Tucson Roadrunners Road Ahead: Push, Push, Lady Lightning

/in /by

Upcoming Final Two Games of the 2024-25 Regular Season (All Times MST)

Friday, April 18 vs. Colorado Eagles at 7:00 p.m. (El Lazo de Tucson Night)

Saturday, April 19 vs. Colorado Eagles at 7:00 p.m. (Fan Appreciation Night)

Roadrunners Record Through 70 Games: 33-31-4-2 (72 points), Seventh Place In The Pacific Division

Roadrunners Playoff Clinching Scenarios This Week:

If Bakersfield Wins Against Abbotsford on Wednesday April 16:

  • Tucson wins both games vs. Colorado on Friday and Saturday
  • Tucson goes 1-1 vs. Colorado and Bakersfield goes 1-1 vs. Henderson on Friday and Saturday
  • Tucson gets 3 of 4 points vs. Colorado and Bakersfield goes 1-1 vs. Henderson on Friday and Saturday
  • Tucson gets 3 of 4 points vs. Colorado and Bakersfield gets 3 of 4 points vs. Henderson Friday and Saturday
  • Bakersfield loses both games vs. Henderson on Friday and Saturday in regulation

If Bakersfield Loses Against Abbotsford on Wednesday April 16:

  • Tucson wins one game vs. Colorado on Friday or Saturday
  • Tucson loses both games in OT/SO vs. Colorado on Friday and Saturday
  • Bakersfield goes 1-1 vs. Henderson on Friday and Saturday
  • Bakersfield loses both games vs. Henderson in REG or OT on Friday and Saturday

Check Out The Entire AHL Playoff Primer HERE

Down To The Last Wire:

The Tucson Roadrunners playoff push will come down to the final week of the 2024-25 AHL regular season with just two games left versus the Colorado Eagles on Friday, Aril 18 and Saturday, April 19. Tucson finds itself just two points ahead of the Bakersfield Condors with the Edmonton Oilers affiliate having three more games left to go on Wednesday, April 16 versus the Abbotsford Canucks and two more on Friday and Saturday versus the Henderson Silver Knights. Tucson and Bakersfield remain as the last two teams left for the final seed of the Pacific Division Playoff Picture as neither team can reach the sixth seed. After gong 0-1-1-0 in two games versus the Rockford IceHogs in the last two away games of the regular season, the Roadrunners will enjoy the last two matchups at home in front of the Tucson crowd; having gone 8-3-1-0 in the last 12 games at the Old Pueblo since the All-Star Break. In the stretch, Tucson has scored a whopping 44 goals at home for a 3.66 goals for per game; including 15 coming in the recent four-game home stand from April 1 to April 6 versus the Calgary Wranglers and Bakersfield Condors for a 3.75 goals for per game. This season Tucson has gone 18-13-3-1 at home at the Tucson arena and will look to make it two more for the two most important games of the season.

Becoming Stars Post All-Star:

Tucson has had an up and down year but has seen a lot of ups in the second half of the season post All-Star break. The team has stayed alive for the playoffs with a 14-12-2-1 record since Feb. 1 after the team extended its losing streak to a season high eight games in a 5-4 home shootout loss to the Ontario Reign. Tucson ended that stretch 19-19-2-1 heading into the break and had guys step up to the plate to help the Roadrunners set themselves up for the playoff spot with two games left to go. During the All-Star break, the Utah Hockey Club acquired forward Sammy Walker from the Minnesota Wild to help Tucson bolster its roster. Since then, Walker has led the team in scoring at 21 points (7 goals, 14 assists); while also being tied for second in the team in assists at 14. Walker started his season with the Iowa Wild scoring two goals and adding 9 assists for 11 points in 30 games: propelling his points-per-game ratio from .37 to .54 on the season with a .72 points-per-game ratio with Tucson. In addition, nine of Walker’s 21 points have come on the power-play with the Roadrunners; helping the team eclipse a 22% power-play percent (19-for-84) since joining the team. Fellow forward and linemate Ben McCartney has also seen a terrific second half of the season; notching 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points in his last 26 games for a .73 points-per-game pace. McCartney, who’s in his fourth full season with Tucson, has had his best season up to date since his rookie campaign in 2021-22; with just two points away from his season high in scoring (35) and two goals away from his season high in tallies (18) with 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points. His 17 assists have already matched his high from his rookie year. Assistant Captain Andrew Agozzino, who’s only played 22 games since the All-Star break due to injury, has kept his consistent play with 18 points (10 goals, 8 assists); keeping his points-per-game ratio the best amongst the active roster at .81. Before his injury that he sustained on Jan. 11 in San Diego versus the Gulls, Agozzino had 23 points (9 goals, 14 assists) in 26 games played. The 14 year-AHL vet has stayed consistent all season for Tucson and could have been one of the top scorers in the AHL if not for an injury that sidelined him for 15 games. Defenseman Maksymilian Szuber has led Tucson defenseman in scoring since All-Star with two goals and 16 assists for 18 points in 29 games. His 16 assists lead the entire team in the stretch and is tied for sixth best in the AHL. Szuber enters the final two games of the season with 11 assists on the power-play that is tied for first on the team with fellow blue liner Robbie Russo as well as a six-game point streak that is a current team active high and the best of any defenseman for Tucson this season.

To The Last Train To The Last Bullet:

Tucson’s season has been a crazy rollercoaster with a constant battle for playoff positioning. The Roadrunners have had plenty of reason to collapse during the year but have refused to do so to give themselves the best possible chance at the Calder Cup. In the first 20 games of the year, Tucson started off 10-10-0-0 to then follow up a season-high six game winning streak to end the pre-Christmas Holiday break 16-10-0-0, which was Tucson’s best record of the season at 26 games. Post Holiday break, the Roadrunners just won three of its next 15 games for a 3-9-2-1 record in the stretch: including a season-high eight game losing streak from Jan. 14 – Feb. 1 before the All-Star Break. Tucson has had some huge games at home to help the team’s playoff push, with one multiple-goal comeback in each of the last three homestands: including the biggest of the season versus the Bakersfield Condors on Saturday, April 5; where Tucson scored four unanswered in the third period to stay ahold of the seventh seed of the playoff race. Though Tucson’s record isn’t near what it was in the 2023-24 season at 43-23-4-2, the Roadrunners fight and grit has earned them the right to clinch the playoffs on Friday and Saturday.

Pacific Tectonic Plates Shifting:

With just a week left to go on the season, the Pacific Division is still far from completing its seeding; with all eight teams still securing spots including Tucson’s fight for the seventh. Colorado needs just a point versus the Ontario Reign on Wednesday, April 16 to secure the top seed not only in the Pacific Division but entire Western Conference. For the other top seeds, only the Abbotsford Canucks and Ontario Reign have clinched home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs; currently tied at 86 points apiece entering the week. The three teams battling for the fourth seed, which is the final spot to host first round, are the Coachella Valley Firebirds (83 points), Calgary Wranglers (79 points) and San Jose Barracuda (79 points). With two teams battling for the second seed and three teams battling for the fourth, Tucson not only will know whether it’s punched its ticket to the playoffs entering the final two games, it won’t know its first round opponent potentially until after the very last game of the season on April 19. In addition to Abbotsford’s game versus the Condors on Wednesday, the Vancouver Canucks Affiliate takes on the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Friday and then the Ontario Reign on Saturday for a potential play for the second seed. Coachella Valley then versus San Diego on Saturday; with San Jose and Calgary finishing off their respective seasons against one another in a two-game series. All in all, if the Roadrunners clinch a spot in the playoffs, their first-round opponent could be Colorado, Abbotsford, Ontario or Coachella Valley.

We Are Live:
Tucson Roadrunners Happy Hour airs every Tuesday at 5 p.m. on FOX Sports 1450AM and the iHeartRadio app, with a podcast version also available after each episode on the iHeartRadio app and Apple Podcast. This week, the “Voice of The Roadrunners” Jonathon Schaffer and Co-Host Kim Cota-Robles are joined by Roadrunners forward Julian Lutz. Listen live each week HERE and the podcast version after HERE.