GAME #65 PREVIEW: TUCSON ROADRUNNERS vs CALGARY WRANGLERS

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Game #65: Tucson Roadrunners (30-29-3-2) vs Calgary Wranglers (32-25-4-3)

Time: 6:30 p.m. MST, Tucson Arena, Tucson, AZ

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Tucson Roadrunners Current Roster: CLICK HERE

Referees: #47 Mike Sullivan, #26 Austin Rook

Linespeople: #54 Anthony Caruso, #14 Jett Larson

Supervisor: Chris Edwards

The Tucson Roadrunners (30-29-3-2) return to home ice for a pivotal four-game homestand, beginning with a two-game set against the Calgary Wranglers (32-25-4-3) at Tucson Arena. The series kicks off Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. MST, with the series finale set for Wednesday at the same time.

Tuesday marks Tucson’s first home game since a thrilling 6-5 victory over the San Jose Barracuda on March 16, which capped off a series sweep. Since then, the Roadrunners have gone 1-4 on a grueling five-game road trip that ended with back-to-back losses to the San Diego Gulls and Bakersfield Condors.

The Wranglers arrive in Tucson in a similar position, reeling from consecutive losses to those same opponents. Calgary suffered an 8-2 defeat in Bakersfield on Friday before falling 3-1 to San Diego on Saturday. The Wranglers have dropped three straight and four of their last five as they look to salvage their current four-game road trip.

Once perched atop the Pacific Division standings, Calgary has slipped to sixth place with 71 points. The Roadrunners, now sitting in eighth, remain in striking distance of a playoff spot with 65 points—just one behind seventh-place Bakersfield for the division’s final postseason berth. A strong showing against Calgary could not only leapfrog Tucson past the Condors but also bring them within two points of the Wranglers.

This week’s series marks the fourth and final regular-season series between the two division rivals. The season series has been defined by sweeps—Tucson took both games at home in November before Calgary responded with four straight wins, sweeping the Roadrunners in early December and mid-January. Tucson enters the final showdown with a 2-4 record against the Wranglers, aiming to flip the script on home ice.

Three Things:

  • Stauber’s Return to the Crease
    Goaltender Jaxson Stauber is expected to make his first start for the Roadrunners since March 7 after being reassigned from the NHL’s Utah Hockey Club on Friday. The 25-year-old netminder has played six NHL games this season, matching his career high from 2022-23 when he went 5-1 with the Chicago Blackhawks. In four starts with Utah this year, Stauber posted a 2-1-1 record with a 3.26 goals-against average (GAA) and a .892 save percentage. He has been solid for Tucson, boasting a 10-5-2 record in 17 AHL appearances, along with a 3.11 GAA and a .898 save percentage. Stauber has won two of his last three starts for the Roadrunners and looks to pick up his first victory against Calgary after a 4-3 loss to the Wranglers in his only start against the Wranglers in January.

  • Home-Ice Heatwave: Douglas, Agozzino, and Szuber 
    Curtis Douglas has been a force on home ice, riding a four-game home goal streak with five tallies in Tucson’s last homestand. His streak was a career-best and tied for the longest by a Roadrunner this season. Alternate captain Andrew Agozzino has also been producing at Tucson Arena, carrying a three-game home point streak with six points (3G, 3A) over that span. His standout performance came on March 15 against San Jose, when he recorded his fourth career hat trick—the team’s second of the season and first since Cameron Hebig’s on Jan. 3 against Texas. Meanwhile, defenseman Max Szuber has quietly been an offensive catalyst on the blue line, notching five points (1G, 4A) in his last three home games.

  • Offensive Leaders Stepping Up
    The Roadrunners’ top scorers delivered during their recent five-game road trip, with captain Austin Poganski leading the way. Poganski paced the team with five points (1G, 4A), including a three-assist performance against Colorado on March 23—his team-high second such outing of the season. Alternate captain Ben McCartney, Sammy Walker, and Agozzino were also key contributors, each tallying four points on the trip. McCartney picked up an assist in Saturday’s game against Bakersfield, giving him four points (1G, 3A) over the stretch. He has registered points in three of the last four games and has seven points (3G, 4A) in his last seven contests. Walker found the back of the net against the Condors and has produced points in three of his last four outings (2G, 1A). Agozzino, meanwhile, has maintained his strong form with multi-point performances in two of the last three games, totaling four points (2G, 2A) in that span.

What’s the Word?

“We have to know the moment and know what we’re in for here for the next four games at home, and use the crowd to your advantage and then go from there.“

Roadrunners forward Hunter Drew on the importance of capitalizing on home ice after back-to-back losses.

Number to Know:

12 – The Roadrunners have built momentum on home ice, riding a two-game winning streak at Tucson Arena. In their last homestand, they erupted for 12 goals across back-to-back victories over the San Jose Barracuda on March 15 and 16. That offensive surge marks the most goals Tucson has scored in consecutive games this season.

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We’re Doing It Live

Tuesday’s game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1450AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 6:15 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.