Game #18 – Tucson Roadrunners at San Jose Barracuda
7:00 p.m. MST, Tech CU Arena, San Jose, California
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Current lineup of the Tucson Roadrunners: CLICK HERE
Referee: Jordan Watt (83) Jim Curtin (22)
Linesman: Nikolaus Diehr (31) Alex Ledovskiy (21)
The 10-6-1-0 Tucson Roadrunners open a two-game weekend with the San Jose Barracuda Saturday night at Tech CU Arena in San Jose. The series marks Tucson’s final trip to the Bay Area this season and the final two games of their five-game road trip through California. The Roadrunners head into the weekend with the AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks after winning two of their first three games on the road trip, while the Barracuda have two matchups with the Iowa Wild on Tuesday and Wednesday to start a six game standing at home. The Wild won both games in San Jose 4-3 and 5-3.
Three things
1) The Roadrunners and Barracuda will face each other for the fifth and sixth weekend series this season in San Jose. Tucson currently has a three-game lead in the season series. After this weekend, the Roadrunners and Barracuda will not face each other again until the final two games of the 2022-2023 regular season at Tucson Arena on April 14 and 15. The Roadrunners also won both openers of the previous series against San Jose this season. Outscoring the Barracuda in those competitions 11 through four.
2) This weekend’s Barracuda weekend series represents the final two competitions of Tucson’s current five-game road trip through California. The Roadrunners won two of their first three games of the trip, with back-to-back 3-1 victories over the San Diego Gulls and Ontario Reign. In their three games last week, the Roadrunners had two multiple goal streaks and two power-play strikes. Forward JS Dea goes into the weekend with goals in each of his last three games, the longest scoring streak by a roadrunner this year. Additionally, Tucson goalies Ivan Prosvetov and Jon Gillies have combined a .935 save percentage with just six goals allowed on the current trip. Their combined savings percentage on the trip would be the second-best single percentage in the American Hockey League among qualified goaltenders.
3) The Roadrunners spent the week of practice between games in California at their home in Tucson, where they were also spotted making several community appearances during the week. Kicking off the holiday season, five Roadrunners attended Tuesday’s VIP dinner for Dusty’s Force Season Ticket members. The next afternoon, four Tucson skaters helped out with the team’s Adopt-A-Street cleanup on Alameda Street. Finally, on Wednesday and Thursday nights, Roadrunners players took to the ice at Tucson Arena to practice with the Jr. Roadrunners. There will also be a wealth of community events for Roadrunners players to take part in when the team returns from San Jose, including an opportunity to meet select players on Tuesday, December 6 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m The Holiday Ice Rink to skate outside of Tucson Arena Team will also be in attendance at the Season Ticket Member Holiday Party at Tucson Arena on Wednesday, December 7th. To conclude the week of events before the Roadrunners return to their home ice to face Ontario Reign, a DEK Hockey Workshop will be held at the Boys & Girls Club on Grant Road on Thursday 8th December at 4pm with select players. Along with Tucson players making appearances in the community, Saturday’s series opener could feature the anticipated Roadrunners debut of newly acquired forward Curtis Douglas. The 6ft 9, 22-year-old was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes by the Toronto Maple Leafs last month. Douglas has played 13 games this season for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, where he had 34 points (13g 21a) in 67 games last year. The 2018 fourth-round draft pick will become the tallest player in Roadrunners history, a record previously held by three players at six feet. In addition, forward Colin Theisen was assigned to the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators.
what is the word
“When you come out on the road with a win rate like that, it’s huge for the team. We always try to be street warriors, it’s tough playing on the street in other teams’ barns. 2:1 is a great record for us.”
Tucson defenseman Cam Crotty on the Roadrunners’ strong start to their current road trip with back-to-back wins over the San Diego Gulls and Ontario Reign.
number to know
4 – The Roadrunners have scored four or more goals in three of their four meetings with the San Jose Barracuda this season. That includes 5-1 and 6-3 wins in their previous openers with the Barracuda, which represents two of Tucson’s five games this season with five or more goals scored. The Roadrunners’ 6-3 win over San Jose on Saturday, November 19 set a season-high for goals this season in a competition played against the Henderson Silver Knights on Wednesday, November 16.
We do it live
Tonight’s game will be broadcast live on AHLtv, as well as radio on FOX Sports 1450AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. with the Roadrunners Warm-Up hosted by Jimmy Peebles before “Voice of the Roadrunners” Adrian Denny has all the action from the Tech CU Arena.
