GAME #29 PREVIEW: TUCSON ROADRUNNERS at TEXAS STARS

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Game #29: Tucson Roadrunners (16-11-1-0) vs Texas Stars (17-11-1-0)

Time: 6:00 p.m. MST, H-E-B Center, Cedar Park, TX

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Tucson Roadrunners Current Roster: CLICK HERE

Referees: #48 Beau Halkidis, #47 Mike Sullivan

Linespeople: #12 Carl Sasyn, #8 Aaron Schacht

The Tucson Roadrunners kick off the new year with a seven-game road trip, beginning with a two-game series against the Texas Stars this weekend at the H-E-B Center. The opening game is set for Friday at 6 p.m. MST.

Texas enters the matchup on a five-game winning streak, and has a 6-3-1-0 record over their last 10 games. Tucson has matched that 10-game record but comes into the series after back-to-back losses against the Colorado Eagles, one in regulation and one in overtime.

The Roadrunners have dropped to sixth place in the Pacific Division standings following their series with Colorado, but remain just two points behind the fifth-place Coachella Valley Firebirds and the fourth-place Eagles, who both have 35 points. Meanwhile, Texas has climbed to second place in the Central Division, also with 35 points.

Three things:

  • Forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Austin Poganski accounted for all three of Tucson’s goals in their recent series against Colorado. Yamamoto found the back of the net in both contests, adding an assist on Poganski’s late game-tying goal in game two to force overtime. It marked Yamamoto’s second multi-point performance in his last three games. Yamamoto is riding a four-game point streak and has tallied eight points (three goals, five assists) over his last seven games. Poganski is also on a four-game point streak, registering two goals and two assists during that span. He has recorded a point in six of his last seven games, with four goals and two assists.

  • Utah Hockey Club goaltender Connor Ingram was assigned to Tucson on a conditioning loan Tuesday as part of his recovery from an upper-body injury that landed him on injured reserve on Nov. 20. The reigning Bill Masterton Trophy winner has appeared in 13 games for Utah this season, posting a 6-4-3 record, a 3.61 goals-against average (GAA), and an .871 save percentage (SV%). On the opposing side, Texas goaltender Magnus Hellberg has been instrumental during the Stars’ five-game winning streak. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound goalie earned all five victories, including one shutout, and allowed two or fewer goals in the other four wins. Hellberg is tied for the second-most wins among AHL goaltenders, with a 14-4-1 record, a 2.62 GAA, and a .910 SV% this season. Tucson’s Matthew Villalta also had a strong December with a five-game winning streak that featured back-to-back shutouts. Villalta’s season stats closely resemble Hellberg’s, with a 2.70 GAA, a .911 SV%, and a 9-9-1 record.

  • The Roadrunners shot themselves in the foot with 11 penalties in their series against Colorado, including seven in game one. Despite the undisciplined play, Tucson successfully killed all 11 penalties and has gone 33-for-37 (89.2%) on the penalty kill over their last 10 games. For the season, Tucson’s penalty kill has been effective 84.1% of the time, ranking 12th in the AHL. The Roadrunners have not enjoyed the same level of success on the road, with a 79.6% success rate, placing them 21st in the league. Texas, by comparison, has an 81.4% overall penalty-kill success rate, ranking 20th in the league. The Stars have been more reliable at home, where their penalty kill ranks 15th with an 84.3% efficiency.

What’s the word?

“There’s a lot that happens on the road. There’s a lot of bonding and players have a singular focus. So, these types of road trips we tend to enjoy and usually we fare well. It’s going to be good for us. We had a good stretch at home, and now it’s time to improve our road record.“

Roadrunners coach Steve Potvin on the season-high seven-game road trip.

Number to Know:

2 – Defenseman Montana Onyebuchi recorded a season-high two assists in Tucson’s 3-2 overtime loss to Colorado on Sunday. It was his first multi-point performance of the season and his first since Dec. 9, 2022, when he logged a goal and an assist for the San Jose Barracuda against Coachella Valley. Sunday’s outing marked Onyebuchi’s fifth career multi-point game, with four coming during the 2022-23 season. It was also the third time he has registered two assists in a single contest. This season, Onyebuchi has totaled one goal, three assists, and a +5 rating, tied for the fourth-highest mark on the team.

Latest Transactions:

  • On Tuesday, Dec. 31, goalie Connor Ingram was assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners on a conditioning loan from the Utah Hockey Club.

We’re Doing It Live

Friday’s game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1450AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. with Roadrunners Warm-Up, hosted by “Voice of the Roadrunners” Jonathon Schaffer, who has all of the action from H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. The game can also be seen on AHLtv now on Flo Hockey.