Game #65: Tucson Roadrunners (3) vs Calgary Wranglers (2)
Game #65: Tucson Roadrunners (3) vs Calgary Wranglers (2)
SOG: TUC (20) – CGY (29)
PP: TUC (1/2) – CGY (1/3)
CALGARY SCORING: Rory Kerins (28, 29)
TUCSON SCORING: Ben McCartney (14), Austin Poganski (14), Cameron Hebig (22)
Tucson Climbs into Playoff Spot with 3-2 Win Over Calgary
TUCSON, AZ – The Tucson Roadrunners (31-29-3-2) took a major step toward the postseason Tuesday night, scoring twice in the third period to secure a crucial 3-2 win over the Calgary Wranglers (32-26-4-3) at Tucson Arena. The victory moved the Roadrunners into seventh place in the Pacific Division, putting them in the final playoff spot with seven games left in the regular season.
Alternate captain Ben McCartney opened the scoring on the power play just over five minutes into the game, deflecting a shot from Sammy Walker past Calgary netminder Walterri Ignatjew. The Wranglers responded with a power-play goal of their own, as Rory Kerins scored off the rush to tie the game at 1-1 midway through the first period.
Following a scoreless second period, Tucson captain Austin Poganski broke the deadlock early in the third, ripping a one-timer off a perfect centering feed from Ryan McGregor on a two-on-one rush. McGregor finished the night with a team-high two points with a pair of assists.
With the Wranglers pressing late, Cameron Hebig provided insurance with an empty-net goal—his team-leading 22nd of the season—before Kerins struck again in the final seconds to cut the deficit to one. However, Tucson held on to claim two crucial points. Roadrunners goaltender Jaxson Stauber made his first start since Mar. 7 and stopped 27 of 29 shots to secure his 11th win of the season.
Adding to the Roadrunners’ good fortune, the Bakersfield Condors fell 2-1 to the Abbotsford Canucks, allowing Tucson to leapfrog them in the standings. The Roadrunners now sit in seventh place with 67 points, one ahead of Bakersfield and four behind sixth-place Calgary as the postseason race heats up.
YA GOTTA SEE IT
Poganski delivered in the clutch, blasting home a one-timer late in the third period to lift the Roadrunners to victory. The go-ahead goal extended the captain’s recent hot streak, giving him six points (2G, 4A) over his last six contests.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
McCartney wasted no time making an impact, opening the scoring early in the first period and extending his recent hot streak. The Tucson alternate captain has recorded points in back-to-back games (1G, 1A) and has five points (2G, 3A) in his last five outings. His first-period tally also marked his fourth goal in eight games, dating back to March 15.
Walker, who set up the goal with a shot that McCartney deflected in, also extended his own point streak to two games. Walker has four points (2G, 2A) in his last five contests and six points (3G, 3A) over his last eight.
Defenseman Max Szuber picked up the secondary assist on the play, pushing his home point streak to four games. The blueliner has recorded six points (1G, 5A) in that span, with all five assists coming in the last three home games.
THEY SAID IT
“It’s a huge win for us. Coming in back at home, we knew these were important games, with the division so tight. It’s a logjam there, so we have to get everyone we can. Every every game is a must win and we’re fighting to move up. Calgory is a good team coming in, so we gotta keep her going here, and we have to keep focusing on the details and keep pushing because every game’s important downn the stretch.”
Roadrunners forward Cameron Hebig on opening the four-game homestand with a win
THE RUNDOWN
FIRST PERIOD
Calgary controlled play early, holding Tucson without a shot for the first four-and-a-half minutes. However, the Roadrunners quickly found their rhythm after Calgary’s Ilya Solovyov went to the box for interference and broke through on the power play at 5:04 when McCartney redirected Walker’s shot past Ignatjew to give Tucson a 1-0 lead.
Despite trailing, Calgary dictated much of the first half of the period, outshooting Tucson 9-2. Stauber stood tall, making key saves, including back-to-back stops on Jeremie Poirier and Ty Tullio six minutes in.
The Wranglers’ pressure led to a Tucson penalty, as defenseman Robbie Russo was called for slashing at the 11-minute mark. Calgary wasted no time on the power play, with Kerins flying into the zone and lifting a backhander from the right circle past Stauber to even the score at 11:23.
The Roadrunners pushed back late in the frame and nearly regained the lead when Julian Lutz carried the puck into the zone and set up Sam Lipkin in the slot. Lipkin’s one-timer was denied by Ignatjew, who then turned away Artem Duda’s rebound attempt with 3:28 left. The Wranglers goaltender’s efforts kept the game locked at 1-1 heading into the first intermission.
SECOND PERIOD
Stauber continued to shine in net and turned aside a flurry of high-danger chances to keep the game knotted at 1-1. Just three and a half minutes into the frame, he made a sprawling cross-crease save to rob Martin Frk’s one-timer. Six minutes later, he came up big again, sliding post-to-post to deny William Strömgren’s point-blank opportunity just before the period’s midway mark.
Stauber wasn’t done. With three minutes left, he made another clutch stop, shutting down Clark Bishop’s one-timer from the low slot. Bishop was called for slashing moments later, sending Tucson to its second power play of the night. However, Calgary’s penalty kill stifled the Roadrunners man advantage to keep the game tied heading into the final period.
THIRD PERIOD
The Roadrunners wasted no time reclaiming the lead as captain Poganski found the back of the net just 2:54 into the final frame. McGregor carried the puck into the zone and delivered a slick backhanded centering pass from below the left circle to set up Poganski in the slot. The captain didn’t miss, wiring a one-timer over Ignatjew’s glove to put Tucson ahead 2-1.
Calgary had a chance to respond immediately after Hebig was whistled for tripping on the next shift. However, the Roadrunners’ penalty kill stepped up, smothering the Wranglers’ power play and preventing them from recording a shot on goal.
The Wranglers held Tucson without a shot for nearly 10 minutes until Curtis Douglas appeared to give the Roadrunners insurance with just over four minutes remaining. Douglas finished off an odd-man rush, but the net was dislodged just before the puck crossed the goal line, keeping it a one-goal game.
Calgary pulled Ignatjew for the extra attacker with just under three minutes to play, but Hebig capitalized on the empty net, scoring with 2:32 left to give Tucson a 3-1 lead. The Wranglers made one last push, pulling their goalie again in the final minute, and Kerins netted his second of the night with just 10 seconds remaining. However, it wasn’t enough, as the Roadrunners held on for the 3-2 victory.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners close out their two-game series against the Calgary Wranglers on Wednesday night at Tucson Arena. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. MST. Fans can watch the game live on AHLTV on FloHockey and secure their seats using the link here.
