March 3, 2025 • 42 mins
Voice of the Roadrunners Jonathon Schaffer and Arizona Daily Star's James Kelley recap Tuson's two-game series versus the Rockford IceHogs and a 3-0-1-0 home stand. They discuss the playoff push for both Tucson and the Utah Hockey Club and NHL trade deadline and the three-game road trip in Ontario and Bakersfield.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
When you want more Roadrunners, We've got more road Runners.
This is the Tucson Roadrunners Insider Podcast with a voice
of the road Runners, Jonathan Shaeffer.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What advice do you have for me?
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Drink a lot of water.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
It's pretty odd and your new best friend, my best friend,
Arizona Daily Stars James Kelly. The guys are already talking,
so let's join them right here on your twoson Roadrunners
Insider Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Home stand over. Back on the road for your Tucson Roadrunners.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Welcome to this week's edition of the two Soon Roadrunners
Insider Podcast. As always, my name is Jonathan Schaeffer, with
me Arizona Daily Stars James Kelly.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Tucson.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Just concluding the four game homestand a pretty successful one
if you would say, seven of eight possible total points,
putting the series against the rock for an ice Hawks,
but getting three out of four points there. Swept the
Abbotsford Canucks last weekend. Now we are back on the
roads starting tomorrow if you're listening on this Monday afternoon,
tomorrow facing off the Ontario Rain, a team we have
(01:05):
not beaten yet this season, and then a two game series,
probably the biggest series of the season up to this
point against the Bakersfield Condors. James, we have a lot
to recover today again, great home stand for Tucson going
three to oh one and oh to finish seven of
eight possible total points. We're gonna hear from Igor Stoklov.
(01:26):
We had a four point weekend. He is starting to
get hot again. We're going to hear from head coach
Steve Poppin as well. It was a pretty heartbreaking loss
on Saturday, the way the Roadrunners lost in overtime, but
they were able to make a comeback. They were able
to get that important point. They are two points ahead
of the Bakersfield Condors in the Pacific Division standings. Condors
(01:50):
that will have two games in hand, so both teams
play on Wednesday, so a lot of scoreboard watching coming up.
But that series against the Condors this upcoming weekend on
Friday and Saturday is arguably the biggest series of the season.
But Tucson is really starting to find the wins again.
It was a great homestand overall, you'll take the three
out of four possible against Rockford and now we go
(02:12):
back on the road and it feels like, uh, you know,
it still feels like, we just got back from the
Gemstone trip and I think that we're back on the road.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
It's like, gosh, you know, how much do we have
to keep doing this?
Speaker 4 (02:22):
But you know, the team's in a good spot, vibes
are good and uh ray to just keep pushing for
the seventh seed.
Speaker 5 (02:30):
Yeah, it was, you know, a really good homestand for
the road unners. I think it's obvious to kind of
compare it to the last homestand where they went what
was oh for one and one or whatever, you know,
where they had that six ame win a streak and
then that overall you can mind that with the road
games at Caria it ended up being eight games, but
this one that they obviously they swept Habitsford and then
(02:51):
they it really felt like they were kind of you know,
to get a split, but they stood. They stood out
a point but uh in a Saturday game. But they
felt like they were unlucky to get that. It was
something that those I don't know, you want to say
rob but it was something that they really if I
like to deserve to get that because if I like,
the momentum was going going their way that they were
(03:13):
going to get that win on.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Saturday e stuff.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
It's a great opportunity for them coming up obviously with
you know, Ontario coming up. Ontario, they have not only
the game on Wednesday, but they have a couple of
games after that when they want to return home, and
then they have another game against Ontario later on and
in March, and then obviously the series against Bakersfield and
the Ontario series is important of course, because if you
(03:36):
look at the standings, Ontario is the one that's holding
the that four seed.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
It's they're a bit ahead. You know.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that their owners
should try and go and get that the goal kind
of that that overarching goal is to try and get
home home, I said in the playoffs again, but the
way things have kind of panned out in that top
of division, those top four teams that kind of pulled away.
So it's gonna be tough ten points behind I'm Ontario,
(04:05):
but they have the opportunity to play in Ontario so
many times in next few weeks that they have the
opportunity to catch up.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
To them in a ways.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
And then they also have obviously that uptuning being a
couple of points ahead of Bakersfield to kind of solidify
that seventh spot in the in the in the playoffs.
So it's it's a really exciting time for the run
runners earlier.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Yeah, there's there's a lot to play for on Wednesday, right, Yeah,
it's it's a tough climb to try to host in
the first round of the playoffs. As you just said,
James ten points ahead of us, but we haven't been
them yet this season. We're oh three, oh and one
against Ontario this season. We just haven't been able to
really gain any ground on them. They're very, very good
and structured team this year. They're in very much in
(04:46):
line to you know, get that first round by and
for us, it's we just want to we want to
get the first win off the board, and I think
getting anyone to start off a road trip is huge.
That's what happened in our last GEM Show trip. We
snapped the eight game lose skid and then we won it.
You know, we won our first game back after the
All Star break. It was Sammy Walker's debut. He had
(05:08):
four points in that debut. We'll talk about him shortly
too of his start with Tucson. But uh, yeah, there's
a lot to play for for that matchup, and interesting
enough to the Ontario Rain have been swept against the
Colorado Eagles.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
They got swept this past weekend.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
They were shut out twice, James, they were outscored eight
to nothing. So I don't know if I like that
or not, because you know, one might think, oh, yeah,
they're on the losing skin and we just finished, you know,
we're technically having lost in regulation in the last four games.
But the same time, they got shut out twice, so
they're gonna be like.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Hungry for goals, you know. And look at the Canucks.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
They were on a losing skid too up until on
on Saturday, and they absolutely destroyed the Wranglers by eight
to four score. I mean, that's not even completely destroying,
but they put eight goals up on the board. So
it's you know, it's it's it's a little scary, you know,
with the way Ontario that they don't they don't get
(06:04):
shut out, you know, they don't lose games like that.
So there's a lot to be on the line for
them too. They're trying to get back on the winning calm.
They're fighting for the first seed. We're fighting for the seventh.
It's gonna be a huge game, and then we go
to Bakersfield. We are three and zero against the Condors
so far this season. We got a huge victory during
that Jem Show trip, three to two victory on Bakersfield
(06:25):
for the third game of the trip.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
And you know, one could argue that.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
That might be the biggest series of the season up
to this point, right, you know, depending on what happens
on Wednesday, either for the Tucson Roadrunners or Bakersfield Condors,
that that series can very much be for the seventh seed.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
You know.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Unfortunately, Bakersfield was able to defeat the San Diego Goals
and shootout fashion on Saturday night, but they do have
to play the Colorado Eagles next. And we know how
good the Eagles are. They just blinked one of the
best teams in the league, twe the Ontario Rain So
that's a that's a good that's a good little sign
for two. So at least that the Condors have a
tough matchup. But again, you know, anything can happen. This
(07:08):
division is is always changing, as we always say, and uh,
it's not even close to being done. I mean Colorado's
just up by one point. Wranglers at sixty six, Coachella
is sixty six, Ontario sixty five. Even San Jose's four
points behind the Ontario Rain with uh, but Ontario has
a couple more games in hand. Abbotsford, you know, them
(07:29):
getting a victory was crucial for them, but we're only
four points behind them, and then obviously Bakersfield two points
behind us, and then San Diego and Henderson. We're both
extremely hot and we started thinking like, oh, what are
those teams gonna make a run for us? But now
they've kind of fell back to earth a little bit,
so maybe not to have to worry about them as much.
But yeah, it's uh, you know, every team is no
(07:52):
team has it yet, so every team's still gonna push
hard for for the seeding, and each team has about
twenty or so games left, so we are kind of
just in that crunch time.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Now, twenty games seems like a lot, but for us,
it's not.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
You know, it's gonna go by really quick, you know,
with it being March third today, we have about maybe
a month and a half left of season play and
then playoffs, so it's, uh, it's not even close to
being done yet, and it's gonna be an absolutely train
wreck of a finish for all the seeds and hopefully
we can see two soon in a more comfortable spot,
(08:26):
so we're not stressing at the end.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
Yeah, it's so wild up top. I mean you talked,
you talked about how Calgary's kind of fallen off a
little bit. They're now pointing back Colorado in first place. Oh,
well them in Coachella Valley. I think both US sixty
six in Colorado sixty seven. But they have three games
in hand on Colorado. I'm in Colorado, three games in
hand on Calgary and Coachella and Ontario fifty one games
played too, so they're all in the think of it,
(08:51):
those top four teams. Two points separates those four teams,
and it's kind of where do you think that I'm
Calgary and Coachella will be ahead and so well, but
they have fifty four games played and they have fifty
color on Ontario fifty one. So I mentioned that Ontario's
fourth place, but they're really kind of contending for the
top spot. So that makes that series, those upcoming games
(09:13):
against calor gets two sound all the more important for them.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
So it's something that you know, it's not a.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
Situation where normally you look at see well team in
head the ahead. Obviously they want to win those games,
but they have a lot do cushion, but they're really fighting,
fighting try and get that that buy in the first round,
fighting to get as good as seed as possible, and
so they have a lot of stake too.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
So it's just just a wild situation where.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
Bakersfield then two Soon and bowleying for the seventh spot,
trying to battle a little bit with two Son's bat
a little bit with Abosford trying to move up to six,
and sad Jose has moved up into that sixty point
range up at sixty one points. So it's just uh
and once again it's just a really interesting division.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
What's also really interesting to James and kind of makes
the whole season exciting, is the Utah Hockey Club, the
affiliate of the road Runners, is also fighting for the
final seed of the NHL playoff picture of the wild card. Obviously,
much less teams make the playoffs in the National Hockey
League than the AHL, because you know, if they want
AHL players to play meaningful games, they want prospects to
(10:14):
be in these meaningful games. And Utah's right there too.
They've they've come off nice and strong. In their last
ten games, they're six and four. They're only two points
behind the Calgary Flames. Flames do have a game in hand.
Utah's twenty seven twenty five and nine, Calgary twenty eight,
twenty three at nine, so very similar records. You also
have Saint Louis in the mix at sixty four points.
(10:35):
Vancouver's at sixty five points as well, but Calgary has
one more regulation win than them two. Even Anaheim has
started to, you know, get some wins lately too. There
are five hundred, but there I don't I don't remember
the last time, you know, growing up as a Ducks fan,
I don't remember the last time the Ducks were even
considered potentially a playoff threat. So, and that's that's much
(10:56):
more stressful, right because again, not as many teams make it,
and the Colorado Avalanche are just about eight points or
so ahead of that final wildcard spot. So unless Colorado
completely collapses, which you know we're we're not going to
see because they're just too talented to do that, you
pretty much have a what's the one, two, three, four, four,
(11:16):
potentially five way battle for one seed. It's it's going
to be an insane finish for them too. We also
have the trade deadline coming up for the NHL on
March seventh. HL trade deadline is March fourteenth. So we've
already seen Tucson John Ferguson go out and get a
guy like Sammy Walker to you know, help us start
(11:37):
get seeing the wins again.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
And Walker's been phenomenal.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
He has ten points in his first eleven games as
a Roadrunner with three goals and seven assists. And the
question is, does Utah try to get some bodies and
you know, help their team out with the potential playoff push.
How aggressive are they going to be? How aggressive are
we going to be?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Again?
Speaker 4 (11:59):
We so we have like more of a week after
the NHL trade deadline for any AHL acquisitions, So it's
it's going to be very interesting to see if what
Utah wants to try to do, if it affects us
at all, if it doesn't. Didn't really do much in
the trade deadline last season except for giving away players,
not really acquiring any players. Didn't see any Roadrunner players
(12:21):
get traded and result. But it could be a very
much different story this year because this time our affiliate
is in a playoff spot. Potentially, and we'll have to
see what the NHL trade deadline could look like for
US as well.
Speaker 5 (12:36):
It's an interesting situation because not only you know, because
obviously they have the same front office Roaderners and Utah
Utah compared to them to the Arizona, but it's a
different situation because not only are they in that kind
of contending mode trying to get in the playoffs as
supposed to previous years where they're building up, trying to
get draft picks, taking on contracts to get contracts like that,
(12:57):
but now they're in that opportunity to try and get
to the playoffs. So after that process on rebuilding processes
has moved up to the point where now they're ready
to get to the playoffs. But not only that, but
they have a new ownership and new situation in Utah.
So maybe they want to try and make with splash.
You know, I think they would, but you know, they'd
already may be fine, have a honeymoon period and you know,
if they don't make the playoffs, it's not gonna be
(13:18):
the worst thing for them. But I think they gainess
that's what they really want to do, make the playoffs
and make sure and build up that audience. That's something
that I remember hearing about the reading with the Diamondbacks.
What they did is obviously they went in their second year,
they made the playoffs and then they won a World Series,
and there was in the fourth year in two thousand
and one, but they really wanted to build an audience
by winning winning a lot. So there's two kinds of
(13:40):
schools and the thoughts we have a new team where
we come in and you have a honeymoon period and
it's okay, you're still gonna tell tickets. Everyone's excited to
have the NHL on town or in the diamac ASMLB
in town, stuff like that. But there's also the perspective
that we want to win now and secure those fans
and get those fans ready. So maybe we don't know
exactly what with the Utah ownership of Utah front office.
(14:03):
I don't think they're going to mortgage our future to
try and win right now. But I think they are
going to try and be more a little more aggressive
than a team and team in their spot in the
Sandys normally would be. And obviously they would be trying
to get get more to the playoffs, and they had
been last few years when they were kind of focusing
more on building, but now they're already built, so now
they're trying to get that take that next step and
get to the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
So who knows. It's really you know, it's really interesting.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
And also to consider, Utah has not been fully healthy
up until this point of the season, right. You know,
when we got started, the entire blue line was decimated
with injuries. You know, it affected us too. We were
you know, made us a bit lower on defenseman too.
But that's why we have the guys like Laying Moore
and Peter Delavatory to fill in, and they did a
good job. And then you felt like once the defensive
(14:48):
corps uh started finally getting healthy, then we started losing
our forwards looking coolly got hurt dealing gun thermistic you
know sometime as well. And but now the team is
fully healthy, and I don't really see ja that's a
good point. I just don't see Utah really you know,
risking like the future for you know, a rental. You
(15:08):
would say, for the rest of the season, they're not
gonna give up some highly touted prospect or a first
round pick because again, you know, obviously. Yeah, you want
to make playoffs in your first season too, which would
be amazing, you know, for Utah to host a playoff
game in the first round, but you just don't want
to risk it, you know, you don't want to risk
you know, losing so much to you know, maybe barely
(15:29):
even squeeze in. You're not even guaranteed a playoff spot,
right and you know, and if you don't make it,
then all of a sudden, you you gave up draft
capital or prospects for rental and then the rentals I
even guaranteed to stay either.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
So it's it is very interesting.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Uh, Utah they're in a good spot with you know,
all the talent that they have back, the young talent too.
It's it's such a good spot in the rebuild and
you know, for for them to even be in a
playoff spots near it this late in the season is
a really good sign of what this team is going
to be in it. It's also going to help the
road Runners too, and you know, going into this season,
(16:05):
we did say that our rebuild is personally done, you know,
with what we did last season and who we went
out to get, and yeah, it's it hasn't gone maybe
the way we've fully wanted, especially with all the talent
that we have on this team.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
But again we're you know, we just we just ran
into a run.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
It was a it was just a tough stretch after
the holiday break, and you know, it wasn't fully bad hockey,
just some games just the bounces didn't go our way
or that we just couldn't make that final save or
get that final shot on goal. But uh, for us
to go out and get Sammy Walker and you know
have Agazino, bag and Soakloup is starting to get hot again.
He big, staying consistent. Yamamoto's is over a point per
(16:42):
game player that we'd even have. Last season, we have
a we have five players with have a points per
game over seventy. Last season we all had two with
Josh Jonanaku Rotu. This year it's Yamamoto, Sokoloff, Agazino, Key
Big don't when he was with us now of course
helping Utah push for the playoff. So it's, uh, you know,
the record doesn't really show how talented this team is.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
The record doesn't show how talented Utah is.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
But sometimes injuries and just uh see, sometimes seasons.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Just go the way you don't think it will goes.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
But uh, you know, for both teams to be in
the playoffs pushing down, it's it's just a good sign
for what the affiliation UH is going to look like
for for years to come.
Speaker 5 (17:24):
Yeah, he brought up a good point about the injuries
that Utah had, especially in the blue line. It's one
thing that have a lot of injuries but haven't specifically
in that one position group is kind of it's kind
of rough for them. But it was funny or maybe
not funny, but to me, it's funny. Last week when
I was talking to France Lagauki, he's a skills coach
for the for for Tucson and Utah, and he he
(17:48):
played for Arizon actually Ice Cats first and then Wildcats
after that and they made that change over. But he
played for you a hockey and then now he's he's
a coach with the road Runners and he's a coach
that they really like.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
You know.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
They talked to Cammy Big about him and he was
he was really excited to work with him and he
I didn't know that apparently he actually coached He and
Steve coach Josh Stone when he was little, and then
he also coached coach to ve Skid when when he
was younger, so that was the psych exciting. But one
of the things he mentioned that on one of these
(18:20):
jobs is he's skills coach for Tucson but rehab coached
for Utah, So when they have injuries, he goes up
to Utah and he's like, oh, you know, there a
lot of injuries, and I laughed. I was like, yeah,
you know, you don't tell me. So that's a that's
the thing that they've dealt with a lot, and that's
the thing that it trickles down to two song obviously,
where you're having guys move off and stuff like that,
and you're having guys, uh, they're getting the regular injuries
(18:41):
Tuson has. So that's the thing that they've had to
deal with and kind of change things and alter things.
And obviously they always do, you know, teams always do
in HL have injuries. It's it's a rough game, and
they always do have call ups and everything like that.
But they all kind of came at the same time
when they were in that losing streak and when they're
having that those struggles, So that kind of pushed him
(19:01):
down a little bit, and then they have to make
in consistencies during the SECILD season where they get off
splits and there about five hundred and there's a few
weeks whether we're talking about all the time about how
they're five hundred and they're gonna win and try and
get about five hundred.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
To say your abot five hundred and stuff like that.
Speaker 5 (19:15):
So you know, they kind of were little consistent in
the in the beginning, but I think they kind of
got past that where it was a situation where you
might have a situation where one goal is winning when
one goal is not, or you have a lot of
guys scoring, and then after that it's it's only the
top line scoring. But now they're kind of settled in
where you've seen a lot of guys like like due
to scoring who had you know, obviously, you know you
(19:36):
see these guy who're not gonna lean on that much,
but it's nice to see guys like him scoring. And
then you see Igor has been doing really well. I've
been on a roll lately. And then Andrew A. Gassino,
He's he's been he's been on fire since he come back. Really,
I mean, he had that great goal, you know, obviously
not only the game winning goal from the second game
in Abstrad and he had the great sally after, but
(19:57):
he also scored a crucial goal in the comeback on
on Saturday, and then Egor score that second goal.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
But then you see you go back to.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
You know, the first game on Friday and then Egor
Do Doo scoring and then Egor scoring. A lot of variety,
you know, a lot of you know, guys who are
it's a good mix. I think of the guys who
you can on the score, like Sokolov and Moto and
obviously he big, but also nice for their spreading the
wealth and you're getting all lines scoring and it's it's
(20:28):
really looking forward. It's really making the rouner stuff.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
I think, Yeah, it's it's nice, you know, starting to
rely on everybody, right. And it's funny when you look
back on that eight game slide and it was really
only you know, Yamamoto and put Gansky and he big
providing the scoring, and it just it wasn't enough to
get wins. But now you know, we're winning again because
(20:53):
not only the goaltending has been strong for us, you know,
with Volt and stop or really starting to you know,
become that one to punch for us. Yeah, you just
said it, you know, soak Love is starting to heat
up again, but Ganski's having a career year for himself,
Artem due to three two games in a row with
three points, Robbie Russo at a couple of points over
the weekend as well, and you know, Zuber and Lamber
(21:16):
are starting to find some ground too. So you know,
you just you realize, like, yeah, we're winning because everyone
else is starting to contribute to the scoring.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
We're starting to see the depth scoring.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
But McCartney had a good homestand too, like you know,
you had the five points in the home stand as well,
or five points his last eight games, and you know,
it's it's just crucial for any team to have everyone
contributing to scoring because if you don't, you know, you
if you rely on just one line to do it,
which we kind of were in that eight game slide,
it's just not going to be enough. And then you know,
(21:47):
once Sammy Walker came to mix, you kind of spread
out the love a little bit with the scoring, and
then Agazino coming back and then sokolof finding his game again.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
It's it's been crucial for the team.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
And yeah again also to the the goaltending was a
phenomenal over the homestand too stubborn Volalta each having to
stop over thirty shots in the series against Abbotsford, they
stopped sixty eight of seventy three total shots, and then
in the second game, just against Rockford, Stopburt stopped twenty
seven of thirty volalts in the first matchup eighteen of nineteen,
(22:19):
so not as many shots, but still a pretty good
job overall. So it's just those little things you start
to know. As goaltending is a bit more solid, it's
going great. We're seeing more scoring on the ice, the defense,
the blue line is getting pucks to the net, yamamotives
staying consistent as always, and it's again, you know this
team is you know, maybe talent white, maybe better than
(22:41):
than last season's team, but it's just you know, we
were lied so much on the one goal, low scoring games,
and you know, teams get better this season. Our division
got a lot better over the offseason, and you know,
at the end of the day, it's just all about
making playoffs and anything could happen, because we've seen teams
before barely squeeze in and then they go all the
way to the Cup in both leagues. So you know,
(23:02):
just just have to keep the fighting going. It's been
a good run for Tucson since the All Star break
and they just finished off with a home stand with
seven of eight possible total points.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (23:13):
What a looking back to the Rockford series, what an interesting,
you know series in terms of guys taking new places.
I mean, obviously you talked about last yek you talked
about Jackson Stabber played against the team that he played
last couple of years. He was in an organization, in
the black Hawks organization for a while. You know, he
you know, he went up and played well in the
NHL for Chicago and and he's played he played well
(23:34):
obviously for Life Socks and then unfortunately for the road
owners Zack Stafford. He comes back to town and he
scores a couple of goals, including the game winning goal
on on Saturday. He's the guy who it's kind of
kind of funny, maybe not funny, but when I was
doing I was gonna do a story about him and
Stephen caffor him being a alternate captain and and Steve
(23:57):
being the Stephen Kaffer being the main Captain where the
unique situation where they're both on the on the Stanley Cup,
I'm both playing on on on opposite sides on one
of the years that they were in that So I
thought that'd be kind of fun story to do. But
I'm there on the road trip and then he got
and then obviously he went to Rockford and he went
to Chicago, so I didn't get to that story. So
it's kind of kind of lost opportunity for me because
(24:18):
I thought it'd be a fun story. But but it's
interesting to see him kind of come back to town.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
I'm Zack Stafford. I'm come back and do well.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
So I like that. And it's just a it's a
league where you see guys move on and move around
a lot. But it was it was a it was
a situation where jaxon Star Wars was crucial on getting
that okay in that point for Runners, and obviously Zack
Stafford was crucial for Rockford to get the get those
two points. So it's just a situation where they both
came up, came out and came up, came up big
for their new teams.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
Yeah, it's always funny when you know the turnarounds, right
so Zach Sandford played sixteen games with the Roadrunners last season.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
He was an alternate captain.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
UH has a Stanley Cup victory with the Saint Louis
Blues in the twenty eighteen nine team season. That was
when Jordan Bennington came out of nowhere and led the
Blues all the way to the Cup after they had
the worst record in the league. He played sixty games
that season with the Blues. He was a nice veteran
presence for that unit. And yeah, so he played sixteen
(25:15):
games with the road Runners last year, eleven with the
Arizona Coyotes. But since he was out of you know,
just reassignments back down to Tucson because each player has
a certain amount. He had a pretty much go on
waivers and he was claimed by Chicago, played some games
with Chicago, and then was reassigned to Rockford, and then
re signed with the team this past offseason. So even
(25:37):
though he only played sixteen games, he was still one
of those players where you just thought he was gonna
be with us the whole year and then got put
on waivers and then all of a sudden he's gone,
and it's like, well, well, maybe we'll see him again,
and then you do here at home and then he
puts two gold on us in the second game to win.
It's three to two in overtime, and yeah, that overtime
(25:58):
sequence was tough, James, it was you know that never
like to criticize the refs, but that should have been
a penalty.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
At the end.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
When Gutman had the puck, it was neutral zone, nice,
but Gansky poke checked it away from him. Pigansky was
trying to get to the loose puck. It could have
been a breakaway for him, and then Gumman kind of
just threw him down. No call was made. Tucson was
gassed on the play. They couldn't get off the ice.
They tried to get one change in and then it
gave Rockford a quick two on one chance.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Sanford shot out to the net.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Stabber tried to cover up the rebound, but Stanford kind
of just poked it out of his out of his
glove and his stick, and then he had a wide
open cage for the goal.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
So it was It was a tough finish to the series. Overall.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
It's a game that you really wanted Tucson to win,
especially coming back from the two nothing deficit. But on
the bright side, when you're down two to nothing to
come back at least earn a point is it's still
pretty big. Especially this season, the road Runners don't have
a lot of multiple gold comebacks. I mean, one of
the most recent memory ones was the five to four
(26:58):
shootout loss against Ontario before the All Star Break, which
we were down four to one in that game, and
then this one here tonight, came back from multiple goals
to at least tied up. We did lose an overtime,
but take the seven out of eight possible total points
of the home stand and then three out of four
against the Rockford ice Hawks over the weekend.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Let's get to our interviews. James.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
You caught up with both Steve Povin and Igor Sokoloff
after the three two overtime loss against the Rockford ice Hawks.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
We'll start with Steve first.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
As you asked your nice old classic, what did you
think of the series? And this is what Steve Poppin
had to say.
Speaker 6 (27:37):
I thought it was a well thought series. Obviously, I
don't think we played our best rate room. You know,
we started the game, but we expected that they were
going to come back with a response. They came out
pretty hard. They got to us right away. They got
the first one. Obviously they got the next one. But
I liked our response. I liked that, you know, Stobs
kept us in there. He did what he could to
(27:58):
get us to the points. And look, I think it's
unfortunate at the end. I thought that was definitely an
effort to base sequence that should have resulted in a
penalty against them in a power play for us. At
the end, it's disappointing to see the non call. And
you know what, sometimes and typically you don't you don't
(28:20):
get the next balance.
Speaker 7 (28:22):
How about having a home sound like this after the
last one, saying you guys.
Speaker 6 (28:25):
That, well, look at our guys are bought in and
there and they're they're real, really leading themselves, and they're
they're they've made a choice and the decision that they
want to play a certain way and it's yielding a
lot of results power.
Speaker 7 (28:40):
Well, and is there a point you guys obviously been
a lot of point lately, but is there point late
in the season we start looking at how other teams
are doing our the standings or you just kind of well, I.
Speaker 6 (28:48):
Think it's it's always there, you know, But it's it's
important that we we you know, we play where our
boots are and we just stay in the moment, and
you know, we've got to tune into what's next instead
of you know, really looking too far ahead or you know,
looking to see what teams are doing.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
We're in a real good position.
Speaker 6 (29:08):
We put ourselves here. We're identifying the next opportunity, but
we're playing where our boots are and playing.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
In the moment.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
How about the last couple of games that.
Speaker 6 (29:18):
Yeah, Egler has been you know, he's been right on
the spot right listen. He's he's he's a scorer, he's
a putter. You give him the opportunities and he's going
to put it in. Happy to see that he got
his twentieth today. And he's been contributing, not only on
the power plays, contributing five on five now and you
(29:38):
can see it's a derivative of the attention to his
detail five on five.
Speaker 7 (29:44):
And finally, it didn't see my tex Hanfords with the
guys for that long. But what was he like as
a player, Oh.
Speaker 6 (29:49):
He was a strong player. Obviously, he's you know, played
in the NHL and he's won a Stanley Cup. He
knows what it takes to play in critical moments and
you know these types of games, and you know, he's
a patient player that waits for his opportunity. But he's
also a player that can can defend well. So he's
he's definitely an.
Speaker 8 (30:08):
E League player.
Speaker 9 (30:12):
Moving into the second half of the season.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
What goals does the team have, especially looking at the bigger.
Speaker 6 (30:17):
Pictures, Well, our yeah, our goal is to, you know,
make sure we play a certain way. You know, that's
within our room. They know the guidelines of what we're
trying to really attain night in, night out. We have
a certain you know, style we want to play and
hold ourselves to. But listen, we obviously want to make
the playoffs, and when we're in the playoffs, our goal
(30:37):
is to win the first round. That's what it's always
has been, and we'll fight hard to get to make
sure we get there.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
I forgot to mention too that Ellianna Diebert was downstairs
with you, James, interviewing both Steve Povin and Igor so Club.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
We'll get the Soa club in just a minute.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
But yeah, Igor twenty goals now on the season, He's
tied with Cameron he Big for the most goals on
the year for the team at twenty as well. Yamamoto
has fifteen, Agazino Peganski have twelve, hundred Dru also getting twelve,
and then Josh Stone earlier not with the Roadrunners at
the moment, but eleven on the season two and James,
(31:15):
this is interesting, right, we have a lot of players
this season that are gonna hit over the twenty gold
mark most likely, right, you know, with with so club
and he Big already there, they can get to thirty
potentially this season two. And you know, maybe looking at
Carconi's thirty one, who knows that it will take a
big run in the next twenty games. But you know,
(31:36):
you have Yamamoto who's five away from twenty already on
the season. Mentioning earlier with Agazino, Paganski and Drew at twelve,
they need six, don't don't expect him to be back
anytime soon, so he will stay at eleven. But then
looking at last season, speaking of Josh doone, he led
the team in goals with twenty six, Yanni kne Hat sixteen,
Kelman with sixteen, Ratsu with fifteen, and we had fourteen
(31:59):
from beginning Sky he Big had twelve John Leonard had twelve,
Nate Smith had twelve, and then Gun through at ten
with Baron and Drew as well. So we saw a
lot of depth scoring last season with lots of players
with over multiple goal seasons. Are are yeah, pardon like
over ten goal seasons, I would say, But this season
we're I just feel like we're gonna see a couple
(32:20):
guys with near the twenty goal mark are over the
twenty goal mark as well. And that's still just showing,
you know, how much scoring depth that this team has,
maybe more than last season, at least the guys who
are gonna get more of the consistent points, and I
think that's gonna be huge for the team down this stretch.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
Yeah, they had a lot of depth last year, and
obviously they did really well and got the second seed,
but I kind of feel like the depth was kind
of they're very focused on Dylan when he was here.
I'm Dylan Gun there, and then I'm Josh Dylan when.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
He was here.
Speaker 5 (32:50):
But they were able to overcome when when those guys
got called up, but it took a little while for
them to do that. But obviously this year Dosh got
called up again and they didn't runs beat, they still
kept winning, they still kept doing well. So I think
that the kind of last year was like they learned
to get more death, if that makes sense, that they
kind of developed the team where they had more death,
(33:11):
where they had more scoring, where they it was some
smart the wealth was spread out more. But this year
it's been a little bit. You know, obviously that injuries
like Agazino, but uh, it's been more consistent where you've
had guys constantly scoring, constantly getting getting those points up.
And I think that's a difference this year in terms of,
you know, talking about how many guys could be able
(33:31):
to potentially get to get twenty goals. So so that
that that to means again a good sign and one
one of those things that you can do when you're
maybe your mayor defense, maybe bothaing is doing as well
as last year, maybe that you're able to do that
and get more goals.
Speaker 4 (33:47):
Let's hear from me Gre Sokolov too as you and
Eliana Diebert also caught up with him after Saturday's three
two overtime loss. He had a tremendous weekend with four
points in total. He's really started the find the net again,
as he had three goals over the two game series.
He has twenty on the season with nineteen assists for
thirty nine points. He is just one goal away from
(34:10):
matching his season high in a season of goals he
had twenty one two years in a row with the
Belleville Senators. He's just one away from matching that again, James,
one of my one of my bold predictions was Soaklob
was maybe not only going to be lead the leading
goal scorer for Tucson, which has hit so far, but
did say maybe he can be an over thirty goal scorer,
(34:32):
and it's it's still possible. He would have to get
ten in the next twenty games. And again we saw
him nearly do that in the beginning of the season.
We saw he Big have a similar run to that too.
So you know, once you it's just once you get
igor going, this team sees a lot of success we
saw in the early part of the season, you know,
on the power play, especially too. And he has really
(34:53):
started to you know, put the foot on the gas
pedal for himself and really starts starting now to contry
to the scoring overall for Tucson, you know, with the
help of Yamamoto Key Big and Agazino two, especially on
that power play unit. So exciting to see what he
can do in the next twenty games as well. As
He finished off the Rockford series with three goals and
(35:15):
one assist. And you and Eliana Diebert caught up with
him after Saturday night's game.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
So, how how do you think this series? What for
you guys?
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Pretty good?
Speaker 8 (35:25):
I obviously, you know, I wanted to come out.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
With two points.
Speaker 8 (35:28):
Uh sucks, but yeah, I've had the team put up
a big fight and you know we came back and
uh it was good. Yeah, we needed those points. The
standings up pretty tight, so yeah, it's huge points for
the team. Uh, you know, three out of four on
the weekend. It's it's pretty good. So yeah, just gotta
gotta learn and move on to Ontario.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
Some of the guys that Ontario vickers with him. What's
it like to play series like this again on Rockford?
A young team that you don't see that.
Speaker 8 (35:53):
Much for them, You know, it's always fun at end
of day, it's good. Gets h pretty boring playing as
the same teams and that when you have an opportunity
to play against some different teams and see see what
they are it's pretty cool. I mean, you know, obviously,
you know, our series against teams in the division are
pretty heated and uh but this, you know series was
more about, uh, get to know each other and play hockey.
(36:15):
So yeah, it was fun. But uh yeah, we got
a really important games in front of us.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Well now, hitting in the march, hitting in that kind
of punch time. How well do you think guys are
playing right now?
Speaker 8 (36:24):
Really good? I mean, you know three, you know, we
got three movings out of four and got a point
extra point as well. I mean, we just got to
build off that and keep going. I mean it doesn't
matter now, you know, at the end of the day. Yeah,
we got next week coming up, so just gotta prepare
ourselves for Frontier. You know, they're they've been giving us
a hard time this year, so gotta get ready for
(36:44):
them and uh take the points from them.
Speaker 7 (36:47):
How do you think you've been playing a long time?
Speaker 8 (36:48):
Places have been like, it's been good. I mean nice, Honestly,
don't matter if I score or not. As as long
as I can contribute to the team and help the
team win, it all matters to me. You know, I've
been in the league for for well now, and I've
learned a lot. You know, it's not all about goals
and points. It's how much you can contribute to help
the teams to have success. And uh no, I think
I've been doing a good job of it, you know,
(37:09):
obviously having an opportunity to score and you know I
did so you know, at the end of the day,
sucks to get one point out of two. So just
got to move on.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
For not I'm really poor past the season into the
second half.
Speaker 9 (37:20):
What is your team's mind side.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
As the playoffs?
Speaker 8 (37:23):
Yeah, I think you know, you see a lot of
NHL teams talking right now. It's uh for teams that
bawling for playoffs, but it's every game is a playoff
game for them. So I think we got to have
the same mindset as you know, obviously, Utah, they're in
the hunt. You know, he sees Sergo Chov, he won,
he won two Cups, and he's talking about that every
game is a playoff game. So I think dot mintown
is going to help us to you know, obviously win
(37:45):
and uh, once the playoffs comes, hopefully we make it,
then we'll be ready to you know, play that kind
of a hockey.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Thank you, Thanks, said I.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Like that, James.
Speaker 4 (37:54):
Every game feels like a playoff game for both the
Utah Hockey Club and the road owners. Moving ahead to
as we have a big game coming up on Wednesday
against Ontario, trying to get our first win against them
this season, and again arguably maybe the biggest series of
the season coming up against Bakersfield because as a chance
(38:16):
for Tucson to really bury them down onto that eighth seed.
And it's gonna be a pretty fun road trip, a
nice quick one. We'll be gone from Tuesday to Sunday
and then we'll be back here for a four game
series once again. So all the best luck for our
boys as we go on back on the road, and
it's it's gonna be a fun time.
Speaker 5 (38:36):
It's back on the road, but it's more of a
it'spect the normal road trip schedule. So that's that's why
I like where you have the four game homestand you
have the practice sweeking between, where you guys had the
opportunity to do stuff like, oh, the Desert Museum or
is that where.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
You guys went, Yes, that was fun.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
Yeah, we went to the Snoor Desert Museum with Lamrue
Dudah and Zubie and then dude, I got three points
the next day, so we made a little joke we
need to start taking a moards of museums.
Speaker 5 (39:03):
Yeah, so it's a normal schedule where you kind of
normal what they're used to, those those huge, really long
road trips and really long home stands, which which are
obviously good, but then you kind of have that pressure
you have to win, you have to you know, and
if you don't, it feels like a really lost opportunity.
But now they have that kind of regular schedule and
getting back to that where they have four games, four
games at home and then three games in the row
(39:24):
and then they come back home again. So that's nice
to see them get back into that get back into
that groove. So that that's gonna I think that's gonna
help them a bit a bit too, so and that
that's nicest.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
Gay.
Speaker 4 (39:37):
Well, we'll all be ready for it. Three game a
road trip coming up for the Roadrunners, just for a week.
We'll be back very shortly too, so we won't be
gone as long as last time. We'll miss you at
the twoson Arena, but again we will always be on
Fox Sports fourteen fifty am or if you'll not I
have radio app or if you're still watching or haven't yet,
Atl TV on Flow Sports for a big three game
(40:00):
road trip coming up for your Tucson Roadrunners, as they
are only just two points and of the Bakers Hiel
Condors's pretty seventh seat in the standings, but just four
points behind the Abbotsford Canucks and a couple more behind
the San Jose Barracuda in the standings as well, but
against the Ontario Rain and two big ones against the
Baggers Hill Condors coming up this week, we will throw
(40:22):
things out with lights to Tucson. Kim Coderobas and I
will also be back on Tuesday night for our usual
Tuesday night gets together and we are getting the new
face of the team three goals and seven assists for
ten points in this first eleven games, Sammy Walker. So
tuned in there on Fox Sports fourteen fifty am or
afterwards at Tucson roadrunners dot com slash Happy Hour. We
(40:44):
will see you tomorrow night or tonight if you're listening
on this Tuesday as well, and we will see you
later on this week in Ontario.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
Have a great rest of your day, folks.
Speaker 10 (41:01):
Gotta see the lights of Tucson.
Speaker 9 (41:03):
You gotta pack, won't get a move on.
Speaker 10 (41:06):
Me gotta see the lights of Tucson.
Speaker 9 (41:09):
You're coming back west A just spending my little onoms
there and city candles. Unlessen with the kid, But Tucson.
My heart is a yearning like craunching my wheels larger in.
Speaker 10 (41:40):
Can't we be there with her in the cattelinos, the.
Speaker 9 (41:45):
Lights of too sun shining in her heart.
Speaker 10 (41:53):
Illover feel Alona, We never sooner they it is its region,
this guy. You gotta see the lions are tu song,
I got him back. Come get a move You gotta
see the lions are tuc song coming back.
Speaker 9 (42:15):
We'll get a move on. Follow you gotta see the
lights are too so I got him back. The moon,
get the moon, got see it's too song coming back.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Will you get a voll
When you want more Roadrunners, We've got more road Runners.
This is the Tucson Roadrunners Insider Podcast with a voice
of the road Runners, Jonathan Shaeffer.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What advice do you have for me?
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Drink a lot of water.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
It's pretty odd and your new best friend, my best friend,
Arizona Daily Stars James Kelly. The guys are already talking,
so let's join them right here on your twoson Roadrunners
Insider Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Home stand over. Back on the road for your Tucson Roadrunners.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Welcome to this week's edition of the two Soon Roadrunners
Insider Podcast. As always, my name is Jonathan Schaeffer, with
me Arizona Daily Stars James Kelly.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Tucson.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Just concluding the four game homestand a pretty successful one
if you would say, seven of eight possible total points,
putting the series against the rock for an ice Hawks,
but getting three out of four points there. Swept the
Abbotsford Canucks last weekend. Now we are back on the
roads starting tomorrow if you're listening on this Monday afternoon,
tomorrow facing off the Ontario Rain, a team we have
(01:05):
not beaten yet this season, and then a two game series,
probably the biggest series of the season up to this
point against the Bakersfield Condors. James, we have a lot
to recover today again, great home stand for Tucson going
three to oh one and oh to finish seven of
eight possible total points. We're gonna hear from Igor Stoklov.
(01:26):
We had a four point weekend. He is starting to
get hot again. We're going to hear from head coach
Steve Poppin as well. It was a pretty heartbreaking loss
on Saturday, the way the Roadrunners lost in overtime, but
they were able to make a comeback. They were able
to get that important point. They are two points ahead
of the Bakersfield Condors in the Pacific Division standings. Condors
(01:50):
that will have two games in hand, so both teams
play on Wednesday, so a lot of scoreboard watching coming up.
But that series against the Condors this upcoming weekend on
Friday and Saturday is arguably the biggest series of the season.
But Tucson is really starting to find the wins again.
It was a great homestand overall, you'll take the three
out of four possible against Rockford and now we go
(02:12):
back on the road and it feels like, uh, you know,
it still feels like, we just got back from the
Gemstone trip and I think that we're back on the road.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
It's like, gosh, you know, how much do we have
to keep doing this?
Speaker 4 (02:22):
But you know, the team's in a good spot, vibes
are good and uh ray to just keep pushing for
the seventh seed.
Speaker 5 (02:30):
Yeah, it was, you know, a really good homestand for
the road unners. I think it's obvious to kind of
compare it to the last homestand where they went what
was oh for one and one or whatever, you know,
where they had that six ame win a streak and
then that overall you can mind that with the road
games at Caria it ended up being eight games, but
this one that they obviously they swept Habitsford and then
(02:51):
they it really felt like they were kind of you know,
to get a split, but they stood. They stood out
a point but uh in a Saturday game. But they
felt like they were unlucky to get that. It was
something that those I don't know, you want to say
rob but it was something that they really if I
like to deserve to get that because if I like,
the momentum was going going their way that they were
(03:13):
going to get that win on.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Saturday e stuff.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
It's a great opportunity for them coming up obviously with
you know, Ontario coming up. Ontario, they have not only
the game on Wednesday, but they have a couple of
games after that when they want to return home, and
then they have another game against Ontario later on and
in March, and then obviously the series against Bakersfield and
the Ontario series is important of course, because if you
(03:36):
look at the standings, Ontario is the one that's holding
the that four seed.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
It's they're a bit ahead. You know.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that their owners
should try and go and get that the goal kind
of that that overarching goal is to try and get
home home, I said in the playoffs again, but the
way things have kind of panned out in that top
of division, those top four teams that kind of pulled away.
So it's gonna be tough ten points behind I'm Ontario,
(04:05):
but they have the opportunity to play in Ontario so
many times in next few weeks that they have the
opportunity to catch up.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
To them in a ways.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
And then they also have obviously that uptuning being a
couple of points ahead of Bakersfield to kind of solidify
that seventh spot in the in the in the playoffs.
So it's it's a really exciting time for the run
runners earlier.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Yeah, there's there's a lot to play for on Wednesday, right, Yeah,
it's it's a tough climb to try to host in
the first round of the playoffs. As you just said,
James ten points ahead of us, but we haven't been
them yet this season. We're oh three, oh and one
against Ontario this season. We just haven't been able to
really gain any ground on them. They're very, very good
and structured team this year. They're in very much in
(04:46):
line to you know, get that first round by and
for us, it's we just want to we want to
get the first win off the board, and I think
getting anyone to start off a road trip is huge.
That's what happened in our last GEM Show trip. We
snapped the eight game lose skid and then we won it.
You know, we won our first game back after the
All Star break. It was Sammy Walker's debut. He had
(05:08):
four points in that debut. We'll talk about him shortly
too of his start with Tucson. But uh, yeah, there's
a lot to play for for that matchup, and interesting
enough to the Ontario Rain have been swept against the
Colorado Eagles.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
They got swept this past weekend.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
They were shut out twice, James, they were outscored eight
to nothing. So I don't know if I like that
or not, because you know, one might think, oh, yeah,
they're on the losing skin and we just finished, you know,
we're technically having lost in regulation in the last four games.
But the same time, they got shut out twice, so
they're gonna be like.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Hungry for goals, you know. And look at the Canucks.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
They were on a losing skid too up until on
on Saturday, and they absolutely destroyed the Wranglers by eight
to four score. I mean, that's not even completely destroying,
but they put eight goals up on the board. So
it's you know, it's it's it's a little scary, you know,
with the way Ontario that they don't they don't get
(06:04):
shut out, you know, they don't lose games like that.
So there's a lot to be on the line for
them too. They're trying to get back on the winning calm.
They're fighting for the first seed. We're fighting for the seventh.
It's gonna be a huge game, and then we go
to Bakersfield. We are three and zero against the Condors
so far this season. We got a huge victory during
that Jem Show trip, three to two victory on Bakersfield
(06:25):
for the third game of the trip.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
And you know, one could argue that.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
That might be the biggest series of the season up
to this point, right, you know, depending on what happens
on Wednesday, either for the Tucson Roadrunners or Bakersfield Condors,
that that series can very much be for the seventh seed.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
You know.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Unfortunately, Bakersfield was able to defeat the San Diego Goals
and shootout fashion on Saturday night, but they do have
to play the Colorado Eagles next. And we know how
good the Eagles are. They just blinked one of the
best teams in the league, twe the Ontario Rain So
that's a that's a good that's a good little sign
for two. So at least that the Condors have a
tough matchup. But again, you know, anything can happen. This
(07:08):
division is is always changing, as we always say, and uh,
it's not even close to being done. I mean Colorado's
just up by one point. Wranglers at sixty six, Coachella
is sixty six, Ontario sixty five. Even San Jose's four
points behind the Ontario Rain with uh, but Ontario has
a couple more games in hand. Abbotsford, you know, them
(07:29):
getting a victory was crucial for them, but we're only
four points behind them, and then obviously Bakersfield two points
behind us, and then San Diego and Henderson. We're both
extremely hot and we started thinking like, oh, what are
those teams gonna make a run for us? But now
they've kind of fell back to earth a little bit,
so maybe not to have to worry about them as much.
But yeah, it's uh, you know, every team is no
(07:52):
team has it yet, so every team's still gonna push
hard for for the seeding, and each team has about
twenty or so games left, so we are kind of
just in that crunch time.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Now, twenty games seems like a lot, but for us,
it's not.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
You know, it's gonna go by really quick, you know,
with it being March third today, we have about maybe
a month and a half left of season play and
then playoffs, so it's, uh, it's not even close to
being done yet, and it's gonna be an absolutely train
wreck of a finish for all the seeds and hopefully
we can see two soon in a more comfortable spot,
(08:26):
so we're not stressing at the end.
Speaker 5 (08:29):
Yeah, it's so wild up top. I mean you talked,
you talked about how Calgary's kind of fallen off a
little bit. They're now pointing back Colorado in first place. Oh,
well them in Coachella Valley. I think both US sixty
six in Colorado sixty seven. But they have three games
in hand on Colorado. I'm in Colorado, three games in
hand on Calgary and Coachella and Ontario fifty one games
played too, so they're all in the think of it,
(08:51):
those top four teams. Two points separates those four teams,
and it's kind of where do you think that I'm
Calgary and Coachella will be ahead and so well, but
they have fifty four games played and they have fifty
color on Ontario fifty one. So I mentioned that Ontario's
fourth place, but they're really kind of contending for the
top spot. So that makes that series, those upcoming games
(09:13):
against calor gets two sound all the more important for them.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
So it's something that you know, it's not a.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
Situation where normally you look at see well team in
head the ahead. Obviously they want to win those games,
but they have a lot do cushion, but they're really fighting,
fighting try and get that that buy in the first round,
fighting to get as good as seed as possible, and
so they have a lot of stake too.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
So it's just just a wild situation where.
Speaker 5 (09:36):
Bakersfield then two Soon and bowleying for the seventh spot,
trying to battle a little bit with two Son's bat
a little bit with Abosford trying to move up to six,
and sad Jose has moved up into that sixty point
range up at sixty one points. So it's just uh
and once again it's just a really interesting division.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
What's also really interesting to James and kind of makes
the whole season exciting, is the Utah Hockey Club, the
affiliate of the road Runners, is also fighting for the
final seed of the NHL playoff picture of the wild card. Obviously,
much less teams make the playoffs in the National Hockey
League than the AHL, because you know, if they want
AHL players to play meaningful games, they want prospects to
(10:14):
be in these meaningful games. And Utah's right there too.
They've they've come off nice and strong. In their last
ten games, they're six and four. They're only two points
behind the Calgary Flames. Flames do have a game in hand.
Utah's twenty seven twenty five and nine, Calgary twenty eight,
twenty three at nine, so very similar records. You also
have Saint Louis in the mix at sixty four points.
(10:35):
Vancouver's at sixty five points as well, but Calgary has
one more regulation win than them two. Even Anaheim has
started to, you know, get some wins lately too. There
are five hundred, but there I don't I don't remember
the last time, you know, growing up as a Ducks fan,
I don't remember the last time the Ducks were even
considered potentially a playoff threat. So, and that's that's much
(10:56):
more stressful, right because again, not as many teams make it,
and the Colorado Avalanche are just about eight points or
so ahead of that final wildcard spot. So unless Colorado
completely collapses, which you know we're we're not going to
see because they're just too talented to do that, you
pretty much have a what's the one, two, three, four, four,
(11:16):
potentially five way battle for one seed. It's it's going
to be an insane finish for them too. We also
have the trade deadline coming up for the NHL on
March seventh. HL trade deadline is March fourteenth. So we've
already seen Tucson John Ferguson go out and get a
guy like Sammy Walker to you know, help us start
(11:37):
get seeing the wins again.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
And Walker's been phenomenal.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
He has ten points in his first eleven games as
a Roadrunner with three goals and seven assists. And the
question is, does Utah try to get some bodies and
you know, help their team out with the potential playoff push.
How aggressive are they going to be? How aggressive are
we going to be?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Again?
Speaker 4 (11:59):
We so we have like more of a week after
the NHL trade deadline for any AHL acquisitions, So it's
it's going to be very interesting to see if what
Utah wants to try to do, if it affects us
at all, if it doesn't. Didn't really do much in
the trade deadline last season except for giving away players,
not really acquiring any players. Didn't see any Roadrunner players
(12:21):
get traded and result. But it could be a very
much different story this year because this time our affiliate
is in a playoff spot. Potentially, and we'll have to
see what the NHL trade deadline could look like for
US as well.
Speaker 5 (12:36):
It's an interesting situation because not only you know, because
obviously they have the same front office Roaderners and Utah
Utah compared to them to the Arizona, but it's a
different situation because not only are they in that kind
of contending mode trying to get in the playoffs as
supposed to previous years where they're building up, trying to
get draft picks, taking on contracts to get contracts like that,
(12:57):
but now they're in that opportunity to try and get
to the playoffs. So after that process on rebuilding processes
has moved up to the point where now they're ready
to get to the playoffs. But not only that, but
they have a new ownership and new situation in Utah.
So maybe they want to try and make with splash.
You know, I think they would, but you know, they'd
already may be fine, have a honeymoon period and you know,
if they don't make the playoffs, it's not gonna be
(13:18):
the worst thing for them. But I think they gainess
that's what they really want to do, make the playoffs
and make sure and build up that audience. That's something
that I remember hearing about the reading with the Diamondbacks.
What they did is obviously they went in their second year,
they made the playoffs and then they won a World Series,
and there was in the fourth year in two thousand
and one, but they really wanted to build an audience
by winning winning a lot. So there's two kinds of
(13:40):
schools and the thoughts we have a new team where
we come in and you have a honeymoon period and
it's okay, you're still gonna tell tickets. Everyone's excited to
have the NHL on town or in the diamac ASMLB
in town, stuff like that. But there's also the perspective
that we want to win now and secure those fans
and get those fans ready. So maybe we don't know
exactly what with the Utah ownership of Utah front office.
(14:03):
I don't think they're going to mortgage our future to
try and win right now. But I think they are
going to try and be more a little more aggressive
than a team and team in their spot in the
Sandys normally would be. And obviously they would be trying
to get get more to the playoffs, and they had
been last few years when they were kind of focusing
more on building, but now they're already built, so now
they're trying to get that take that next step and
get to the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
So who knows. It's really you know, it's really interesting.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
And also to consider, Utah has not been fully healthy
up until this point of the season, right. You know,
when we got started, the entire blue line was decimated
with injuries. You know, it affected us too. We were
you know, made us a bit lower on defenseman too.
But that's why we have the guys like Laying Moore
and Peter Delavatory to fill in, and they did a
good job. And then you felt like once the defensive
(14:48):
corps uh started finally getting healthy, then we started losing
our forwards looking coolly got hurt dealing gun thermistic you
know sometime as well. And but now the team is
fully healthy, and I don't really see ja that's a
good point. I just don't see Utah really you know,
risking like the future for you know, a rental. You
(15:08):
would say, for the rest of the season, they're not
gonna give up some highly touted prospect or a first
round pick because again, you know, obviously. Yeah, you want
to make playoffs in your first season too, which would
be amazing, you know, for Utah to host a playoff
game in the first round, but you just don't want
to risk it, you know, you don't want to risk
you know, losing so much to you know, maybe barely
(15:29):
even squeeze in. You're not even guaranteed a playoff spot,
right and you know, and if you don't make it,
then all of a sudden, you you gave up draft
capital or prospects for rental and then the rentals I
even guaranteed to stay either.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
So it's it is very interesting.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Uh, Utah they're in a good spot with you know,
all the talent that they have back, the young talent too.
It's it's such a good spot in the rebuild and
you know, for for them to even be in a
playoff spots near it this late in the season is
a really good sign of what this team is going
to be in it. It's also going to help the
road Runners too, and you know, going into this season,
(16:05):
we did say that our rebuild is personally done, you know,
with what we did last season and who we went
out to get, and yeah, it's it hasn't gone maybe
the way we've fully wanted, especially with all the talent
that we have on this team.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
But again we're you know, we just we just ran
into a run.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
It was a it was just a tough stretch after
the holiday break, and you know, it wasn't fully bad hockey,
just some games just the bounces didn't go our way
or that we just couldn't make that final save or
get that final shot on goal. But uh, for us
to go out and get Sammy Walker and you know
have Agazino, bag and Soakloup is starting to get hot again.
He big, staying consistent. Yamamoto's is over a point per
(16:42):
game player that we'd even have. Last season, we have
a we have five players with have a points per
game over seventy. Last season we all had two with
Josh Jonanaku Rotu. This year it's Yamamoto, Sokoloff, Agazino, Key
Big don't when he was with us now of course
helping Utah push for the playoff. So it's, uh, you know,
the record doesn't really show how talented this team is.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
The record doesn't show how talented Utah is.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
But sometimes injuries and just uh see, sometimes seasons.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Just go the way you don't think it will goes.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
But uh, you know, for both teams to be in
the playoffs pushing down, it's it's just a good sign
for what the affiliation UH is going to look like
for for years to come.
Speaker 5 (17:24):
Yeah, he brought up a good point about the injuries
that Utah had, especially in the blue line. It's one
thing that have a lot of injuries but haven't specifically
in that one position group is kind of it's kind
of rough for them. But it was funny or maybe
not funny, but to me, it's funny. Last week when
I was talking to France Lagauki, he's a skills coach
for the for for Tucson and Utah, and he he
(17:48):
played for Arizon actually Ice Cats first and then Wildcats
after that and they made that change over. But he
played for you a hockey and then now he's he's
a coach with the road Runners and he's a coach
that they really like.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
You know.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
They talked to Cammy Big about him and he was
he was really excited to work with him and he
I didn't know that apparently he actually coached He and
Steve coach Josh Stone when he was little, and then
he also coached coach to ve Skid when when he
was younger, so that was the psych exciting. But one
of the things he mentioned that on one of these
(18:20):
jobs is he's skills coach for Tucson but rehab coached
for Utah, So when they have injuries, he goes up
to Utah and he's like, oh, you know, there a
lot of injuries, and I laughed. I was like, yeah,
you know, you don't tell me. So that's a that's
the thing that they've dealt with a lot, and that's
the thing that it trickles down to two song obviously,
where you're having guys move off and stuff like that,
and you're having guys, uh, they're getting the regular injuries
(18:41):
Tuson has. So that's the thing that they've had to
deal with and kind of change things and alter things.
And obviously they always do, you know, teams always do
in HL have injuries. It's it's a rough game, and
they always do have call ups and everything like that.
But they all kind of came at the same time
when they were in that losing streak and when they're
having that those struggles, So that kind of pushed him
(19:01):
down a little bit, and then they have to make
in consistencies during the SECILD season where they get off
splits and there about five hundred and there's a few
weeks whether we're talking about all the time about how
they're five hundred and they're gonna win and try and
get about five hundred.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
To say your abot five hundred and stuff like that.
Speaker 5 (19:15):
So you know, they kind of were little consistent in
the in the beginning, but I think they kind of
got past that where it was a situation where you
might have a situation where one goal is winning when
one goal is not, or you have a lot of
guys scoring, and then after that it's it's only the
top line scoring. But now they're kind of settled in
where you've seen a lot of guys like like due
to scoring who had you know, obviously, you know you
(19:36):
see these guy who're not gonna lean on that much,
but it's nice to see guys like him scoring. And
then you see Igor has been doing really well. I've
been on a roll lately. And then Andrew A. Gassino,
He's he's been he's been on fire since he come back. Really,
I mean, he had that great goal, you know, obviously
not only the game winning goal from the second game
in Abstrad and he had the great sally after, but
(19:57):
he also scored a crucial goal in the comeback on
on Saturday, and then Egor score that second goal.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
But then you see you go back to.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
You know, the first game on Friday and then Egor
Do Doo scoring and then Egor scoring. A lot of variety,
you know, a lot of you know, guys who are
it's a good mix. I think of the guys who
you can on the score, like Sokolov and Moto and
obviously he big, but also nice for their spreading the
wealth and you're getting all lines scoring and it's it's
(20:28):
really looking forward. It's really making the rouner stuff.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
I think, Yeah, it's it's nice, you know, starting to
rely on everybody, right. And it's funny when you look
back on that eight game slide and it was really
only you know, Yamamoto and put Gansky and he big
providing the scoring, and it just it wasn't enough to
get wins. But now you know, we're winning again because
(20:53):
not only the goaltending has been strong for us, you know,
with Volt and stop or really starting to you know,
become that one to punch for us. Yeah, you just
said it, you know, soak Love is starting to heat
up again, but Ganski's having a career year for himself,
Artem due to three two games in a row with
three points, Robbie Russo at a couple of points over
the weekend as well, and you know, Zuber and Lamber
(21:16):
are starting to find some ground too. So you know,
you just you realize, like, yeah, we're winning because everyone
else is starting to contribute to the scoring.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
We're starting to see the depth scoring.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
But McCartney had a good homestand too, like you know,
you had the five points in the home stand as well,
or five points his last eight games, and you know,
it's it's just crucial for any team to have everyone
contributing to scoring because if you don't, you know, you
if you rely on just one line to do it,
which we kind of were in that eight game slide,
it's just not going to be enough. And then you know,
(21:47):
once Sammy Walker came to mix, you kind of spread
out the love a little bit with the scoring, and
then Agazino coming back and then sokolof finding his game again.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
It's it's been crucial for the team.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
And yeah again also to the the goaltending was a
phenomenal over the homestand too stubborn Volalta each having to
stop over thirty shots in the series against Abbotsford, they
stopped sixty eight of seventy three total shots, and then
in the second game, just against Rockford, Stopburt stopped twenty
seven of thirty volalts in the first matchup eighteen of nineteen,
(22:19):
so not as many shots, but still a pretty good
job overall. So it's just those little things you start
to know. As goaltending is a bit more solid, it's
going great. We're seeing more scoring on the ice, the defense,
the blue line is getting pucks to the net, yamamotives
staying consistent as always, and it's again, you know this
team is you know, maybe talent white, maybe better than
(22:41):
than last season's team, but it's just you know, we
were lied so much on the one goal, low scoring games,
and you know, teams get better this season. Our division
got a lot better over the offseason, and you know,
at the end of the day, it's just all about
making playoffs and anything could happen, because we've seen teams
before barely squeeze in and then they go all the
way to the Cup in both leagues. So you know,
(23:02):
just just have to keep the fighting going. It's been
a good run for Tucson since the All Star break
and they just finished off with a home stand with
seven of eight possible total points.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (23:13):
What a looking back to the Rockford series, what an interesting,
you know series in terms of guys taking new places.
I mean, obviously you talked about last yek you talked
about Jackson Stabber played against the team that he played
last couple of years. He was in an organization, in
the black Hawks organization for a while. You know, he
you know, he went up and played well in the
NHL for Chicago and and he's played he played well
(23:34):
obviously for Life Socks and then unfortunately for the road
owners Zack Stafford. He comes back to town and he
scores a couple of goals, including the game winning goal
on on Saturday. He's the guy who it's kind of
kind of funny, maybe not funny, but when I was
doing I was gonna do a story about him and
Stephen caffor him being a alternate captain and and Steve
(23:57):
being the Stephen Kaffer being the main Captain where the
unique situation where they're both on the on the Stanley Cup,
I'm both playing on on on opposite sides on one
of the years that they were in that So I
thought that'd be kind of fun story to do. But
I'm there on the road trip and then he got
and then obviously he went to Rockford and he went
to Chicago, so I didn't get to that story. So
it's kind of kind of lost opportunity for me because
(24:18):
I thought it'd be a fun story. But but it's
interesting to see him kind of come back to town.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
I'm Zack Stafford. I'm come back and do well.
Speaker 5 (24:25):
So I like that. And it's just a it's a
league where you see guys move on and move around
a lot. But it was it was a it was
a situation where jaxon Star Wars was crucial on getting
that okay in that point for Runners, and obviously Zack
Stafford was crucial for Rockford to get the get those
two points. So it's just a situation where they both
came up, came out and came up, came up big
for their new teams.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
Yeah, it's always funny when you know the turnarounds, right
so Zach Sandford played sixteen games with the Roadrunners last season.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
He was an alternate captain.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
UH has a Stanley Cup victory with the Saint Louis
Blues in the twenty eighteen nine team season. That was
when Jordan Bennington came out of nowhere and led the
Blues all the way to the Cup after they had
the worst record in the league. He played sixty games
that season with the Blues. He was a nice veteran
presence for that unit. And yeah, so he played sixteen
(25:15):
games with the road Runners last year, eleven with the
Arizona Coyotes. But since he was out of you know,
just reassignments back down to Tucson because each player has
a certain amount. He had a pretty much go on
waivers and he was claimed by Chicago, played some games
with Chicago, and then was reassigned to Rockford, and then
re signed with the team this past offseason. So even
(25:37):
though he only played sixteen games, he was still one
of those players where you just thought he was gonna
be with us the whole year and then got put
on waivers and then all of a sudden he's gone,
and it's like, well, well, maybe we'll see him again,
and then you do here at home and then he
puts two gold on us in the second game to win.
It's three to two in overtime, and yeah, that overtime
(25:58):
sequence was tough, James, it was you know that never
like to criticize the refs, but that should have been
a penalty.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
At the end.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
When Gutman had the puck, it was neutral zone, nice,
but Gansky poke checked it away from him. Pigansky was
trying to get to the loose puck. It could have
been a breakaway for him, and then Gumman kind of
just threw him down. No call was made. Tucson was
gassed on the play. They couldn't get off the ice.
They tried to get one change in and then it
gave Rockford a quick two on one chance.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Sanford shot out to the net.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Stabber tried to cover up the rebound, but Stanford kind
of just poked it out of his out of his
glove and his stick, and then he had a wide
open cage for the goal.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
So it was It was a tough finish to the series. Overall.
Speaker 4 (26:38):
It's a game that you really wanted Tucson to win,
especially coming back from the two nothing deficit. But on
the bright side, when you're down two to nothing to
come back at least earn a point is it's still
pretty big. Especially this season, the road Runners don't have
a lot of multiple gold comebacks. I mean, one of
the most recent memory ones was the five to four
(26:58):
shootout loss against Ontario before the All Star Break, which
we were down four to one in that game, and
then this one here tonight, came back from multiple goals
to at least tied up. We did lose an overtime,
but take the seven out of eight possible total points
of the home stand and then three out of four
against the Rockford ice Hawks over the weekend.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
Let's get to our interviews. James.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
You caught up with both Steve Povin and Igor Sokoloff
after the three two overtime loss against the Rockford ice Hawks.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
We'll start with Steve first.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
As you asked your nice old classic, what did you
think of the series? And this is what Steve Poppin
had to say.
Speaker 6 (27:37):
I thought it was a well thought series. Obviously, I
don't think we played our best rate room. You know,
we started the game, but we expected that they were
going to come back with a response. They came out
pretty hard. They got to us right away. They got
the first one. Obviously they got the next one. But
I liked our response. I liked that, you know, Stobs
kept us in there. He did what he could to
(27:58):
get us to the points. And look, I think it's
unfortunate at the end. I thought that was definitely an
effort to base sequence that should have resulted in a
penalty against them in a power play for us. At
the end, it's disappointing to see the non call. And
you know what, sometimes and typically you don't you don't
(28:20):
get the next balance.
Speaker 7 (28:22):
How about having a home sound like this after the
last one, saying you guys.
Speaker 6 (28:25):
That, well, look at our guys are bought in and
there and they're they're real, really leading themselves, and they're
they're they've made a choice and the decision that they
want to play a certain way and it's yielding a
lot of results power.
Speaker 7 (28:40):
Well, and is there a point you guys obviously been
a lot of point lately, but is there point late
in the season we start looking at how other teams
are doing our the standings or you just kind of well, I.
Speaker 6 (28:48):
Think it's it's always there, you know, But it's it's
important that we we you know, we play where our
boots are and we just stay in the moment, and
you know, we've got to tune into what's next instead
of you know, really looking too far ahead or you know,
looking to see what teams are doing.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
We're in a real good position.
Speaker 6 (29:08):
We put ourselves here. We're identifying the next opportunity, but
we're playing where our boots are and playing.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
In the moment.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
How about the last couple of games that.
Speaker 6 (29:18):
Yeah, Egler has been you know, he's been right on
the spot right listen. He's he's he's a scorer, he's
a putter. You give him the opportunities and he's going
to put it in. Happy to see that he got
his twentieth today. And he's been contributing, not only on
the power plays, contributing five on five now and you
(29:38):
can see it's a derivative of the attention to his
detail five on five.
Speaker 7 (29:44):
And finally, it didn't see my tex Hanfords with the
guys for that long. But what was he like as
a player, Oh.
Speaker 6 (29:49):
He was a strong player. Obviously, he's you know, played
in the NHL and he's won a Stanley Cup. He
knows what it takes to play in critical moments and
you know these types of games, and you know, he's
a patient player that waits for his opportunity. But he's
also a player that can can defend well. So he's
he's definitely an.
Speaker 8 (30:08):
E League player.
Speaker 9 (30:12):
Moving into the second half of the season.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
What goals does the team have, especially looking at the bigger.
Speaker 6 (30:17):
Pictures, Well, our yeah, our goal is to, you know,
make sure we play a certain way. You know, that's
within our room. They know the guidelines of what we're
trying to really attain night in, night out. We have
a certain you know, style we want to play and
hold ourselves to. But listen, we obviously want to make
the playoffs, and when we're in the playoffs, our goal
(30:37):
is to win the first round. That's what it's always
has been, and we'll fight hard to get to make
sure we get there.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
I forgot to mention too that Ellianna Diebert was downstairs
with you, James, interviewing both Steve Povin and Igor so Club.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
We'll get the Soa club in just a minute.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
But yeah, Igor twenty goals now on the season, He's
tied with Cameron he Big for the most goals on
the year for the team at twenty as well. Yamamoto
has fifteen, Agazino Peganski have twelve, hundred Dru also getting twelve,
and then Josh Stone earlier not with the Roadrunners at
the moment, but eleven on the season two and James,
(31:15):
this is interesting, right, we have a lot of players
this season that are gonna hit over the twenty gold
mark most likely, right, you know, with with so club
and he Big already there, they can get to thirty
potentially this season two. And you know, maybe looking at
Carconi's thirty one, who knows that it will take a
big run in the next twenty games. But you know,
(31:36):
you have Yamamoto who's five away from twenty already on
the season. Mentioning earlier with Agazino, Paganski and Drew at twelve,
they need six, don't don't expect him to be back
anytime soon, so he will stay at eleven. But then
looking at last season, speaking of Josh doone, he led
the team in goals with twenty six, Yanni kne Hat sixteen,
Kelman with sixteen, Ratsu with fifteen, and we had fourteen
(31:59):
from beginning Sky he Big had twelve John Leonard had twelve,
Nate Smith had twelve, and then Gun through at ten
with Baron and Drew as well. So we saw a
lot of depth scoring last season with lots of players
with over multiple goal seasons. Are are yeah, pardon like
over ten goal seasons, I would say, But this season
we're I just feel like we're gonna see a couple
(32:20):
guys with near the twenty goal mark are over the
twenty goal mark as well. And that's still just showing,
you know, how much scoring depth that this team has,
maybe more than last season, at least the guys who
are gonna get more of the consistent points, and I
think that's gonna be huge for the team down this stretch.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
Yeah, they had a lot of depth last year, and
obviously they did really well and got the second seed,
but I kind of feel like the depth was kind
of they're very focused on Dylan when he was here.
I'm Dylan Gun there, and then I'm Josh Dylan when.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
He was here.
Speaker 5 (32:50):
But they were able to overcome when when those guys
got called up, but it took a little while for
them to do that. But obviously this year Dosh got
called up again and they didn't runs beat, they still
kept winning, they still kept doing well. So I think
that the kind of last year was like they learned
to get more death, if that makes sense, that they
kind of developed the team where they had more death,
(33:11):
where they had more scoring, where they it was some
smart the wealth was spread out more. But this year
it's been a little bit. You know, obviously that injuries
like Agazino, but uh, it's been more consistent where you've
had guys constantly scoring, constantly getting getting those points up.
And I think that's a difference this year in terms of,
you know, talking about how many guys could be able
(33:31):
to potentially get to get twenty goals. So so that
that that to means again a good sign and one
one of those things that you can do when you're
maybe your mayor defense, maybe bothaing is doing as well
as last year, maybe that you're able to do that
and get more goals.
Speaker 4 (33:47):
Let's hear from me Gre Sokolov too as you and
Eliana Diebert also caught up with him after Saturday's three
two overtime loss. He had a tremendous weekend with four
points in total. He's really started the find the net again,
as he had three goals over the two game series.
He has twenty on the season with nineteen assists for
thirty nine points. He is just one goal away from
(34:10):
matching his season high in a season of goals he
had twenty one two years in a row with the
Belleville Senators. He's just one away from matching that again, James,
one of my one of my bold predictions was Soaklob
was maybe not only going to be lead the leading
goal scorer for Tucson, which has hit so far, but
did say maybe he can be an over thirty goal scorer,
(34:32):
and it's it's still possible. He would have to get
ten in the next twenty games. And again we saw
him nearly do that in the beginning of the season.
We saw he Big have a similar run to that too.
So you know, once you it's just once you get
igor going, this team sees a lot of success we
saw in the early part of the season, you know,
on the power play, especially too. And he has really
(34:53):
started to you know, put the foot on the gas
pedal for himself and really starts starting now to contry
to the scoring overall for Tucson, you know, with the
help of Yamamoto Key Big and Agazino two, especially on
that power play unit. So exciting to see what he
can do in the next twenty games as well. As
He finished off the Rockford series with three goals and
(35:15):
one assist. And you and Eliana Diebert caught up with
him after Saturday night's game.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
So, how how do you think this series? What for
you guys?
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Pretty good?
Speaker 8 (35:25):
I obviously, you know, I wanted to come out.
Speaker 3 (35:27):
With two points.
Speaker 8 (35:28):
Uh sucks, but yeah, I've had the team put up
a big fight and you know we came back and
uh it was good. Yeah, we needed those points. The
standings up pretty tight, so yeah, it's huge points for
the team. Uh, you know, three out of four on
the weekend. It's it's pretty good. So yeah, just gotta
gotta learn and move on to Ontario.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
Some of the guys that Ontario vickers with him. What's
it like to play series like this again on Rockford?
A young team that you don't see that.
Speaker 8 (35:53):
Much for them, You know, it's always fun at end
of day, it's good. Gets h pretty boring playing as
the same teams and that when you have an opportunity
to play against some different teams and see see what
they are it's pretty cool. I mean, you know, obviously,
you know, our series against teams in the division are
pretty heated and uh but this, you know series was
more about, uh, get to know each other and play hockey.
(36:15):
So yeah, it was fun. But uh yeah, we got
a really important games in front of us.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
Well now, hitting in the march, hitting in that kind
of punch time. How well do you think guys are
playing right now?
Speaker 8 (36:24):
Really good? I mean, you know three, you know, we
got three movings out of four and got a point
extra point as well. I mean, we just got to
build off that and keep going. I mean it doesn't
matter now, you know, at the end of the day. Yeah,
we got next week coming up, so just gotta prepare
ourselves for Frontier. You know, they're they've been giving us
a hard time this year, so gotta get ready for
(36:44):
them and uh take the points from them.
Speaker 7 (36:47):
How do you think you've been playing a long time?
Speaker 8 (36:48):
Places have been like, it's been good. I mean nice, Honestly,
don't matter if I score or not. As as long
as I can contribute to the team and help the
team win, it all matters to me. You know, I've
been in the league for for well now, and I've
learned a lot. You know, it's not all about goals
and points. It's how much you can contribute to help
the teams to have success. And uh no, I think
I've been doing a good job of it, you know,
(37:09):
obviously having an opportunity to score and you know I
did so you know, at the end of the day,
sucks to get one point out of two. So just
got to move on.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
For not I'm really poor past the season into the
second half.
Speaker 9 (37:20):
What is your team's mind side.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
As the playoffs?
Speaker 8 (37:23):
Yeah, I think you know, you see a lot of
NHL teams talking right now. It's uh for teams that
bawling for playoffs, but it's every game is a playoff
game for them. So I think we got to have
the same mindset as you know, obviously, Utah, they're in
the hunt. You know, he sees Sergo Chov, he won,
he won two Cups, and he's talking about that every
game is a playoff game. So I think dot mintown
is going to help us to you know, obviously win
(37:45):
and uh, once the playoffs comes, hopefully we make it,
then we'll be ready to you know, play that kind
of a hockey.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Thank you, Thanks, said I.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Like that, James.
Speaker 4 (37:54):
Every game feels like a playoff game for both the
Utah Hockey Club and the road owners. Moving ahead to
as we have a big game coming up on Wednesday
against Ontario, trying to get our first win against them
this season, and again arguably maybe the biggest series of
the season coming up against Bakersfield because as a chance
(38:16):
for Tucson to really bury them down onto that eighth seed.
And it's gonna be a pretty fun road trip, a
nice quick one. We'll be gone from Tuesday to Sunday
and then we'll be back here for a four game
series once again. So all the best luck for our
boys as we go on back on the road, and
it's it's gonna be a fun time.
Speaker 5 (38:36):
It's back on the road, but it's more of a
it'spect the normal road trip schedule. So that's that's why
I like where you have the four game homestand you
have the practice sweeking between, where you guys had the
opportunity to do stuff like, oh, the Desert Museum or
is that where.
Speaker 2 (38:49):
You guys went, Yes, that was fun.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
Yeah, we went to the Snoor Desert Museum with Lamrue
Dudah and Zubie and then dude, I got three points
the next day, so we made a little joke we
need to start taking a moards of museums.
Speaker 5 (39:03):
Yeah, so it's a normal schedule where you kind of
normal what they're used to, those those huge, really long
road trips and really long home stands, which which are
obviously good, but then you kind of have that pressure
you have to win, you have to you know, and
if you don't, it feels like a really lost opportunity.
But now they have that kind of regular schedule and
getting back to that where they have four games, four
games at home and then three games in the row
(39:24):
and then they come back home again. So that's nice
to see them get back into that get back into
that groove. So that that's gonna I think that's gonna
help them a bit a bit too, so and that
that's nicest.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
Gay.
Speaker 4 (39:37):
Well, we'll all be ready for it. Three game a
road trip coming up for the Roadrunners, just for a week.
We'll be back very shortly too, so we won't be
gone as long as last time. We'll miss you at
the twoson Arena, but again we will always be on
Fox Sports fourteen fifty am or if you'll not I
have radio app or if you're still watching or haven't yet,
Atl TV on Flow Sports for a big three game
(40:00):
road trip coming up for your Tucson Roadrunners, as they
are only just two points and of the Bakers Hiel
Condors's pretty seventh seat in the standings, but just four
points behind the Abbotsford Canucks and a couple more behind
the San Jose Barracuda in the standings as well, but
against the Ontario Rain and two big ones against the
Baggers Hill Condors coming up this week, we will throw
(40:22):
things out with lights to Tucson. Kim Coderobas and I
will also be back on Tuesday night for our usual
Tuesday night gets together and we are getting the new
face of the team three goals and seven assists for
ten points in this first eleven games, Sammy Walker. So
tuned in there on Fox Sports fourteen fifty am or
afterwards at Tucson roadrunners dot com slash Happy Hour. We
(40:44):
will see you tomorrow night or tonight if you're listening
on this Tuesday as well, and we will see you
later on this week in Ontario.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
Have a great rest of your day, folks.
Speaker 10 (41:01):
Gotta see the lights of Tucson.
Speaker 9 (41:03):
You gotta pack, won't get a move on.
Speaker 10 (41:06):
Me gotta see the lights of Tucson.
Speaker 9 (41:09):
You're coming back west A just spending my little onoms
there and city candles. Unlessen with the kid, But Tucson.
My heart is a yearning like craunching my wheels larger in.
Speaker 10 (41:40):
Can't we be there with her in the cattelinos, the.
Speaker 9 (41:45):
Lights of too sun shining in her heart.
Speaker 10 (41:53):
Illover feel Alona, We never sooner they it is its region,
this guy. You gotta see the lions are tu song,
I got him back. Come get a move You gotta
see the lions are tuc song coming back.
Speaker 9 (42:15):
We'll get a move on. Follow you gotta see the
lights are too so I got him back. The moon,
get the moon, got see it's too song coming back.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Will you get a voll
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!