GAME #19 PREVIEW: TUCSON ROADRUNNERS AT CALGARY WRANGLERS

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Game #19: Tucson Roadrunners (10-8-0-0) at Calgary Wranglers (15-5-1-0)

Time: 7:00 p.m. MST, Scotiabank Saddledome, CGY, AB

LISTEN LIVE HERE

WATCH LIVE HERE 

Tucson Roadrunners Current Roster: CLICK HERE

Referees: #49 Riley Brace, #70 Ben Becker

Linespeople: #81 Michael Roberts, #42 Luke Pye

Supervisor: Chris Edwards

The Tucson Roadrunners kick off December with a two-game road series against the Calgary Wranglers at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Friday’s game, set for 7 p.m. MST, marks Tucson’s first trip to Calgary this season and is one of its most significant matchups to date. The Wranglers sit atop the Western Conference and Pacific Division and hold an 11-point lead over the seventh-place Roadrunners.

Despite Calgary’s position in the standings, Tucson swept the Wranglers in their most recent meeting on Nov. 22 and 23. That sweep sparked the Roadrunners’ current run, who have won five of their last six games. Calgary quickly rebounded, securing back-to-back wins against the Manitoba Moose on Nov. 29 (6-1) and Dec. 1 (3-2). Both teams enter the series riding two-game winning streaks and with six wins in their last 10 contests.

Three things:

  • Tucson’s veteran core has been instrumental during the team’s hot streak. Captain Austin Poganski and assistant captains Ben McCartney, Travis Barron, Kevin Connauton, and Andrew Agozzino have scored 40% of the team’s goals over the past six games (9 of 22). Connauton and Barron have each tallied one goal in the last two games. McCartney has two short-handed goals and two assists for four points in his last five games. Poganski has six points in his last six games (two goals and four assists), including a team season-high three-assist performance against Calgary on Nov. 23. Agozzino has a four-game point streak and a two-game goal streak. He also has three goals and two assists for five points in his last four games.
  • Forward Kailer Yamamoto has been electrifying for Tucson and has a current league-best seven-game point streak. In just 10 games this season, he’s tallied 12 points (five goals, seven assists), averaging 1.20 points per game (15th in the AHL). His impact was evident in the November series against Calgary, where he notched four points (one goal, three assists) and posted a +4 rating. Yamamoto has also been effective on the penalty kill and is one of only two Roadrunners with a shorthanded point. He tallied an assist on Ben McCartney’s short-handed goal versus Calgary on Nov. 23.
  • Calgary will be without forwards Walker Duehr and Jakob Pelletier, who were called up to the NHL’s Calgary Flames on Monday. The duo had been tied for second in team scoring with 19 points each, trailing only Rory Kerins (22 points). Duehr’s 11 goals also ranked second on the team. However, the Wranglers will benefit from the return of forward Adam Klapka. He was reassigned to the Wranglers from the Flames on Monday after a two-week NHL stint. Before his call-up, Klapka had a five-game point streak and a three-game goal streak. He’s tallied five goals and three assists in his last five games.

What’s the word?

“Calgary is going to be ready for us. We got them twice, a couple of weeks back, so they’re going to be hungry, and they’re gonna be ready.”

Roadrunners captain Austin Poganski on the weekend series against Calgary.

Number to Know:

400 – Connauton reached a significant career milestone on Saturday, playing his 400th AHL game against the San Diego Gulls. The 15-year pro has recorded two goals and three assists in 15 games this season, ranking third among Roadrunner defensemen in points. Over his AHL career, Connauton has compiled 156 points (47 goals, 109 assists). He rejoined the Roadrunners this summer for his second stint with the organization, having also played 185 games with the Arizona Coyotes and 360 total NHL games.

Latest Transactions:

  • On Wednesday, Dec. 4 Maksymilian Szuber was returned on loan to the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL) from the Utah Hockey Club (NHL).

We’re Doing It Live
Friday’s game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1450AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. with Roadrunners Warm-Up, hosted by “Voice of the Roadrunners” Jonathon Schaffer, who has all of the action from the Scotiabank Saddledome. The game can also be seen on AHLtv now on Flo Hockey.