid so I think we have all the pieces um you know and it's just just a matter of showing up and and and being ready for the games and and and you know we're all excited for them so um yeah I mean there's always a different feel but not not in a negative way at all um you know we're we're we're really excited about it. As as far as this team and this season's feel I mean it's another intangible it's something that doesn't show up in the box score but the last two months just going to post game pressers going to all the games speaking with the guys at different times there feels like to me and I know that other media members and certainly many fans feel this way as well there's some intangible with this team I've seen guys walk into the media room really damn upset after a loss taking it very hard and personally which is what we want to see I've seen guys kind of walk in with a spring in their step and a little swagger and a dare I say a twinkle in the eye after a particularly good performance which we've seen a lot of uh certainly in in these recent months I I don't know how you would put a finger on that how you would define it you use the word mojo how would you express that as kind of an intangible with this group of firebirds um I don't know I think it's good like you want to have both sides of it you want to be upset after a loss you want to you know soak it in a little bit so you can you can turn it around and definitely you know use it as motivation and the other side of it too is you want to feel good when you're playing good and I think you know I don't know who you're speaking to but I'm sure it's young guys too and um you know a mix of all our players that that feel good about some of their games as they should and um I think that just that just comes with with the maturity guys have have had big roles and have had to step up in big ways along the year and it's for us it's not just the same guy every night it's it's a lot of players uh throughout our lineup so I think that's just uh you know a little bit of a little bit of that confidence and that that hopefully we can carry into the playoffs and that's and it's a good feeling like everybody everybody feels it individually and you know collectively that uh that comes together um you know when it's time to go on the ice so I think uh both sides of that are very important.
SPEAKER_00Friends you're tuning in to the Desert Suns Fire and Ice podcast presented by Desert Willow Golf Resort my guest is Firebirds defenseman Gustav Olison. All right goose let's dig into what lies ahead in these next handful of days first round always quirky I mean it's kind of one of those things you know do you blame the player do you blame the game? I mean it is what it is these first rounders are our best of threes it sets up kind of curiously quirkily as the one two format of course game one taking place in Bakersfield despite them being the lower seed before coming back this weekend for games two and if necessary games three on Saturday and Sunday respectively I know you can't get lost in the logistics of it but would you concur that the first round of the HL playoffs kind of quirky man yeah I I don't know and it's yeah I mean three game series are tough they you know that first game is is super important and uh it is what it is like you know you just gotta roll with it and you know we can look at it positively too it's you know going on the road you have a little bit less pressure like it's just going there to play hockey and and getting the job done so we've we've done it in the past too um you know john and john and ian have some experience there and some of the older guys as well uh where I think we've gone to Calgary and played games to start and come home and it just is what it is but I think it's it's a it's a challenge we're excited for the um uh the standings of course were um very fickle and basically between seeds three through six on a near daily basis over the past month they were changing changing on results or an opponent's results or another game's results on a near daily basis were you paying attention to that and ultimately did you personally have a preference which team you would face in this first round uh definitely paying attention uh but no preference um to who were applying I think you know at the end of the day you got to go through everybody and um but to your point though our division was really tight and you could definitely feel teams you know pressing pressing uh from behind and in the standings and um you know we were just trying to play play to put ourselves in the best position possible towards the end and I think we did a good job of that and um you know took every game as as if it were you know meaningful in the standings which they were and um I think I think you know that that's gonna help us prepare for for all these games being meaningful meaningful too was that we we put such a such an importance on getting points here towards the end.
SPEAKER_02And um but yeah no it's been a tight division all year and I think uh as we've seen all the teams can beat each other.
SPEAKER_00So yeah it'll it'll be a super competitive I know that we in the media pay pretty close attention and have learned to pay play play pretty close attention rather to NHL affiliates and how their squads do.
SPEAKER_02And if they make the playoffs and the ramifications that can have on AHL rosters here in the Coach Ballet of course as you referenced Goose we're enjoying the benefit of now having Jacob Melanson back with the Firebirds Yanni Newman back with the Firebirds Oscar Molgard uh having both of our goalies back who are up there for the past week is that something that you pay attention to and and I'll just also interject I mean we saw last year with Abbotsford I mean they got a bunch of guys back and we the birds played him in the second round it was kind of it was like facing a a totally different and better hockey team that we'd seen in contrast with most of last year's Abbotsford uh season and then this year the Abbotsford team that we faced in the season finale yeah they ultimately finished ninth because they didn't have all those guys anymore I mean is that is that something that that rostered personnel is it something that you're paying attention to um a little bit I mean I I think it's a it's a little bit out of out of guys controls and um you know for the for the guys that that aren't going up and down and and you know or kind of making still having to play those games without without some of your top players sometimes like you know it creates a bigger onus on uh on continuing you know to win games and continuing to get points throughout the year and then you know yeah I I think it's it's a challenge sometimes but it also you know allows opportunity for guys to step up and and and grow into bigger roles and then you know when guys kind of funnel back you feel like guys have taken a step in the meantime and and those guys that have had experience with with their NHL teams you know they come back better off and I think timing of it is always a little bit out of out of you know the team's control but it can work you know in your favor and you know if you're getting guys back and it can work in the other way if you're not but finding finding ways to win and and having a culture and identity and within your team to be able to withstand some of some of the the guys getting called up is super important. I think we've done a good job of that over the years to kind of get through you know not having some of your players that you're used to in your lineup and um you know uh now we have all the pieces so for us you know we're we're in a good spot right now.
SPEAKER_00Yeah of course Bakersfield their parent club Edmonton Oilers they are in the Stanley Cup playoffs so they don't enjoy the benefit of having those pieces that you reference or those reinforcements as I think I say that let's talk about Bakersfield a little bit more. It's a team that gave you a handful over the course of the year you guys had so much success against these other tough teams in the Pacific division against Bakersfield the record was 2-4 and 2 but I think it's worthy of note that it's a team that you played just twice in the 20 uh since the calendar flipped to 2026.
SPEAKER_02As far as not playing them a lot you haven't played them since February 28th does that matter no I don't I don't think so um you know we're pretty familiar with them over the years and you know know what their rank is like and know what their systems are like and you know we're we're gonna take a closer look at them but um no I I I don't think that matters much um you know and and a big focus focus for us will be you know what what we're putting out on the ice and what what our team's gonna do and and what we're gonna do individually and um you know have that dictate dictate you know how we want to play the game.
SPEAKER_00As far as their rank and their ice and their barn I have not uh had the pleasure or perhaps displeasure of going to watch a Firebirds game in Bakersfield. What's it like?
SPEAKER_02Paint the scene for us a little bit Goose it's good uh travel's not bad uh to get there and um you know we uh we're there for business so um you know it's uh it's a it's a good atmosphere to play in and um you know we're familiar with that rank in that locker room and um you know I think that's the biggest thing is that you can kind of visualize yourself being there and and performing well and um it'll be a good test for us nonetheless.
SPEAKER_00Yeah Bakersfield at least statistically and yeah we've come to see them a lot know some of their personnel and their and their players over the years and and certainly this year we know it's a team that on paper um they got good special teams uh they score a lot but they also give up a lot of goals assess this uh this matchup birds versus bakersfield a little bit further if you don't mind yeah I I don't know from a defenseman standpoint you look a lot of look a lot at their forward group and um you know throughout the year that's I think a huge threat of theirs is their top top few lines and um yeah I mean they they forecheck hard and they play hard and um but yeah I think I think for the defenseman and and myself it'll be be a big task and and you know excited for their forward group and um you know playing against them and I think uh yeah our group is very deep as well so we'll we'll match up well against them and but yeah I've I've seen seen them a lot over the years so so kind of know what to expect.
SPEAKER_02And I'll ask you lastly and I'm not gonna I'm not gonna put you on the spot for any kind of prediction that's for our peanut gallery and the in the media folks but I'll ask it to you this way Goose and I'll ask you lastly what's it gonna take for the Firebirds to uh to take down the condors in this first series I think just I don't know just our preparation here um no we're just excited to prepare this week and um we have a really good good feeling internal feeling in our in our locker room and within our team and we're excited to to see where we can take things from here.
SPEAKER_00Alright friends this is Gustav Olivson defenseman in his fourth year and fourth playoff appearance with the CB Firebirds go get him Goose up at Bakersfield on Thursday and we'll look forward to welcoming you and the boys back to the Birds Barn here for maybe we'll just be one game.
SPEAKER_03Maybe we'll just take this thing on Saturday night and move on to the second round nonetheless uh we look forward to seeing how this first series plays out but go get him up at Bakersfield and thank you for your time man right fire birds friends let's get to this episode's desert shootout segment as prefaced enjoyed that chat with defenseman gustav Olovson and we go to uh to a different goose at least a taller goose for that for for that matter goose is is tall Chad Powers is tall he's also the sports and leisure editor of the Desert Sun newspaper you can read all about it at desert sun.com all the local news sports firebirds coverage special edition of course of the Desert Shootout ironically we have more questions but less time I don't know how we're gonna squeeze it all in but nonetheless we set them up we knock them down Chad welcome back buddy thanks I guess in the world of birds a goose is pretty tall so I will allow that transition good job stork stork would be even taller certainly I think okay I can re-record that if we need I don't know between we've got firebirds condors goose references have been abundant at this playoff edition episode of the Desert Suns Fire and Ice podcast all right not five questions anymore we're in the important part of the season so we extend it to seven questions and we start with this one for Shad Powers with the health and reinforcements on the birds roster this uh this playoff squad the makeup uh of this team this roster has you feeling what Chad I mean I'm gonna go with the word upbeat why not right um we kind of got like a super small taste of it on Saturday night that seemed like the ultimate loaded roster that we'll probably present on uh when the uh playoffs start on Thursday and boy I just like the way that looks and of course the scores took cool so um no reason not to be excited I mean when you're looking at guys like JR Avon and Rakoff on the fourth line that that lets me know you've got some scoring ability all up and down the the the list there so it's I wish we had a little bit more of time for them to have all played together a lot but hey can't complain I think we're gonna be as fully loaded as we've seen uh when the playoffs start yeah I agree uh many if not most if not all of those points and it covers what we talked about in the most recent media roundtable episode that this is what we anticipated.
SPEAKER_00Thought maybe there could be a Ryan Winterton uh injection but of course while eligible and not played for the Firebirds all year long. But we got our guys back. We have a lot of serious depth I would agree with you upbeat is a very applicable word. Question two of seven for Shad Powers for this series you're keeping close eye on what?
SPEAKER_03Not necessarily whom here Shad but what I mean this might be a little bit stereotypical thing to say but I'm gonna say the special teams um you know we know that the power play offense has been a bugaboo for the Firebirds all year. Looking at the numbers a little bit they actually have the second fewest power play goals of the entire AHL thank you to the Manitoba Moose for having fewer um and they and Bakersfield meanwhile scores at a pretty good clip 22% the Firebirds score at 15%. So it seems to be a particular specialty of Bakersfield in a particular uh you know drought area for us however as just referenced of course we haven't had this much firepower on the on the power play either but that's gonna be an area I'm interested in slight um side detour of the power play one thing that is interesting is Bakersfield has yielded the most excuse me yielded the most shorthanded goals. They've yielded the most shorthanded goals so maybe again with this sort of more prolific team we'll have an opportunity might arise for a uh you know sneak attack with a with a shorthanded goal which it always is a game changer so be on the lookout for that you might see a firebridge shorthanded goal some point.
SPEAKER_00Yeah excellent stats and research man and again I'm inclined to agree with you not so much about the kill maybe even not so much about what the Condors are sporting on their special teams but our power play has to step up to a level that's beyond the 15 point whatever percent that evidenced throughout the regular season.
SPEAKER_03Question three Bashad powers and the desert shootout what do you think is the key Firebirds player for this first round series I mean it's funny all this lead up to the thing we haven't really talked about goalies much on the Firebird so I'll go ahead and say Nikkei Coco obviously exciting for him got his first NA Win a couple weeks ago. Now he's back with the Firebirds. You know, if we're being honest, he has not been maybe as sharp and automatic this year as he was last year. So it'll be interesting to see if he can really become a lockdown guy. We know Bakersfield is a pretty high-scoring team. I think they scored the second most goals in the Pacific. So it's going to be important. There's going to be some moments where they're going to get quality shots on Coco. If he can make a few of those game-changing saves and then B not have any like uh slip-ups of his own, you know, that's going to be important. Obviously, I know it's easy to say the Kohly is an important person, but like I think even more so in this series, because I think there's going to be some goals scored. It feels like both teams might be ready to put some points on the board. So if you can steal one here and there, keep the firebirds in the game, I think that's going to be big. So I'll go with Coco and we'll see if he kind of like rises to the playoff occasion.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's a great point about the scoring accuracy and referenced earlier in this program. Bakersfield, they're third in the AHL. As you referenced, uh, with the enhanced firepower. So these may not necessarily be 2-1 playoff style games. We could be looking at 5-4 uh type games. I do have a quick aside uh on that quite we'll call it we'll call it now question 4A. Um in the event, this is a hypothetical, not when we necessarily want to see birds go to Bakersfield on Thursday. Let's say we fall in that game, come back for Saturday. Would you anticipate still seeing Coco in Ned, or would Victor Osman be between the pipes for game two?
SPEAKER_03It's a great call. I think I think of the four postseasons we're embarking on, this will be the one where you might say the goalie goal, there's no clear number one goaltender. A real obvious choice. Clearly, Coco's number one, I should say. But you know, Osman is right there. We haven't had that kind of pressure on the number one goalie, I guess you could say, in any of our previous three playoff runs. So I think no, I think usually, I mean, I think coaches are just so reticent to shake the boat like that unless unless there's something very obvious. So I think even if a loss by Coco on Thursday, I think I would stick with him on Saturday, but maybe have a short leash if if things start to go south quick, um, bring Osman in. And I and I have plenty of confidence in Osman as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, he's just he's earned that. Uh we move to the original question four, and maybe we touched upon a few of these things, but you could switch it up a little bit. Uh the birds will win this series because I mean, because it all comes together on offense.
SPEAKER_03I mean, I just feel like they're going to be, you know, sort of peppering the goal with shots, finding open areas that that haven't been there a lot, or consistently at least. And I just love the line depth. Like I mentioned earlier. I mean, every line has three or two guys that you're just like, okay, this guy can go do it on his own, set somebody up. You know, I love the late, I love the late editions of like a Cooper Moroti has been really nice fit and feels like the type of guy that, of course, has been through playoffs before as as an AHL lifer. So I think I just like the makeup of the team. And I think a guy like a veteran presence like like like Cooper Moroti, of course, our own veterans like John Hayden, I think this is where guys like that step up and play even better than they have during the regular season. And I think that will lead the Firebirds to in a positive direction.
SPEAKER_00Well, inversely, you need to ask question five, the condors. We don't want to ask this question, nor do you want to answer it.
SPEAKER_03But the condors will win this series because Well, I mean, it's it's sort of a lot of the things we've already talked about, but you know, they are a high-scoring team, so it's not like I expect them to score two plus goals in every in every game. So like you said, I don't think we're gonna have any sort of one zero, two to one or so, with that in mind, keeping them around three, let's say, and not letting them get up into the five-six area where it's just a runaway, because I think that's they're the type of team that can score in bunches. Um, so not letting one maybe mistake goal turn into two because you're have your head down, those kind of things I think will be important. And if the Firebirds can't do that, that'll be an avenue for Bakersfield uh to do that. I think we all agree these teams are pretty equal, um, you know, and they've shown that during the course of the year. So I think that um, you know, Bakersfield technically has had our number during the year, but most of those games were before January 1st. So I'm not pinning much on that. But I mean Bakersfield is right there with us uh talent-wise, I think. So uh this is gonna be a game, this is gonna be a series of you know minute differences.
SPEAKER_00Question six, this one a little bit more amorphous, is something else we touched upon in the recent media uh round table, pardon me, but it's something that certainly matters, it's something that can be felt viscerally, it's something that has a real impact on the team. The players have talked so much about fan participation, fan turnout. I've seen a few different things happen over the years, especially in this first round. What are you hoping to see at Acrochure Arena when the birds return? And what are you expecting to see at Acrochure Arena when we get to the weekend?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, well, I think uh traditionally the first home playoff game has been very lightly attended because it comes up out of nowhere kind of fast, people aren't ready for it, and you maybe you don't have as much season ticket holders lining the stats. So, however, this year it's a little different with the schedule, a full week to get excited about it before Saturday comes around, the first home game. So I'm expecting a pretty good crowd, certainly in comparison to other playoff opening crowds. And then we've seen as they move on, the crowds get bigger and bigger. So I'm expecting that too, if they can do that. So I'm I'm feeling like they will have a pretty good crowd on Saturday and therefore a good home advantage. It sounded like Sunday's game, which ended up being meaningless, unfortunately, had a great crowd of 8,800. So that makes me think um that people are ready. You know, like I think there has been like, let's get to the playoffs, and then I'm gonna really show my fandom. I feel like that might happen this year, maybe more so than other years. Um so I feel like when the weekend comes around, we're gonna see a nice crowd at Accrocher, and that might make a difference.
SPEAKER_00Um again, I now have another aside. Uh of course we've got Stagecoach this weekend. Do you recall in the previous three years have the home games coincided with the festivals?
SPEAKER_03I do remember one year definitely being out at Stagecoach and tracking a Firebirds playoff game. So I know that happened once. Um, but yeah, it's a little bit unfortunate. Maybe there are some people that have stagecoach tickets locally that might have gone to the hockey game otherwise. So hopefully that doesn't um cause too many problems. If you are that person, make sure to give away your Firebirds tickets to somebody that's gonna go. Um so I think it'll be it'll be interesting, but uh but yeah, it every once in a while it hits with stagecoach, never the never the Coachella weekends. So I I remember that happening once. And um, but uh yeah, so to have possibly two games being right simultaneous to the stagecoach concerts will be could be interesting as far as turnout. My guess is that it won't have a humongous effect, though.
SPEAKER_00Wrap it up with this one, dude. The nitty and the gritty. Uh I will let you answer before I address it myself. Your series prediction from round one, birds versus Bakersfield.
SPEAKER_03I mean, geez, I hate to be this guy, but I'm gonna go ahead and say firebirds and two. I I just feel good about this coming together of the offensive guys. You know, I feel like this group has sort of played with uh we've got something to prove attitude all year. We would people talk about how young they are, and and that's that was all true, but I don't really think of that as a factor anymore. All these guys have a bunch of games under their belt, and I just think things are coming together nicely for the Firebirds at the right time. They had some big wins in the last two weeks that were sort of like playoff games. Um, they seem to rise up to those games, so I feel good. They steal one in Bakersfield, maybe win like some sort of long crazy over exciting overtime game at Accrochere on Saturday, and then everybody can go to the country music festival on Sunday, and then uh we'll see what uh happens after that. Um but but I feel good. Hey, the Firebirds always win the first uh round series, right? That's that's our history.
SPEAKER_00It is, yeah. Never not played in the second round in the previous three years, the Calder Cup playoffs. I'm inclined to agree with you, man. Skeptical of being able to get it done in two versus a Bakersfield team that we know and have established here in is very good and can certainly score some goals. But I think the birds are moving on to the second round, although it's gonna take three games. Expecting a very good series, as I've said personally, at least four times now in the last two episodes. This is not the first round matchup I wanted. This is the first game on the road, is a little bit funky and I think unfortunate, but um win or lose that opener on Thursday, I think the birds are still gonna get it done. So let's get you through stagecoach. You can dust off those cowboy boots, we'll get you back in the birds' barn where you belong for round two against whichever Pacific team we'll face.
SPEAKER_03We'll do. I don't want to extend it too long, but what do you think about that starting on the road? Apparently that was the Firebird's choice, is what I'm understanding. Uh how do you does that change your mind about it?
SPEAKER_00Um it it gives me an additional pause about um uh the ease of this series, I guess. I think if we both have uh I could say the royal all. I I think we if we pulled you know the the one-one one format would have definitely been I don't necessarily want to use the word fair uh as a as it would it be more fair? Maybe, but it just feels like in a series this slight, that first game is so important. It's huge, man. So to not be able to play that at home. Um any other series, I think you could argue the last game is the most important, save for the best of three. Where personally, I don't know if you agree with me, that first game I think it becomes the most important.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's interesting. How about this broader point, AHL, make that first round five game series?
SPEAKER_00Might as well.
SPEAKER_03Right. In a four or five matchup, I guess it's already pretty even, but in that two-seven matchup, for example, I always feel like that's a totally unfair to the number two.
SPEAKER_00It's absolutely unfair, and as we've also talked about uh amply, if not ad nauseum. I mean, the benefits of who or whom you might get back from your NHL parent club um have a lot of bearing on your roster. So, yeah, for that 2-7 matchup, you can have yourself an exemplary season, play seven great months, and get caught against some team that gets five guys back, and the next thing you know, your awesome season's done in three days.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So I don't like that. That's the broader point. However, you want to schedule it, go ahead. But let's make them let's make it a five-game first-round series.
SPEAKER_00All right. We'll start the lobby some team, sometime between stage coach and the end of this uh Calder Cup playoffs. We'll start sending letters to the good people at the AHL.
SPEAKER_03Well, I have to assume the AHL brass all listens to the uh Fire and Ice podcast, so I think they'll hear this.
SPEAKER_00The Desert Suns Fire and Ice Podcast. Presented by Desert Willow Golf Resort. Like I said, more questions? I don't know about less time, but we got it all done. We got it all in there, man. All right, go get those chaps and uh and uh your holster all ready for a great stage coach, but I know you'll be keeping tabs on the birds and condor, Chad Flowers, sports and nature editor at the Desert Sun. Always a pleasure, my friend.
SPEAKER_03All right, thanks a lot, John.
SPEAKER_00Alright, we'll wrap it up for this playoff edition episode of the Desert Suns, Fire and Ice podcast, presented by Desert Willow Golf Resort. So for each of your continued time, your interest, your ears, your support of this endeavor. Special thanks, of course, go to this episode's guest for defenseman boost off all of them, the Desert Sun newspaper, partner, Prime, and sports teams on Fire and Ice. Check out all their local foods, sports, and firebirds coverage online at DesertSun.com or Fox provides self-fiscle newspaper. Gratitude, of course, goes to the Desert Sun Sports major editor check out. Please join us in the epilogue segment of the Desert 2. Always a pleasure to visit the chat. Desert Willow Golf Resort, right here in Sunny Falls Desert, California. We are 1.5 miles away from the Bird's Home Ice of the Aperture Arena. That is home to the exceptional Fire Cliff and Excellent Mountain View Forces, respectively. Get those tea times online today at Desert Willow.com. When you're out there poking around, be sure to check out the excellent on-site home Desert Golf Academy. And again, it's a great time to play golf in the desert. Uh, slow down a little bit, not quite as many people. Over at Desert Willow Golf Resort. To reiterate, the playoff schedule for first round birds vs. Condors is a festive three getting underway this Thursday, April 23rd, 7 p.m. Birds at Bakersfield, taking place at Dignity Health Arena series and flies back to our yonder desert for game two this Saturday, April 25th. Condors at Coachella Valley, 6 p.m. puff drop. And game three, if necessary, deciding game three would take place this Sunday, April 26th. Condors at Coachella Valley. That would be a 5 p.m. puck drop. Took a look at the ticket map today, by the way. Saw some blue dots. Of course, now this this first round is tight. You know, the scheduling is tight. It happens fast. People got lives, people got stuff going on. Nonetheless, let's get rid of those blue dots on the ticketmaster chart or wherever you might be getting your birds ticket check, and maybe just going up to the to the window at Aquitur Arena. That's a great way to do it. Maybe you're going on cdfirebirds.com. I don't know where you're getting them. I don't care how you're getting them. All I know is that I want to omit those blue dots with available seats. We know how passionate and interesting and electrifying and exciting it can be when we get 9-10,000 people to fill that barn, especially for a playoff series. Let's omit the blue dots. Get yourself over to Aperture Arena this Saturday night for game two. And heck, maybe also you're proceeding that one of the watch parties taking place this Thursday night, 7 p.m. start to get the playoffs underway. Thanks again, everybody, for tuning in. Let's go make a run. You're in the second season. Appreciate you. As always, help you well.
