There’s making your case, and then there’s this.

While his former classmates at Air Force took part in Senior Night on Saturday, goaltender Shane Starrett was winning his 21st game of a dominant season with the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors.

Starrett, 24, was named February’s AHL goaltender of the month on Friday. He became the first goalie in the 21-year history of the team to win 14 straight games.

 His 2.19 goals-against average leads the 31-team league.

The AHL team is owned by and affiliated with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, who signed Starrett to a free agent contract after his sophomore year at Air Force, before his mandatory service requirement kicked in.

“It looks as though he signed with the right team,” Falcons coach Frank Serratore said recently. “I’m not an expert on the National Hockey League, but a guy that’s doing that well…I can’t imagine that he’s not going to get an opportunity sometime, someplace.”

The Condors had won 17 straight games, tied for the second-longest streak in AHL history, before Friday night’s 1-0 loss to the Iowa Wild. Starrett bounced back with a 32-save effort Saturday.

The Bellingham, Mass., native is trying to bring the AHL playoffs to Bakersfield for the first time.

“The fans have been great,” Starrett said. “It’s definitely a fun team.”

The NHL, however, looms large.

The Oilers are seven points outside of a wild-card playoff spot and expected to retool during the offseason. While Edmonton calls up Condors nearly weekly, the team is rolling with the goaltending tandem of Mikko Koskinen, signed to a three-year, $13.5 million contract extension Jan. 22, and backup Anthony Stolarz, acquired just before the Feb. 25 trade deadline.

Edmonton likes its tall netminders, as both stand above Starrett’s already above-average 6-foot-5.

For his part, Starrett is on the latter end of a two-year, entry-level deal and making an average of $925,000 per year including performance bonuses, according to CapFriendly. He’s set to be a restricted free agent. 

Starrett, clearly, is keeping his focus in California. He lets his performances – he’s 21-4-3 with three shutouts – do the talking.

“I’m more focused on the next game than what’s going to happen in the future,” he said. “I can’t control what management wants from me. All I can control is giving my best effort.”

In the meantime, he can see the improvement under goaltending coach Sylvain Rodrigue, and is enjoying this time on a winning team.

“I’ve improved my game from Day 1 of training camp till now,” he said.

As in his first professional season, spent mostly with the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder, his Air Force teammates pop in from time to time. Starrett said recent graduate Jordan Himley is stationed in Los Angeles, and made the trip.