GAME #72 PREVIEW: TUCSON ROADRUNNERS vs COLORADO EAGLES

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Game #72: Tucson Roadrunners (33-32-4-2) vs Colorado Eagles (43-20-5-3)

Time: 7 p.m. PT, Tucson Arena, Tucson, AZ

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Tucson Roadrunners Current Roster: CLICK HERE

Referees: #48 Beau Halkidis, #50 Ben Solomon

Linespeople: #56 Shawn Oliver, #76 Gabe Lomen

Supervisor: Jay Sharrers

The Tucson Roadrunners (33-32-4-2) will hit the ice for the final time in the 2024-25 regular season on Saturday night, with everything to play for in their rematch against the Colorado Eagles (43-20-5-3) at Tucson Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. PT, as the Roadrunners look to punch their ticket to the Calder Cup Playoffs in front of a home crowd on Fan Appreciation Night.

Tucson enters the final game of the regular season tied with the Bakersfield Condors at 72 points, but holds the seventh and final playoff spot in the Pacific Division thanks to the AHL’s first tiebreaker—regulation wins. The Roadrunners are seeking their third consecutive playoff appearance. A win of any kind over Colorado on Saturday would secure Tucson’s playoff berth outright. The Roadrunners can also clinch if Bakersfield loses in regulation in their finale against Henderson. If the Roadrunners fall in overtime or a shootout, they could still clinch if Bakersfield loses in overtime or a shootout. A regulation loss combined with a Condors win would end Tucson’s season.

It’s a classic “win and you’re in” scenario for coach Steve Potvin’s group, who will be looking to bounce back from a narrow 3-2 defeat on Friday night to Colorado.

The Roadrunners battled from behind all night in Friday’s 3-2 loss, which saw the Eagles take a 1-0 lead just 14 seconds into the game. Cameron Hebig brought the game level at 1-1 midway through the first period with a power-play goal—his 24th of the season. After a pair of second-period tallies by the Eagles pushed Tucson into a 3-1 deficit, forward Sammy Walker made it a one-goal game with a 5-on-3 power-play strike in the third. 

For Colorado, Friday’s victory clinched the franchise’s first AHL Pacific Division title and the top seed in the Western Conference, giving the Eagles a first-round bye.

Three Things:

  • Hebig Adds to Career Year
    Cameron Hebig continues to deliver when it matters most. The veteran forward tied Friday’s contest with a first-period power-play goal—his first of the season on the man advantage and first since March 2022. The goal was his 24th of the year, further extending his team lead in goals and cementing a breakout campaign that’s seen him more than surpass his previous career high of 13. The tally also marked his 13th at Tucson Arena this season, the most among Roadrunners skaters. In addition to pacing the team in goals, Hebig ranks second in overall points with 45—just behind Kailer Yamamoto’s 53. His versatility has stood out too, as he becomes just the second Roadrunner to score on both the power play and penalty kill this season, joining alternate captain Ben McCartney. On the blue line, Robbie Russo added the primary assist—his 12th power-play helper and 29th assist overall, both of which lead all Tucson defensemen. He also sits third on the team in power-play points (14), behind only Yamamoto and Andrew Agozzino.

  • Third-Period Spark
    Sammy Walker provided a much-needed jolt in the third period on Friday, striking on the power play to pull Tucson within one. The goal was his 10th of the season and eighth since joining the Roadrunners in early February—half of which have come on the man advantage. Walker became the 12th Roadrunner to hit the double-digit goal mark. The tally capped off a productive stretch for Yamamoto as well, who picked up the primary assist for his fourth helper in as many AHL games. He now shares the team lead in power-play points with Agozzino at 16. Max Szuber continued his stellar stretch on the back end, logging the secondary assist to push his point streak to a career-best seven games (1g, 6a)—the longest run by a Roadrunners defenseman this year. His current run is also the second-longest point streak in the league behind Noah Östlund of the Rochester Americans (eight games). His four-game assist streak is also the second longest in the AHL behind Gage Goncalves of the Syracuse Crunch (five games). The 22-year-old second-year pro has also put together a dominant stretch at home, collecting points in eight straight games at Tucson Arena with 10 total (2g, 8a) during that span. He’s now just one game away from matching the longest point streak by any Roadrunner this season, and looks to join Hebig and Yamamoto as the only Roadrunners to record an eight-game point streak.

  • Special Teams Standing Out
    Even in Friday’s setback, Tucson’s special teams came to play—striking twice on the power play and delivering a flawless night on the penalty kill (3-for-3). Over their last three games, the Roadrunners are 3-for-9 with the man advantage, while killing off nine of their last ten shorthanded situations. Tucson continues to shine at home, where their power play ranks seventh in the AHL at 20.7%, while their penalty kill sits sixth at 84.5%. Overall, the Roadrunners rank in the league’s top 20 for both categories—eighth on the power play (19.6%) and 19th on the penalty kill (81.3%). The special teams units will be key again in Saturday’s regular season finale with a playoff spot on the line.

What’s the Word?

“I’m feeling good. Most times when you get into this situation, you play with desperation…We’re gonna have to dig into that desperation & lay it all out…You can find a strength you didn’t know you had.”

Roadrunners coach Steve Potvin on his mindset going into the final game of the regular season

Number to Know:

6,216 – A crowd of 6,216 packed Tucson Arena on Friday night—the largest turnout of the season—surpassing the previous high of 6,055 set back on December 28, also against Colorado. The electric atmosphere gave the Roadrunners a true home-ice edge, especially down the stretch as they pushed for a third-period comeback. With a playoff berth on the line in Saturday’s regular season finale, Tucson can expect another raucous crowd to fill the Old Pueblo’s barn.

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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. PT 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 secure their seats using the provided link here.