3 Takeaways From Coachella Valley Firebirds’ First Round Win Over Bakersfield Condors – The Hockey Writers – Coachella Valley Firebirds

The Seattle Kraken might have missed the postseason for the third straight season, but their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate team, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, is making them proud. The Firebirds have only been in the AHL for four seasons and have clinched a playoff spot in all four. 

The Firebirds played their first round of the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs against the Bakersfield Condors, the Edmonton Oilers’ AHL team. The Condors took the lead in the series with a commanding 6-1 win in the first game. The Firebirds came back in the second game stronger, keeping the Condors at bay. It was tied 4-4 towards the end, and it appeared the game would head to overtime, but the Firebirds scored a late goal to take a 5-4 win. With the series tied 1-1, the two teams headed to Game 3. 

The Firebirds controlled the game, scoring four goals in the second period before the Condors could get on the board. The Condors attempted the comeback, scoring two goals early in the final frame, but two additional late goals from the Firebirds secured their 6-2 win, which allows them to move on in the playoffs. 

Fisker Molgaard Leads the Team 

Forward Oscar Fisker Molgaard was a star for the Firebirds in the first round of the playoffs. In the three games, he racked up five points via three goals and two assists. On top of this, he scored the empty-net insurance goal against the Condors in Game 3. He currently leads not only the team in goals, but he is also in a four-way tie for the lead in the AHL in playoff goals.

This season is Fisker Molgaard’s first full season in the AHL, after he only played seven games with the Firebirds last season. This is also the first time he is playing in the playoffs and is dominating the ice for his team. 

Fisker Molgaard also played in 13 NHL games this season with the Kraken and recorded two assists. The postseason is a more intense game in the AHL, so this is good practice to get him back up to NHL-level play style. Let’s hope Fisker Molgaard can continue this performance into the semifinals. 

Firebirds Completed the Comeback 

The Firebirds had a poor performance in Game 1, losing by a huge margin. They regrouped and kept pace in Game 2, which allowed them to keep pace with the Condors’ play style and secure the win. On home ice, the Firebirds beat the Condors by a huge margin, which gave Bakersfield a taste of their own medicine from the first game. 

When the series is a best-of-three, there is a lot more pressure since there is so little room for error. Even though the Firebirds didn’t have the strongest performance in Game 1, they pulled themselves together and played as they have all season. The Firebirds proved why they have made the postseason all four seasons since joining the AHL. 

Firkus Demonstrating NHL-Caliber Play 

Jagger Firkus might not have as many points as Fisker Molgaard, but he continues to demonstrate his strength on the ice. In the second period of Game 3, the Condors tried to skate the puck to their offensive zone, but Firkus stole the puck. He dropped it down to Logan Morrison while he skated into the faceoff circle. Morrison passed to Firkus, whose shot gave the Firebirds a two-goal lead. 

This goal was a huge turning point in the game, as it increased Coachella Valley’s lead. The team went on to score two more goals in the following 12 minutes, and Firkus recorded another point, an assist on Jani Nyman’s goal. 

In total, Firkus has three points in the postseason thus far. In the regular season, he recorded 56 points, the second-highest point total of anyone on the team. He continues to grow as a player and demonstrate his skills. Let’s see how he does in the rest of the postseason, but the Kraken should definitely consider bumping him up to the NHL next season. 

Firebirds Move on to Round 2 

The Firebirds will kick off the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs against the Ontario Reign. The best of five series kicks off in Ontario on Wednesday, April 29, at 7 PM PT.