Game #43: Tucson Roadrunners (4) vs Coachella Valley Firebirds (3)
Game #43: Tucson Roadrunners vs Coachella Valley Firebirds
SOG: TUC (38) – CV (39)
PP: TUC (1/3) – CV (0/4)
COACHELLA VALLEY SCORING: Shane Wright (18), Ryan Winterton (12, 13)
TUCSON SCORING: John Leonard (9), Travis Barron (7), Josh Doan (17)
Jan Jenik, my oh my what a move to send Tucson into it’s fourth consecutive win and into first place in the Pacific Division. Jenik has 20 points (10 goals and 10 assists) in 30 games played this season and is in his fourth season with the Roadrunners. He is a third round draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2018.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
WE’LL SAVE YOU THE SMASHMOUTH REFRENCE – Maybe we won’t because we’re talking about our All-Stars. Forward Josh Doan and Goaltender Matthew Villalta. The two showed the Coachella Valley fans on Saturday night why they will each be heading to San Jose for the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic. Doan, Tucson’s leading scorer, added to his season total of 29 with a game-tying goal late in the third period on his team-leading 17th goal of the year. He would also bat leadoff for the Roadrunners in the shootout, and scored with a confidence only someone with the last name of Doan could have in a hockey game. Now let’s tap in to the night of Matthew Vi-wall-ta. 36 saves, clutch time saves in the shootout, and an AHL leading 22nd win. Not bad, he should probably be in the All-Star Ga… oh, good.
LOOK AT THIS
Tucson Roadrunners players John Leonard and Jan Jenik celebrate after Jenik’s nasty hesi-shootout game-winner to send Tucson into first place heading into the All-Star break. Both John Leonard and Jan Jenik were money in their shootout attempts and Tucson has now won four consecutive games and opened the Gem Show Trip with a 3-0 stretch through California.
THEY SAID IT
“We have a resilient group and a group that trusts each other. It is a good feeling heading into the break (AHL All-Star). Whenever you come here you have to be on your “A” game. This road trip proved that we can win in a million different ways”
Forward Josh Doan after Tucson’s 4-3 shootout victory on Saturday night.
THE RUNDOWN
It was Coachella Valley who would get on the board first and fire up (no pun intended) the Firebirds faithful in the building. The game, like a clock’s pendulum, went back and forth all night with three ties and three lead changes. The first would come from John Leonard who would light the lamp in period one and knot things up 1-1. Leonard was assisted by Cameron Hebig and Ryan McGregor.
Same story, different period in the second. Coachella Valley would get on the board first and retake the lead 2-1. It was Tucson’s turn to answer, and the Roadrunners would do so just 26 seconds later. It would be Travis Barron scoring his seventh goal of the season and silencing the crowd in Coachella Valley. Barron was assisted by Cameron Hebig and Curtis Douglas. Hebig is now tied with Josh Doan for most multiple point games on the team with six.
AHL All-Star Goaltender Matthew Villalta had a huge game, especially in the second making 13 saves in the frame and 36 on the night.
Coachella Valley would score first in the third, for the third time in the game, and Tucson would answer, for the third time in the game. This time Tucson’s answer would come just over a minute after the Firebirds goal and come on the man advantage. Josh Doan, the team’s active points leader and AHL All-Star selection, would score the power-play goal to knot things up 3-3 at the 12:57 mark of period three. Jan Jenik and Justin Kirkland would assist Doan on the play.
Overtime would lead to Coachella Valley outshooting Tucson 4-3, but neither side found the back of the net. The shootout was set and the fans moved to the edge of their seats and Josh Doan stepped up first for Tucson. Nails, as you can imagine, Doan scored and set the tone for the Roadrunners. Coachella Valley would answer, Justin Kirkland would answer that, and finally another Coachella Valley shootout score to even things up. Matthew Villalta would answer the Firebirds first save with a save of his own and all eyes would turn to Jan Jenik. Jenik would move quickly, slightly hesitate in front of the net, give the Coachella Valley goalie an “uh-oh” moment, and bury the puck sending Tucson home victorious. A 4-3 shootout win for Tucson would give the Roadrunners a four-game winning streak heading into the all-star break.
The AHL All-Star Classic opens Sunday at 6 p.m. with the Skills Competition and Monday at 7 p.m. with the three-on-three tournament where Goaltender Matt Villalta, Forward Josh Doan and Mascot Dusty will represent the Roadrunners. All of the action can be seen on NHL Network and AHLtv.
