Game #69: Tucson Roadrunners (2) vs Colorado Eagles (1)
Game #69: Tucson Roadrunners vs Colorado Eagles
SOG: TUC (33) – COL (22)
PP: TUC (1/2) – COL (0/1)
COLORADO SCORING: Corey Schueneman (3)
TUCSON SCORING: Nathan Smith (11), Ben McCartney (5)
Ben McCartney had the entire city of Tucson on it’s feet as he buried the game-winning goal in the final period of Saturday night’s contest against the Colorado Eagles. McCartney’s goal, his fifth of the year, would give Tucson the edge in clinching home ice in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
BUY STOCK IN WHITE SHIRTS – The old investing advice of buy low and sell high pertains true with the Tucson Roadrunners. On Saturday night the Roadrunners clinched home ice advantage for the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. This will be the first time since 2018 that the Roadrunners will host a playoff series. The Whiteout is coming and anyone who is smart will buy stock in white t-shirts now because the entire city is going to rally together for The Whiteout.
LOOK AT THIS
Goalie Matthew Villalta makes a diving save in the third period of Saturday night’s 2-1 victory over Colorado. Some would say (Tucson Roadrunners Twitter account) that Villalta looked like a scorpion in the photo. Villalta made some huge saves in the final frame keeping Tucson in a 1-1 defensive battle. Villalta picked up his 30th win of the season and leads the AHL in that category.
THEY SAID IT
“They’re a good team that battles hard just like we do and it feels good to get two-points. We’ve been working hard all year and hopefully the fans are packing the place for us (in the playoffs).”
Forward Nathan Smith following Tucson’s 2-1 win on Saturday evening.
THE RUNDOWN
It was a playoff atmosphere at the Tucson Arena on Saturday evening as the Tucson Roadrunners and Colorado Eagles battled it out with a chance for the Roadrunners to collect two-points and clinch home ice in the first round of the playoffs. The Roadrunners would do exactly that.
Period one was a battle from start to finish, with both sides recording eight shots on goal and each side surrendering a power-play opportunity to the other. Neither side would score in the frame and the physicalness of playoff hockey was visible.
It would take 31:44 until the 0-0 tie would be broken by the Roadrunners. The first goal would come on the power-play from Nathan Smith. Smith, who found himself in great position in front of the net, would catch the deflection of an Aku Raty one-timer and bury the puck. Aku Raty and John Leonard assisted Smith and Tucson had it’s first lead of the contest. Colorado would answer back with an even strength goal in the final minute and a half of the second period. With the game knotted up a one a piece it was setup for a great final frame.
The first 14 minutes of the period would be back-and-forth with chances for both sides. Matthew Villalta was fantastic the entire evening but more some especially big saves in the final twenty minutes. 14:05 into the third it would be a Travis Barron blast off the post and into the stick of Ben McCartney that would be the difference in the game. McCartney would backhand the puck into the back of the net and light the lamp for Tucson.
Colorado would pull their goalie late, but Tucson would hold on and secure the two points. Those two points would lock in the Whiteout, an Arizona hockey tradition. Round one of the playoffs runs through Tucson.
