Game #56 – San Diego Gulls at Tucson Roadrunners

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7:00 p.m. MST, Tucson Arena, Tucson, Arizona

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Referees: Brandon Schrader (46) Mike Sullivan (89)

Linespersons: Anthony Caruso (54) Robert Fay (32)

The Tucson Roadrunners host the San Diego Gulls at the Tucson Arena Saturday night in the second matchup of a two-game weekend set. The series finale represents the seventh of eight total meetings on the year between the Roadrunners and the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, as Tucson has a chance to secure a winning record in the season series against their I-8 Border Rivals with a regulation victory. Saturday is also Hockey Is For Everyone Night Presented by O’Rielly Chevrolet, with a special ticket offer that includes a game ticket and a Hockey Is For Everyone Roadrunners Hat at available at TucsonRoadrunners.com/Everyone.

Three Things
1) The Roadrunners earned a standings point in Friday’s series opener against the Gulls after falling in overtime by a final score of 3-2. The contest represented the first game between Tucson and San Diego to go to overtime since the Roadrunners defeated the Gulls with a 3-2 shootout win in the final game of the 2021-2022 season. Friday was also the first one-goal game between I-8 Border Rivals since Tucson’s shootout victory on April 29, 2022. With the standings point, the Roadrunners moved to 6-0-1-0 in their last seven outings at home and 3-1-1-0 in their last five contests overall. With a seven-game unbeaten streak on their home ice, Tucson is one game away from matching the longest streak in team history from the 2019-2020 season.

2) Tucson forward Mike Carcone opened the scoring 13:13 into the first period on Friday with his team-leading 26th goal of the season. Carcone has netted the first goal of a game four times this year, which leads the team. The 26-year-old opened the scoring in five contests last season, which was tied for the second most by a Roadrunners skater in team history. The tally kept him atop the American Hockey League in total scoring with 26 goals and 40 assists for 66 points across 48 outings this year. Carcone is also just one point away from matching the Roadrunners single-season points record of 67, which was set by Chris Mueller in Tucson’s inaugural 2016-2017 campaign.

3) Roadrunners forward Cameron Hebig netted his seventh goal of the year on Friday, tying the game at 2-2 midway through the second period. Five of Hebig’s seven goals on the season have come at the Tucson Arena, with five tallies overall since a two-goal performance on January 24 against the Chicago Wolves at home. Roadrunners Captain Adam Cracknell has also been putting up offensive numbers at the Tucson Arena all season long, with 25 points (12g 13a) in 23 home outings this year. The 37-year-old enters Saturday on an active seven-game scoring streak on home ice, with 11 total points (3g 8a) during that span.

What’s The Word?

“Obviously, we were disappointed with the end results [Friday] but I was proud of the guys’ efforts. There were a lot of moving parts this week, and I liked our effort and I liked that we didn’t stop. It’s the time of year where everything matters.”

Roadrunners Head Coach Steve Potvin on Tucson earning a standings point with just 16 skaters in the lineup on Friday. Down 2-1 in the second period, the Roadrunners evened the score at 2-2 midway through the frame to eventually force overtime.

Number to Know
9 – The number of skaters in Friday’s Arizona Coyotes lineup that had previously played for the Roadrunners. Forwards Milos Kelemen and J.S. Dea and defenseman Vlad Kolyachonok each took the ice for their second NHL outings of the year after being recalled from Tucson earlier on Friday. Forward Lawson Crouse, who appeared in 56 games for the Roadrunners in 2017-2018, scored his 20th goal of the season in the second period from Mullett Arena against the Carolina Hurricanes. Assisting on the score were defensemen JJ Moser and Victor Soderstrom, who have each spent time on Tucson’s blue line.

We’re Doing It Live
Tonight’s game will broadcast live on AHLtv, as well as on the radio on FOX Sports 1450AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. with Roadrunners Warm-Up hosted by Jimmy Peebles, before Adrian Denny has all the action from Tucson Arena.