GAME #58 PREVIEW: TUCSON ROADRUNNERS vs SAN JOSE BARRACUDA

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Game #58: Tucson Roadrunners (27-25-3-2) vs San Jose Barracuda (29-20-4-3)

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

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Tucson Roadrunners Current Roster: CLICK HERE

Referees: #51 Bobby Jo Love, #16 Adam Tobias

Linespeople: #54 Anthony Caruso, #76 Gabe Lomen

The Tucson Roadrunners (27-25-3-2) open a pivotal two-game weekend series against the San Jose Barracuda (29-20-4-3) on Saturday at 7 p.m. MST at Tucson Arena. The series finale is set for Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. MST, marking the final regular-season meeting between the two Pacific Division rivals.

The Roadrunners enter the weekend looking to snap a three-game losing streak following back-to-back 4-2 losses to the Ontario Reign on Tuesday and Wednesday. Prior to the skid, Tucson had been rolling, winning five of six games and securing a season-high six-game point streak from Feb. 22 to Mar. 7.

San Jose, however, could be the perfect opponent for Tucson to regain their momentum. The Roadrunners halted their previous season-high eight-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Barracuda on Feb. 7 in San Jose. The teams split that two-game series, with San Jose taking the rematch the following night, leaving the season series even at 1-1 heading into this weekend’s matchup.

Saturday marks their first meeting at Tucson Arena this season and the series carries major playoff implications in a tight Pacific Division race. Tucson currently holds the final postseason spot in seventh place with 59 points, sitting just two points ahead of eighth-place Bakersfield and six points back of San Jose. The Barracuda, tied with fifth-place Abbotsford at 65 points, are looking to create separation from the pack, while Tucson aims to climb the standings and strengthen its postseason position.

Three Things:

  • Douglas Delivers Again
    Curtis Douglas found the scoresheet for the second straight game on Wednesday, burying a rebound past Ontario goaltender Pheonix Copley from the top of the crease. The tally marked the first time this season that Douglas has scored in back-to-back games and brought his season total to five goals, matching last year’s mark in eight fewer games. The Oakville, Ontario, native continues to be a catalyst early in games, with three of his five goals coming in the first period. His offensive production has him closing in on key career milestones—Douglas now sits at 90 career AHL points, just 10 shy of 100, and is three games away from his 250th career AHL appearance.

  • Szuber Strikes on the Power Play
    Max Szuber continued his recent offensive surge on Wednesday, picking up his third point (1G, 2A) in the last four games with a bomb from the point that put Roadrunners ahead 2-1 midway through the second period. His clapper marked the first power-play goal of his AHL career. The 22-year-old now has eight power-play points (1G, 7A) this season, ranking second among Roadrunners defensemen behind Robbie Russo’s 11 points (2G, 9A). Szuber’s goal also brought his season total to six, tying Kevin Connauton for the most among Tucson blueliners. With 19 points on the year, he ranks third among Roadrunners defensemen and is just one goal shy of matching his rookie-season total of seven.

  • Yamamoto and Agozzino Continue to Cook
    Kailer Yamamoto and Andrew Agozzino each picked up an assist on Max Szuber’s power-play goal Wednesday, extending their recent hot streaks. Yamamoto has now recorded four points (2G, 2A) in his last three games, while Agozzino has five points (3G, 2A) in his last six contests. The duo continues to lead Tucson’s power-play production. Yamamoto ranks first on the team with 14 power-play points (5G, 9A), while Agozzino sits second with 13 (5G, 8A). They also lead the team in points per game, with Yamamoto averaging 1.02 PPG and Agozzino 0.78 PPG. Yamamoto remains Tucson’s top scorer with 48 points (17G, 31A), a mark that ranks among the AHL’s top 15 scorers. Agozzino, meanwhile, sits fourth on the team with 31 points (14G, 17A) as he continues to be a key contributor.

What’s the Word?

“You know what, just his presence out there…he’s obviously really tough. I’m so happy to be able to see him get a couple there. He’s been playing really good these past two games and I’m happy he finally got rewarded there.”

Roadrunners alternate captain Ben McCartney on forward Curtis Douglas’ scoring streak

Number to Know:

4 – Forward Sammy Walker leads the Roadrunners with four points (2G, 2A) against the Barracuda this season—all recorded in a single game during Tucson’s February win over San Jose. His four-point performance remains the team’s season-high for points in a game and came in his Roadrunners debut after being acquired from the Iowa Wild. Walker’s explosive first game in Tucson made for one of the most memorable debuts in franchise history.

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We’re Doing It Live

Saturday’s game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1450AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. MST with Roadrunners Warm-Up, hosted by “Voice of the Roadrunners” Jonathon Schaffer, who has all of the action from Tucson Arena. Fans can catch all the action on AHLtv now on Flo Hockey and purchase tickets using the link here.