Tucson Roadrunners Road Ahead: Back 2 Canada

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Upcoming Games (All Times MST)

Friday, December 6, 7:00 p.m. @ Calgary Wranglers

Saturday, December 7, 6:00 p.m. @ Calgary Wranglers

Friday, December 13, vs. Henderson Silver Knights (Swiftie Knight)

Saturday, December 14, vs. Henderson Silver Knights (Teddy Bear Toss)

Getting Hot Into The Cold Months:

The Roadrunners enter the month of December having won five of the last six matches: finishing the month out with a 7-4-0-0 record after starting the first five games at 2-3-0-0 in the month. Tucson at one point in November was two games below .500 at 5-7-0-0. Now the team has managed to go on a 5-1-0-0 stretch and get two games over .500 for the first time this season at 10-8-0-0. In the stretch, the Roadrunners have outscored their opponents 22-17: averaging 3.66 goals-per-game. Forward Kailer Yamamoto has led the charge for Tucson: scoring four goals and adding five assists for nine points in his last six games. He also took his point streak to seven games with a goal on Saturday’s 3-0 victory versus the San Diego Gulls: scoring four goals and adding six assists for 10 points in his point streak. December was Tucson’s best month of the season in 2023-24: going 9-2-0-0 in 11 games after a 7-3-1-1 November. To top it off, the Roadrunners were 10-6-1-1 at the end of November last season: the same amount of wins they currently have to end the month in 2024-25.

Pogo On The Hop:

Roadrunners captain Austin Poganski has lit up the scoresheet in Tucson’s recent success of games. The second-year Roadrunner has six points (2 goals, 4 assists) in his last six games: including a three-assist game on Saturday, November 23 versus the Calgary Wranglers. After starting the season with one point in 11 games, Poganski is now up to seven points in 17 games played. In the month of November, Roadrunners captains have combined for 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists): including Austin Poganski (2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points), Andrew Agozzino (3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points), Ben McCartney (3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points), Kevin Connauton (1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points) and Travis Barron (1 goal, 1 point).


Making The Most Of The Opportunity:

The Roadrunners power-play had provided the wins for Tucson in its recent stretch, but the unit itself has not been given much opportunity. Entering the week, the Roadrunners power-play ranks first in the Western Conference at 23.3%: with a line of 14-for-60. Though the total power-play goals rank 12th in the league for Tucson, the teams’ power-play opportunities rank at 27th in the AHL. In the last six games, the Roadrunners power-play unit has just 15 power-play opportunities: which averages to about 2.5 per game. To put that into perspective, the Hershey Bears, who lead the league in power-play opportunities, have been given 24 opportunities in their last six games. In addition, Tucson has gone nine-straight games with three or less extra man opportunities. Out of the 15 recent power-plays in the last six games, Tucson has scored on six tries for a 40% rate. Out of all the teams in the bottom 10 of the league in power-play opportunities, the Roadrunners are the only team with a power-play that’s 23% or better.

Finding His Groove:

Arizona native and Roadrunners Forward Josh Doan has once again found his groove after going scoreless in six of his first seven games with Tucson. In his last five games, Doan has notched two goals and four assists for six points: including five of them coming in Tucson’s 3-1 homestand against the Pacific Division first place Calgary Wranglers and the red-hot Coachella Valley Firebirds. Doan also now ranks third on the team in power-play points (5) and second in multiple-point games (3). He also is first on the team in shots-per-game at 2.33. The second-year pro has hit the 60-point mark of his AHL career; notching 33 goals and 27 assists in 88 career games.


The Old Tandem Succeeding:

Goaltender Matthew Villalta has taken the reigns of the crease with a little help from fellow Goaltender Dyan Wells since the recall of Jaxson Stauber to the Utah Hockey Club on November 20. In his last four starts, Villalta has gone 3-1-0-0 with a 2.98 goals against average and .898 save percentage. However, in the three victories, Villalta has a 1.67 goals against and .937 save percentage: including a 22-save shutout against the San Diego Gulls on Saturday, November 30. Villalta, who faces the Calgary Wranglers with the Roadrunners on Friday, December 6 and Saturday, December 7, stopped 53-of-58 for a .913 save percentage and 2.50 goals against average versus the Calgary Flames Affiliate: helping Tucson sweep Calgary in a two-game series back on Friday, November 22 and Saturday, November 23. Dylan Wells, who was recalled to the Roadrunners the same day as Stauber’s recall to Utah, made his first start of his 2024-25 Roadrunners campaign: shelling off 24 of 27 shots he faced in-route to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Wednesday, November 27.


We Are Live:
Tucson Roadrunners Happy Hour airs every Tuesday at 5 p.m. on FOX Sports 1450AM and the iHeartRadio app, with a podcast version also available after each episode on the iHeartRadio app and Apple Podcast. This week, “Voice of the Roadrunners” Jonathon Schaffer and Co-Host Kim Cota-Robles are joined by Roadrunners Goaltending Development Coach Jeff Hill. Listen live each week HERE and the podcast version after HERE.