GAME #21 PREVIEW: TUCSON ROADRUNNERS vs HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS

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Game #21: Tucson Roadrunners (10-10-0-0) vs Henderson Silver Knights (6-16-0-0)

Time: 7:00 p.m. MST, Tucson Arena, TUC, AZ

LISTEN LIVE HERE

WATCH LIVE HERE 

Tucson Roadrunners Current Roster: CLICK HERE

Referees: #50 Ben Solomon, #22 Jim Curtin

Linespeople: #74 Eric Anderson, #48 Jake Herzog

The Tucson Roadrunners open a four-game homestand, starting with a Friday night matchup against the Henderson Silver Knights at 7 p.m. MST at Tucson Arena. Tucson is looking to get back in the win column after dropping its last two games against the Calgary Wranglers last weekend, finishing its three-game road trip with a 1-2 record.

The Roadrunners and Silver Knights previously faced off on November 15 and 16, each team securing a win to split the series. Since then, Henderson has lost seven of its last nine games, including a 5-4 defeat to the San Diego Gulls on Wednesday.

Three things:

  • Three Roadrunners enter Friday’s contest riding three-game point streaks: forwards Curtis Douglas, Travis Barron, and Josh Doan. Douglas and Barron have each tallied three points during that span, contributing one goal and two assists apiece. Meanwhile, Doan has recorded four points with one goal and three assists. Impressively, Doan has registered points in six of the last seven games, amassing nine points on three goals and six assists. He’s also had three multi-point games in that span.
  • Forward Andrew Agozzino has been on a roll, registering points in five of his last six games, tallying six points from three goals and three assists. The 13-year veteran is closing in on a significant career milestone, and could reach it during the Roadrunners’ four-game homestand.  With 595 career AHL points, Agozzino needs just five more to reach the 600-point mark. He currently ranks fourth in career regular-season points among active AHL players, trailing Chris Terry of the Bridgeport Islanders (762), Cal O’Reilly of the Milwaukee Admirals (744), and T.J. Tynan of the Colorado Eagles (601).
  • Friday marks the second game of a six-game road trip for Henderson, their longest and most demanding stretch of the season so far, featuring six games in just 11 days. Despite the challenge, the Silver Knights have shown stronger performances on the road this season, with a 4-6 record away from Lee’s Family Forum compared to a 2-10 record at home.

What’s the word?

“Whenever you come home, you want to play well for the fans. Obviously, it wasn’t the weekend we wanted, but we have another opportunity here at home to get a couple more wins and continue to climb the standings.”

Roadrunners forward Josh Doan on the upcoming four-game homestand.

Number to Know:

31 – The Roadrunners registered 31 shots in each game of their recent series against the Calgary Wranglers. This marked the second time this season that Tucson recorded over 30 shots in both games of a series. It also ranked as the team’s third-highest shot total in a two-game series, trailing its October matchup against the Bakersfield Condors (72 shots across two games) and its November series against Calgary (64 shots across two games). Tucson holds a strong 6-2 record when outshooting its opponents, including a 4-2 mark on home ice.

Latest Transactions:

  • On Wednesday, Dec. 11 defenseman Kevin Connauton was recalled from the Tucson Roadrunners (AHL) to the Utah Hockey Club (NHL).
  • On Thursday, Dec. 12, the Tucson Roadrunners signed defenseman Hudson Wilson from the Allen Americans (ECHL) to a PTO.

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 Tucson Arena. The game can also be seen on AHLtv now on Flo Hockey.