Game #37: Tucson Roadrunners vs. Henderson Silver Knights
Game #37: Tucson Roadrunners (23-11-1-1) vs. Henderson Silver Knights (18-17-1-3)
Time: Friday, January 19, 7:00 p.m. MST, Tucson Convention Center, Tucson, Arizona
**LISTEN LIVE** HERE
**WATCH LIVE** HERE
Tucson Roadrunners Current Roster: CLICK HERE
Referees: #3 Jake Kamrass, #93 Phillip Kasko
Linespersons: #32 Robert Fay, #48 Jake Herzog
The Tucson Roadrunners continue their six-game homestand and fifth game in eight days as they now transition to the Henderson Silver Knights; on who they snagged three out of four possible points against back in November. The last time these two teams faced, they each had nine wins and were separated by one point. Since then, the Roadrunners are 14-5-0-0 while the Silver Knights have gone 9-11-0-2. Tucson has won seven of their last eight games at home and currently hold first place in both the Western Conference and Pacific Division.
Three things:
- Tucson’s special teams have now gone five-straight games with being perfect on the penalty-kill while having a power-play goal in each game; which is now a franchise high. In that stretch, the team is 5-for-16 on the power-play (31.2%) and 21-for-21 on the PK. Forward Aky Raty has led the way in power-play points in this five-game stretch with one goal and three assists for four-points while forward Austin Poganski is second with two goals and an assist. With his assist on Wednesday, Raty is tied with forward Dyan Guenther, who is with the Arizona Coyotes, in team power-play points with two goals and six assists for eight points.
- Forward Austin Poganski is coming off of his third-career three-point night with his first two goals at the TCC this season on Wednesday. In his last 12 games, Poganski has earned nine points (4 goals, 5 assists) with three of those coming on the power-play as mentioned before. With seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 28 games this season, Poganski is seventh on the Roadrunners in points and third in power-play points with six (3 goals, 3 assists).
- Goaltender Matthew Villalta has been outstanding in his last three starts since being named an AHL All-Star. He has allowed only two goals in the last nine periods of play (0.61 GAA) and has stopped 79-of-81 shots (.975 SV%) with a record of 3-0-0. Villalta has never had a stretch of three games like this before, his previous best three-game stretch came last season with the Ontario Reign where he went 3-0-0 with a 1.95 goals against average and .947 save percentage. A win tonight would give him a season-high four game goalie-win streak.
What’s the word?
“We continue to grow every game; I would say six or seven games is a segment for us and I think each segment we’ve improved as a team and individuals. We have another step to go and another level to increase our game and it’ll be fun for the second half here.”
Tucson forward Austin Poganski on starting the second half of the season tonight.
Number to Know:
48 – The number of points Tucson has entering Friday that currently sits at first in both the Pacific Division and Western Conference at the halfway point of the season. In the Division, Tucson is ahead of the Calgary Wranglers (47) by one point and two points ahead of the Ontario Reign (46). The Wranglers face off against the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Friday and the Reign play the Firebirds on Saturday.
Latest Transactions:
- The Roadrunners recalled forward Colin Theisen from Toledo (ECHL) today.
On The Headset:
Tonight’s game will be broadcasted live on the radio on FOX Sports 1450AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage will begin at 6:45 p.m. MST with Roadrunners Warm-up hosted by Jonathon Schaffer, before the “Voice of the Roadrunners” Adrian Denny has all the action from the TCC. The game will also be televised on AHLtv.
