January 13, 2025 • 44 mins
Voice of the Roadrunners Jonathon Schaffer and Arizona Daily Star's James Kelly recap Tucson's first three games of the five-game road trip talking about Sokolov heating up, the strong goaltending and the AHL All-Star selection and NHL callup of Josh Doan. They also hear from Egor Sokolov and discuss the reassigment of Defenseman Maveric Lamoureaux to the Roadrunners before the big two-game midweek series in Calgary.
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Episode Transcript
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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 Roadrunners, Jonathan Shaeffer.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What advice do you have for me? Drink a lot
of water, it's pretty often.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
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 twuson Roadrunners Insider Podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Welcome to this week's episode of the two Soon Roadrunners
Insider Podcast. Jonathan Schaeffer with me Arizona Daily Stars James Kelly. James,
I am live right now currently at this moment, recording
this show.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I'm at the Scotia being saddledome.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I'm up in my very very high press box that
is connected to the catwalk. I scale the catwalk this
morning with my giant radio case, going up and down
constant stairs, with a Starbucks coffee in my hand, a
croissant sandwich in my backpack which I've yet to finish,
and work up here. We have a practice day here
(01:02):
today and then two big upcoming games versus the Wranglers.
We'll get to that in just a moment, but we
have a lot to talk about this past series versus
the San Diego Goals.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
We split it up.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
We'll take the split as we always do, especially on
the road. It was two really hard fought games between
the Roadrunners and San Diego Goals. And we also have
an interview with Igor Sokoloff after Saturday's game, who has
three games n R row with a goal and all
of a sudden James, we are starting to see Soaklov
heat up like he did in the month of October,
(01:38):
especially in the big.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Time of you know, scoring need for the Roadrunners.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
With Josh Jones recent call up to the team, we
have some guys coming back as well from injury. And yeah,
the road Runs are just still working away on this
current seven game stretch away from the two Soon Arena
current five game road trip right now, as we did
come back for a day after the Texas Stars series.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
We're back home very soon.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
But uh, and we're off this weekend as well with
with no games, so two huge matchups versus the Calgary Wranglers.
We didn't win both games here last last time we
were here back in December, and uh, we're just ready
to keep it rolling.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Of course since the last podcast a lot of action.
Josh Jone got recalled to Utah after Don Guhler got hurt,
and the expectation is that I'm doing Guler is gonna
be out for a long time, so that you would
think that Josh Jone would be up there for a while.
I mean, they might do a situation where they like
they did it with the Blue Line, where they kind
(02:41):
of use a committee the place, replaced them by a
committee or replace him in the aggregate or whatever you
know they say in like moneyball. But given how wald
Josh did last year, I'm in the NHL, I don't
expect him to be back soon, if at all, you know, honestly.
So that's gonna be with him getting name of the
All Star Game before that, before the game, before the
(03:02):
Coachah Valley game, really really really good timing because I
was on that it was on that same the Bollstar
Game is gonna be in that same arena. Not now
you kind of look and see who might replace him.
So it's something that Adrian said last year that I
don't remember. I think he did check with the league
or it was just something you just knew. But when
when you have a guy like called up to the
(03:23):
Alstar team like Josh did, like Josh's this year or
Dale was last year. What they like to do is
they like to have the call someone from the same
team if possible. It's not a requirement or anything, but
that do that. So one of the things you're kind
of looking at, I'm kind of looking at, is who's
going to be that guy that called gets called up
to replace down And obviously Igor has been a been
a great candidate all year long, and he's really picked
(03:44):
up the last over the weekend, and he had had
a great series in San Diego and and he did
really well in before that in the first part of
the California first for the first part of the kind
of foreigner leg of the of the trip over in
Coachella Valley.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Yeah, Jay, to be honest, I mean again, I'm always
biased here right towards the roads. I'm a little surprised
that we didn't get multiple selections, right, A couple of
teams here and there get two. A lot of guys,
you know, get one part. A lot of teams get one.
We had to last year with Dylan Gunther and Matthew Walta.
Originally Gunther got called up and then he was replaced
(04:22):
by Josh Stone. Yeah, the exact same case this year, right,
Josh Stone gets called up. Our parton Josh Stone first
gets assigned to the HL All Star Game or name
to it. Rather, he goes off, he has a goal
in and assists the same exact day in the first
period versus the Coachella Valley Firebirds in which the All
Star Game is going to be taking place in about
(04:44):
a month, rarely less than a month now that we've
had a couple of days since that game. And then
literally even though the announcement was made a few days later,
he was actually called up when we were leaving that bus, right,
And I think he said it on one of his
interviews after his first game in the NHL since being
called up. We were on the bus, we were about
(05:07):
to go Connor Ingram had a fantastic game, and you know,
the thought was maybe he would come to with us
to San Diego and get one more started. But I
think Bill Armstrong saw what he needed to see what
the way he played, and he had a fantastic game
as well. Coming back to the NHL just recently unfortunately
suffered the loss. But regardless, yeah, we were on the
(05:27):
bus and there was a bit of a delay. And
whenever you're on a bus and you're about to leave
and everyone's ready to go and there's a delay, you
just know someone someone's getting called up, right And obviously
there's always that the fear of like maybe a trade,
which you know, trading someone right after a game would
always be tough, and some kinds of sometimes the guys
start joking like, ah, someone got traded, but no, Usually
(05:49):
you think, okay, someone definitely got called up. And then
you kind of started seeing Connor Ingram on the phone
and Josh Stone on the phone and you're like, oh,
okay he Like at first it was like okay, Ingram's
just he's done with this loan, his conditioning loan. But
then you saw Dome start creeping up towards the bus
and yeah, and then you're thinking like, oh, don't just
(06:10):
got called up. And at the time too, I don't
think anyone knew that Dy't Gunther was was injured right
like they announced his injury when Doan was called up
on the Utah Hockey Club PR which I constantly follow
in case, you know, I don't get the updates from
their PR department beforehand. And yeah, so Josh Stone was
called up. I mean obviously super ecstatic for him, you know.
(06:34):
And again it's so tough, right, It's always so bittersweet
because you know, we want these guys to be in
the National Hockey League, and it's always the you know, we'll.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Miss you, but hope to never see you again.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
And we kind of thought that when Don't started the
year in Utah this season, right, like, we didn't think
at all he was gonna be reassigned. But uh, you know, again,
it's playing the first light minutes and playing on the
power play the p K and Done only had two
points in nine games, and yeah, you know, I wouldn't
say it's struggling, it's just how it goes sometimes.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
But came back down.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
He made the All Star bid despite not playing as
many games as a lot of these guys on this roster.
You know, you can tell, you can totally tell that
he is you know, he's exceeded from last season. You know,
like last season he was much more of a goalscorer,
but now this year he's creating more offense, you know,
with assists as well in creating plays, and so yeah,
(07:27):
we're We're super happy for him. We hope to never
see him again, you know, like as much as we
love seeing him in Tucson, like I hope he finishes
off the season in Utah. You never know, James, it
could be a Dylan Gunther situation from last year too.
We can very much see Doan come to Tucson for
a playoff run. But again, Utah is still very much
in the playoff race themselves as well, So I think
(07:49):
Done's gonna be a big jolt for them, especially with
Dylan gun through out, you know, indefinitely, so we have
no idea when he'll be back. But then in return
to the Roadrunners got Maverick Lamerue backs, so uh, you know,
as much as we'll miss Done, we get one man
back as well in the blue line. We know how
great Lambreu was playing with us before his call up. Yeah,
(08:10):
three points in a four games played with two goals
and one assists, and then three points in fifteen games
with the Utah Hockey Clubs. So a lot of transactions
this past week. But yeah, we get one huge force
back for the road Runners in Lambreau. And I'm really
excited to see him again.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Yeah, he was he's great to see for Runners fans,
even though he was very brief, but he could tire
right away. Oh yeah, he's he's he's going to be
back in the league pretty soon. His note, I don't
know if it's different because he's on a you know,
he's on a different contract than Connor Ingram obviously, but
he's not on a conditioning loan like Ingram was. So
it's the they you know, they recalled that. I mean,
(08:47):
they sent him back to so on, So it might
might be a little different, but it might be longer.
But he's a guy who definitely is going to be
back in the league really really soon. And I mean
remember you mentioned last year with Dylan gun there where
he was called up and it was us to be
just a brief, you know, just emergency call, but then
he just played so well I just took over and
he was just there. He was, he was just a
fixture back in the NHL until until he got called
(09:10):
until you got brought back after the Coyote season ended
and when the Runners win the playoffs. So that was
really that was really one of those great, great examples
of getting the opportunity and seizing it. And so with
with with Josh, that's kind of thing that I kind
of I'm gonna kind of expect, you know, it's a
tough league obviously to do well, and then he had
kind of slow start at least by his standards, to
(09:31):
start off the year. But just how well you played
last year and how well he's his game has developed.
That's one thing that if you Roder and his fan,
you saw how how well his game has developed from
when he joined the Road Unners a couple of years
ago after the ASU season, and then he progressed and
got got a lot better last year and he's gotten
even better this year. So he's the guy who you know,
(09:52):
I I don't expect to be back or if if
he is, that's that gonna be until for a while.
So maybe just work on a Liew Kings and game
or something. But he's a guy who's definitely NHL caliber
and he's the guy who whenever we talked to Steve Bouam,
he always talked about how he's he's a guy who's
ready made for the NHL and he works so hard
and he has he has such a lot of depth
(10:14):
in this game. So he's a guy who, you know,
he's gonna have a good career ahead of him.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Yeah, And I think it's not much of more of
a you know, a team that's out of the playoff
picture and just wants to see a prospect to get
the minutes. No, Utah as a team right now that
is competing for a playoff spot. And uh, you know,
though it's been a little tough for them in the
recent stretch. You know, you see that they're streaky, right
they they win a couple of games. They had a
(10:39):
really good, like ten games stretch, especially on the road.
I think they had the longest win streak of an
inaugural team ever in the national hockey with seven wins
on the road in a row. If if I'm not mistaken, Uh,
and you start to feel like, okay, I think Utah
finally found their group and then they kind of treaded
down a little bit. But there's still so much alive
(10:59):
in the playoff picture and they're gonna fight the whole season.
So it's not more of Josh Jones getting called up
to you know, just get.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
The minutes, YadA YadA.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
No, he's he's there to help this team with their
playoff push right now, especially losing, you know, a star
player like Dylan Gunther, and then for us as well,
you know, it's the next man up fatality. That's how
it works in this league, right, you know, one guy
gets called up, and now all of a sudden, the
guys who we've scratched recently are are starting to get
playing time, and we're even getting some guys back from
(11:30):
injury ourselves. We saw Mika Matika back in the lineup
these past two games, and though he didn't get any points, honestly, James,
he looked really good out there. He looked like a
guy who was hungry to just be back there on
the ice. He you know, he completed his checks, he
got his passes. In the game one on Friday, he
had two really good looks at the net and just
(11:51):
couldn't get past Oscar Dance could started both games for
San Diego.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
He looked fantastic coming back.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Ryan McGregor drew back into the line up on the
Saturday night game. He was with Igor Sokolov and Cameron
Hebe actually got a point on the night as well.
And he's a he's a two way four where you
know he's gonna play great defense for you.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
He's going to win.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
You face off draws a very very underrated guy on
the team in my opinion, in a in my opinion,
and uh yeah, and we're expected Julian Lutz very very
soon too. He is very close to game action. Could
be this week. I don't know, but uh, you know
that's why we have all the death on our team
as well. Right, you know, Josh Don't gets called up,
and uh, it will just give more opportunity for uh
(12:35):
these guys to get more playing time and uh where
I think we'll be just fine.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
You know, it's not like a whole panic situation.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Yes, Joe Joan is very important to our winning, but
at the end of the day, we're here to develop
players and yes we want to win, but uh, these
guys aren't here to stay in EHL forever. So uh
we're still gonna win on our end. I have every
confidence that we're going to be just fined. You know,
maybe we'll see Don't again down the line, but if
we don't, we're gonna be justifying because we have the pieces,
(13:05):
uh to still win great games on our end.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Yeah, that's what we saw last year when Guntha got
called up and Don't got called up. That there was
a little bit of a loll kind of as they
were replacing guys who put up so many points in
our so posily. But quickly they adjusted and obviously they
did really well and then up finished the second in
the in the division. But you haven't really seen that
this year. I mean they did. They did lose that
(13:29):
first Friday game, but it was a kind of a
maybe not a fluchush game, but it was just one
of those games where they just couldn't get one in,
get one behind ask and and then of course they
won on Fridays. I won a Saturday, so and then
we're seeing to be scoring. He may continues to score
really well, Gausino scoring and then Soakloth's really taken off,
really come back, and so it doesn't look like they've
(13:50):
had that little loll that they had after after those
guys got called up last year. So that that looks promising.
And then again, you know, it's a most cliche, but
to say that next man up thing, but that's really
have their own owners of work to get really excited
when guys like Than and Lamue and whatnot when they
get called up and they just they plug in another
guy to fix it, you know, to not to fix it,
(14:10):
but you know, to replace that place that guy and
still do well. And so that's that's what they've been
doing last few years under under Poffin.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Yeah, and speaking of next man up mentality as well, Uh,
we gotta give credit to to all the goaltenders right
in this situation. Uh, you know, Connor Ingram having to
step away from hockey due to personal reasons, condolence his
uh to his family as his uh his mother passed away,
and you know, and that's a tough time for for
any player, and you know, for for all the other
(14:42):
goaltenders to uh to step up in a really tough
situation like that. You got to give credit to Jeff Hill,
our goaltending coach, and uh, you know Jackson Stouber, for
you know, didn't play a lot of minutes, but you
got shut out the first ever in the Utah Hockey.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Club history, the first in his career as well.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Matthew Volalta who stepped into the starting role and really
just found his groove back because you know, it was
a struggle for him at the beginning of the season.
I said before, you know, I think the call for
stopbur was the best thing that happened for this team.
Of course, it was under really really tough circumstances and
we never wish that on anybody, but you know, just
for Vilalta's purpose is to you know, get the minutes
(15:23):
that he needed to get back into his groove. It's
tough to do that when you're maybe playing once a week.
You know, it's depending on what our schedule is this week.
Of course he'll get more starts. But you know, with
that being said, him being able to come into the
lights and get the reps he needed to get back
into his groove. Dylan Wells going to and oh with
(15:43):
the Roadrunners getting two big victories for US, one at
the end of November versus the Coachell Valley Firebirds, a
divisional opponents that were battling for standings points, and then
the Abbotsford Canucks, who were actually battling with at the
time both of our teams on those wins go into
that series. He helped us get the sweep right before
(16:03):
the Christmas break, you know, and again it's unfortunate because
now Dylan Wells is back with the Ehls Allen Americans.
You know, again it's it's it's tough to see because
we love Dylan Wells so much, we love having him
here in the building, but it's tough for goaltenders to
try to keep three on one roster because you know,
Dylan Wells needs his reps just as any other goaltenders do.
(16:26):
And now we have Jackson stauberback, and Stober looked fantastic
in his Game two versus San Diego, making a lot
of big saves at the end of the game and
ended up with thirty two saves on thirty four shots.
He's seven to two for the road Runs this season.
Even Matthew Bolalta was magnificent in the game prior, making
(16:48):
forty two saves on forty five shots, unfortunately just suffering
the loss even though he really deserved a win. But
you know, again, it's the Roadrunners are back with their
amazing goal tend We've talked about this a couple of
months ago where we said, you know, as much as
we love having Dylan Wells on this team, we brought
in Jackson Stauber for a reason. And you know now
(17:11):
where we have our goaltending death all back and the
Roadrunners have one of the best duos in the league now,
you know with Volalta and Wells, especially in these you know,
midweek back to back games when you've just played not
that long ago. And again, I don't know what the
rotation is going to look like in Calgary, but you
know we'll have Valalta one and and Jackson Stauber another
(17:33):
and it gives the Roadrunners a much better chance to win.
And again, Dylan Wells is a fantastic goaltender. He is
an AHL starter in this league. He's had NHL time
as well. It's just how the death goes for us
at the moment. But never know when we'll need Dylan
Wells again. And I'm sure he'll be ready for when
he's called up again potentially.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
Yeah, you said it like it was just really impressive
for the goaliest from this organization, starting with conoring him
obviously and on down Wells. I'll just had it just
been playing really great daily. It was. It was funny
when the when Ingram got that got the start in
Coachella Valley. I was thinking, you know, we'll see how
(18:12):
he plays. You know, his timing has to be awful
of it being away from games for so long, but
he went in there and he just he just pitched
a gym, you know, they say, and he just did
so well that obviously said the Drowntrong was like, we've
seen enough for ready to call him back up. And
so he did that and he came back, and then
you expect him when he comes back to the NHL
to you know, they might do as well necessarily. But
(18:32):
then he went up and had a good game on Saturday.
So really impressive showing by him. And it's interesting to
note that when I was watching, I watched a little
bit of the the Utah game on Saturday because we
were we were out to eat and we saw a
restaurant and they did change the channel, fortunately, but to
change the football game. But we won the NFL games,
(18:53):
so I did see at the beginning that set. I
meant to look up, but I forgot to look up.
But Texan Stober was second second in a couple of
big categories among the rookies. Rookie goalie, so I remember
the saves or goals against average or wins or whatever.
I don't remember, maybe not wins, but you know something.
So basically he's kind of like the second best rookie
goalie in the NHL. So he did that. And then
(19:15):
when he came back, and you expected him to be
maybe a little adjusting back to the league, coming back
and having not play as many games, but again he
came hop and did really well in that road in
important win to get on Saturday. And then obviously Matt Valota,
he he had was this record like two and six
or something, two and seven something like that. When when
Jackson got called up, so was something like that. But
(19:37):
now he's boom and he's back quickly in this form.
It looks like they did get the loss on Friday,
but he had a monster game and it's kind of
a one of the kind of sad things about that
game on Friday was that Throwners kind of lost. They
kind of almost wasted that effort that he that great
effort that Matt had on Friday with so many saves
and so many just there's a barrage of San Diego
(19:58):
shops that he had to face, so it was like
twice as many as Tucson had, and it was he
just created really well. And then obviously we talked about
dun Walls, how he was able to with his number,
got call, he went up and did really well and
show that he's definitely a guy who's a HL caliber
and he's a guy who he off she goes back to,
you know, he goes back to Allen, which you know
(20:19):
he said that he liked it and he played in
DAWs the Dallas area previously. But he's the guy who's
definitely HL talent and if he does have to come
back up Tucson or maybe you know, maybe they trade
him or something or something like that, that he's some value
with that He's going to reprove to be really viable
with the organization. And now, obviously we talked about the duel,
(20:39):
the duelo of Stabur and Valtas I'm back together again.
So it looks like Cody's gonna be under Codies looks
at the Runners are gonna be really set again at goalie.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Yeah, and I think one thing, look just looking at
the the goaltender stats from its his season and to
have all the guys that have played for you this
year having under three goals against averages, I feel like
a lot of teams look at that and say, how
do we get that? You know, Connor Ingram just allowing
the one goal in his one star Jackson stalbur Is
down to a two point two five goals against savage
(21:12):
and a nine to thirty two say percentage.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Matthew volalta a little higher two point eight four.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
That's still pretty considered good in a league like this
with a lot of high scoring. But again that nine
to eight say percentage really high considering because again he's
set a lot of games this season where he's had
to make a lot of a lot of saves on
a lot of shots. And then even Dyan Wells two
point nine to five goals against average eight eight to
five percentage, But that's also primarily because when we got
(21:38):
being by Coachella Valley eight to two in November, Wells
came in a relief of Alalton allowed two goals. I mean,
you know, even though it's not counted, it was a
count against him. It wasn't a star, he wasn't mentally ready.
But so you take that out, you know, probably much
better stats. And so yeah, you know, kudos to all
the goaltending. Kudos to Corovomelka as well Veggie nicknamed from
(22:02):
the Utah Hockey Club fans, you know, for stepping in
that starting role as well and eating up those minutes
and you know, playing like a starting goaltender, and the
just the goaltending coaches of both organizations Jeff Hill, goaltending
coach with us and technically the development coach with the
Utah Hockey Club as well to just making sure that
all the goaltenders were prepared for you know, something like
(22:25):
what happened to Connor Ingram, you know, to have to
step away from hockey, and again, condolences to him and
his family, and you know, just glad that he's back
playing and we were happy to have him in Tucson
for that one game and he helped us get a
huge win versus the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Let's get to
our first and only interview of this week's show. We
talked to Igor Sokoloff after Saturday nights victory.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Played it on the post game show.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
But in case you missed it, Jase Clemmons was with
us on the trip, did a fantastic job at our
intermission and postgame interviews. Came on the air with me
a couple of times as well. He not with us
in Calgary, unfortunately, he's back in tusaon now, but it
was with us in San Diego. Did a fantastic job
and he grabbed a circle of after a Saturday night victory,
(23:12):
I'm joined.
Speaker 5 (23:13):
By Igor Sokolov, who's our first start of the night. Uh,
after a goal assesss two point night. Igor, you opened
the scoring and then finished the game helping set up
Cameron he bigs game winning goal. Walk me through what
was going on in your mind U as you set
up that play.
Speaker 6 (23:29):
I think, uh, it was a long time coming for us.
I thought, uh, we were playing really well as a
line today and create a lot of opportunities. So this
amount of time for one of us to put another
one back of the net, and uh, yeah, I thought
we had a goodsis stating pressure there for a minute.
You know, took a pock and uh, you know, big
a call for a pock and then you know he ripped,
ripped on one, ripped on pretty good. I mean excuge
that we got a w you know what I mean,
(23:50):
going uh from pretty poor effort last night and again
the win today.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
So it's it's good.
Speaker 7 (23:55):
I'm happy.
Speaker 6 (23:55):
I'm happy was able to contribute to the win.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
After you know, everything went so perfect against Coachella. This
this series was a battle and it always is on
the road. Just how important was it to you know,
come out, come out here with the series split and
head into Calgary with some momentum.
Speaker 7 (24:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
Absolutely, I mean you gotta give the San Diego the profs.
I thought they played really well to both games. And
for us, you know, getting a split here was huge.
You know, you don't want to lose to in a
row in this time of the year right now, you
know you can buttch you there at the end when
you find in for playoffs bought and a home at Banner,
So it's huge. Now, you know, we got a really
tough ass to go to Calighan and try to sneak
(24:33):
a couple there. So yeah, I'm pretty excited for this opportunity.
Happy to Boay's got a job done.
Speaker 5 (24:37):
And last question for you, congrats by the way in
the two point nine three games with the goal. What's
just been working for you recently?
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (24:44):
I think obviously there's always ups and downson hockey, and
for me, it's just not over pink stuff, you know
what I mean, just wait for the right opportunity and
I know it can put the back back on that.
So for me, it's just playing a good hockey. You
know what I mean. And at the end of the night,
you know, if I don't score for ten games, I
know I'm still gonna get rewarded. And yeah, Dayla and
I if I can contribute not only offensively and defensively
(25:05):
making right place, I think I'm doing a good job.
So I'm just happy don't get rewarded and help the
team to win.
Speaker 5 (25:10):
Great game, great weekend, Thanks for your time enjoying to win.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Yeah, James, I think that was most impressive by Sokolov. Right,
he had about a six game stretch with no points.
You know, was still playing great, but just wasn't really
getting rewarded. And then he gets the empty netter and
Coachella Valley and we were Chase and I were talking
about that game as well with Bennett as At two
who also came on our trip, our social media manager,
(25:33):
where we're just talking. You know, even though it's an
empty netter, it matters, right, it's a goal. You're back
on the score sheet for the first time in quite
a while. And then all of a sudden, Sokolov now
has three games in a row with a goal scored.
Here last time, we're at the Scotia Banks Saddle Dome,
and I think Igor's gonna get a little bit of
another hot streak going and maybe potentially make the bid
(25:56):
to replace Donut the All Star Games.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Yeah, speaking of bet, create a shout out to him
for that tweet that he had on Saturday when he
tweeted out the three stars and you know, obviously two
on one, but there were two two of them are goals. Ye,
So he said no, San Diego vote for this, So
that was funny. He has a lot of good a
lot of good posts this year and really really really
(26:20):
fun to see those. And you know, Igor is a
guy who we remember we started off the season. He
mentioned that he didn't usually start the season slow, but
then he he made a concerned effort to coming in
the new city, kind of coming coming new conference and
everything coming in the organization when it wanted to prove
that he's doing well. He wanted to prove himself, wanted
(26:40):
to show his talent after that's the big trade over
the summer, and he did that. And then now that
Josh is you know Josh and all his goals and
points and are up in the NHL, he has the
opportunity to show once again. Yeah, he's a he's a great,
great forward, I'm great leader on this team and puts
up a lot of good staff.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
Yeah, and you know we're gonna need a guys like
soko Off coming up in this really again a porn
series versus the Calgary Wranglers. Standings all as they show
right now on this Monday, as we have no games
obviously in the league, because we don't usually have HL
games on Mondays, let's see what they are looking like
on Tuesday. Let's peak at the upcoming scores and we'll
(27:24):
look at the standings. So have a lot of midweek
games actually in the Pacific Division. Three of the four
games are in the Pacific Division, so a lot of
scoreboard watching coming up. Of course, we have the Roadrunners
versus the Calgary Wranglers, Bakersfield and Colorado. That's a big
series because we know Bakersfield is scratching and clawing no
pun intended, as I keep saying, to get into the
(27:46):
playoff picture of the AHL's Pacific Division. They're going up
against Colorado, who is up on Tucson right above them
in the standings right now, So you know, maybe be
Bakersfield Condors fans for that upcoming series, and the Ontario
Rain and the Abbotsford Canucks Ontario another team that the
Roadrunners are trying to take over in the standings and
(28:06):
Abbotsford is barely hanging on to that last place spot
into the division are part in in the division standings,
and then the same matchups for Wednesday's tilt, and then
the Iowa Wild take on the San Diego Goals Goals
are back home. San Diego's not been playing Terribles up recently.
Two they're also eyeing that seventh place spot in the
(28:28):
hl's Pacific Division. Then later on this week, the road
Runs don't have any games this upcoming weekend, so if
you fans want to watch some hockey, if you have
the flow Sports your own flow Sports account, some more
games to keep an eye on. Coachelle Valley playing the
Henderson Silver Knights on Thursday, our lone game on in
the entire league, and then no Pacific Division games on Friday,
(28:50):
and gosh, we have none on Saturday, and then a
couple big one okay, a lot of big Pacific Division
games on Saturday this upcoming week Henderson on Ontario, Calgary
and San Diego.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Coachell Valley Colorado.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
I feel like that's the biggest game to look out for,
and then San Jose and Abbotsford, and then I'm assuming
those are first games of back to backs.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Yes it I are.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Well, we have a couple of different matchups Coachell Valley
in Colorado again, Calgary then plays the Ontario Rain Texas
Stars in Milwaukee that's not Central Division part of me,
and then San Jose and Abbotsford again. So a lot
of big games to watch out for this upcoming week
when the road Runners finish off their seven games stretch
away from the Tucson Arena.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Looking at the standings, yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
Once again every week, the standards are so interesting. I mean,
you look at Calgary, they're kind of getting a little
bit the pack is getting a little closer to them.
They still they still have like Runners still have three
games in hand on them, but up second place Coachell.
They both have played thirty six games with them and Calgary.
Calgary is forty seven points and you look down Abbas
for the last playoff spot is thirty fourth points. But really,
(29:57):
when you look at it's really close to the tel
has forty three and two on a thirty nine. So
if you know if everything goes well for two song
this week and they get four points, then they'd be
right in a thick of it, right right at the
top of right right at the top of the division.
And it's just just a wild division. But you also
look at you know, the me mentor bakers Bakersfield, they're
(30:18):
they're only a couple of points back of playoff spots,
so they have a lot to play for. And you
you mentioned earlier about how, you know, how surprising it
was the Roaders, how well they all strong, they are
as good and good as they are as a team.
This year they only had two All Star selections. But
again that kind of comes down to the division being
so big in terms of there's ten teams and so
there's twelve guys selected, and there are two teams that
(30:41):
had multiple guys selected. So it's just really hard to
get in there because there's so terms of number, there's
just so many guys. The teams are so are you know, smaller,
and so you have to fit in how many guys
in there. But hopefully they do get a runners, do
get a guy in the All Star Game. Because of that,
that's always fun to watch and I just want.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
To check out yeah, And I think the frustration of
looking at the standings constantly and saying like, oh, yeah,
this seems in fifth, this seems in fourth, YadA, YadA,
is because there's so many different games played, right, Calgary
and Coachella Valley have played the most games into the
entire division. And you know, though Calgary's been fantastic point wise,
the reason why Coachella Valley has jumped a second was
(31:22):
is because they played, you know, four more games in Ontario,
who actually have the same amount of points as them,
and they played two more games than San Jose, who
has second place locked up for quite some time. But
even though despite them being on a three game point streak,
they're in fourth place now Colorado on a two game
winning streak. They've been fantastic as of recent as well.
They are two points over Tucson. Again, they don't play
(31:46):
until Wednesday, I believe. After I was just looking at
the upcoming scores, I'm gonna double check that.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I'm a double check. Do any play Wednesday?
Speaker 3 (31:54):
No? Right, no, they do play Wednesday versus Baker's Field. Again,
we'll be scoreboard watching these upcoming two games. But this
is a big opportunity for Tucson. You know, again they've
swept Calgary before, they've done it once, they could do
it again. Calgary's lost three games in a row, They're
four and six in their past ten games. If the
(32:16):
Roadrunners get two big points, and again you can't exchange points.
You can't let these games go into overtime, you know,
if as much as possible. Of course, we want to
get the wins, but and points are important far our
end too. But if you're trading points with Calgary, then
you know they're you're just giving them much more of
an edge. But the Roadrunners get four big points with
Calgary getting none, all of a sudden, Tucson is within
(32:40):
four of first place with some games in hand, so
you kind of can feel like, you know, playoff atmosphere
like series coming up. Couldn't get it done last time.
But the Wranglers then went on a nine game stretch
of wins or points I believe as well, that was
their hottest stretch or one of them of the season.
And now they've been struggling a bit so and they're
(33:00):
coming off of getting swept by Colorado. So this is
a big opportunity for Tucson. Who's you know, been great
at home. They're a little teeter totter on the road
at the moment. Again, it's been really tough to win
games away from home this season for the entire Pacific Division.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
You know, it's not I don't want to give any.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Discredit, but crowds don't get as big here as at
the Scotia being saddled home. So with that being said,
it's not gonna be too crazy of a hostile environment.
But you're still playing a very talented Calgary Wranglers team.
But TUCSONA can really really make some noise in the
AHL's specific division race, you know, playoff wise, pretty serve
Tucson can make and unless we see it an entirely
(33:38):
utter collapse, knock on wood. But there's still that battle
for first place. And I think all teams know that
Calgary has it, but we've seen it happen before where
they had first place and then they kind of fell apart.
And not saying it's happening again, but teams are gearing
themselves to get ready because when teams get cold, you
got to get hot, and that's how you take over
(34:00):
spots in this division race.
Speaker 4 (34:02):
Yeah, it's really in the kind of series with the
season series with Calgary has really gotten really interesting. I mean,
you remember, unfortunately, remember I'm back in the playoffs last
year when they swept Tucson on the road and then
Tuson came back and they swept Calgary and then Calgary
and got upset about that, and they swept Tucson in
(34:26):
the Son's first strip to Calgary this year. So I'm
not saying that you should expect the Runners to get
this week, but it's gonna be a battle. It's it's
been a battle this whole year long. And even though
you know it is in Calgary, it's a tough trip
to physically to fly fly across the fly across the
country and then go in the going to Canada, go
go up the Calgary. It is gonna be you know,
(34:47):
it's it's it's it's not gonna be the same kind
of atmosphere as Coachelli or San Diego, because you know,
it's it's one of the cases where they play it's
one of the teams that playing the same city as
the NHL team and they I'm playing this say play
lance headled them too with the Flames. So there's not
as usually as big as crowds there was one of
them was big last time they played in Calgary when
(35:09):
they had one of the Christmas nights or something, I
remember what it was, but they had a big crowd there.
But good crowd there. But it's probably not gonna be
as intense as it wasn't Coachell or San Diego. So
it's it's an opportunity for road Urns to get get
some points on this week.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
Yeah, a really big opportunity coming up for two so on.
I think what also really helps us and uh again,
you know, it's all about travel schedule and and budgeting
and sometimes it's tough to stay at a hotel and
extra night because you know, it all costs money. And
most most Canadian trips are all the trips we've taken
to Canada this year with Abbotsford and our previous trip
to Calgary, we've traveled the entire day before the game, right,
(35:49):
and it's tough.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
It's it takes a while to get here. It's a
three hour flight.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
You get to the airport early because we always get
there extra early. You you know, got to get all
the equipment boarded up on the plane and then even
afterwards too have to you know, we want to help
the equipment guys get the back to the truck as
quick as possible. And then you got busts at a hotel.
Last time we were here, we hit really bad traffic.
From the airport to the hotel. It took us about
(36:15):
an hour, even though it's like a twenty minute bus ride.
You get here laides and then you know, obviously, a
game day is a game day and you're always excited
for it. But I think having an extra day here
is huge. Like I said when we started the show,
it's a practice day. It's eleven forty four am right now.
Currently guys are taking the ice. I think believe from
(36:36):
twelve fifteen to one to fifteen they have a regular
practice day. They're doing the regular practice prep and I
think that gives us a really big advantage, you know,
especially that the guys get a night out here tonight
as well, you know, to to enjoy themselves, enjoy Calgary.
You know, obviously we have a lot of guys with
who are family and attendance again as we always do
when we play in Alberta. And yeah, I think that
(36:59):
gives the runners a slight more advantage. You're coming off
a really good victory versus San Diego, which honestly, I
think the Goals played some of their best games this season,
and they have been against us.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
But you're coming off of a really hard fought win.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
You know, guys are getting drawn into the lineup with
recent call ups that haven't played in quite a while.
They're excited to get going. We have Jackson Stopper and
Matthew Bilalta backets as the one two punch and I'm
I'm really confident in this upcoming series starting tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
Yeah, San Diego really good. I mean it didn't look
like a ninth place team out of ten teams. Definitely
over that weekend. Runners got that big win on Saturday,
but it was really battle and honestly, you remember San
Diego's playing for their i ATE Border Cup our lives
because I didn't realize that you mentioned on the air.
I was like, woops, I didn't realize that. But that's
the seventh game out of eight games to play this year.
(37:52):
So with the win, Runners ended up punching the trophy
again for it's they've won every single year other than
twenty one twenty two, and if you remember back to
that when they won that game when they when that
series finished, that season serious finished in twenty twenty two,
what happened was Gagury, Cicagury Sandy Ago left the trophy
(38:15):
Tucson because they're probably upset about the loss because what
happened is they lost that game in overtime, Tucson. In
order to retain the Cup that year, they needed to
get two points, but they end up winning an overtime
getting one point. So they're excited to get the win,
but they ultimately didn't win the Cup. But it's still
stay in Duson. So technically it's been Duson the whole
time since twenty sixteen twenty seventeen, so it's been a
(38:37):
It was a big, big win for Tucson.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
Yeah, the cup's still out our office. It's uh, it's
in our meeting room right now. When I came in
last year, I'm like, what is this. An agent kind
of explained to me, Explain to me how it all worked.
And obviously we went seven to one against them last
year and we are currently five and two against them
this year, so we've already pretty much won the season series. Crazy,
the thing that we played them seven times before the
(39:01):
halfway mark of the year and now we only get
them one last time in San Diego in Mars, so
really weird schedule. It's also nice to get the two
Canadian trips in. You know, this is our last time
in a regular season in Canada, and again I love
coming here, but the travel is just so it can
be very long, and so I think the second half
stretch for Tucson is it's much more better traveling wise
(39:25):
as well, which we'll talk about next week because by
next week we'll pretty much be at the halfway point
of the twenty four twenty five season.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
And yeah, we're just super excited to speak of agent.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
Just wanted to give a congratulations to him calling his
first play by play action in the National Hockey League
for the Utah Hockey Club called a nice win versus
the San Jose Sharks. Had a nice game winning goal
call when when Utah scored, you know, within a within
a minute left this past weekend versus San Jose lost
the next game unfortunately, but again I just want to
(39:59):
give a shout out to Adrian and he's one of
the hardest workers, uh I've ever met. You fans in
Tucson got to enjoy him. For for about five years,
five six years, and uh yeah, just super thrilled for him,
thrilled for Utah that they get Josh stoneback. We're thrilled
to have Maverick lambrou for the time being as he
uh you know, continues his development for us for US.
(40:19):
Jackson Staubur back as well, and uh yeah, this is
a big upcoming stretch for Tucson. I feel like I
say that every week, but it just is because this
division is so tight. But this is a big opportunity
for for the Roadrunners to get well within first place
of this of this crazy division.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
Yeah, it's such a such a wild division and such
a great opportunity, and it's coming a time when the
Ruthernands are playing really well even though you know, even
though they're on this long you say not roadch it
but out for style wise for newsaper, we thought, yeah,
we'll continue calling it roach it because that's what we do,
like when we cover like uve A stuff when they
have like A have two games one weekend and then
(40:59):
they come back for classes and then they go back
for another trip. So we still got as the four
game road tip. So that's what my thing. It was
out but This is definitely this part of the road
tip is definitely a road trip because they they came
back for one for one day last week, and then
they and then they went to Coachella Valley, and then
they went to San Diego and then they flew up
the Calgary. So even though they're on this long road trip,
(41:20):
they're still doing well and there's still have a chance
to have a come out of this road trip with
the solid record. They you know, showed their improved and
once again they improved their road record this past few
the past few days, so it's really it's a good
time for the road donners.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
Well, James, I think that's that about. Does I feel
like we we covered a lot. Tucson's Uh, We're ready
to just get going in Calgary. We're ready to finish
off this seven game stretch away from the Tucson Arena.
Will be back uh next week on Monday and Tuesday
versus Henderson Silver Nights for Martin Luther King Day on Monday. Also,
first one thousand kids to enter arena we'll receive a
(42:02):
Roadrunners Kids workbook. Also kids fourteen to underwell get free
and mission to the arena at the box office with
the paying of an adult ticket as well, so find
out all the more information at Tucson Runners dot com
For that really exciting matchup.
Speaker 2 (42:19):
We'll be back on this show.
Speaker 3 (42:21):
We'll record since with the weekend off, we'll record our
next show beforehand as well, and in Kim Koda, Robas
and I will be back on Tuesday night for our
usual get together. Roadrunners Happy are We are eyeing an
episode of a Game Day edition with Roads Defenseman Montana
on Yobucci, so stay tuned for that as well. James,
thanks again for joining me. Roadrunners are back in action
(42:44):
tomorrow night and Wednesday night here at the saddle Dome.
We will see you for game action on Fox Sports
fourteen fifty am, the iHeartRadio app, or if you still
want to watch it not too late on hl TV
now on Flow Sports. We will see you tomorrow nights
here at the scoch To Banks Saddle Down. Have a
grave rest of your day, everybody, and we also throw
(43:05):
things out of broad.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
Runners from come after one of ours.
Speaker 5 (43:09):
You couldn't need a little more friends.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
You've seen newskape before.
Speaker 7 (43:13):
We know how this story ends.
Speaker 1 (43:16):
Tonight We're running up tonight.
Speaker 5 (43:18):
You go down, you try to run.
Speaker 8 (43:21):
Up on us looking on left down, get all the bus,
go back to where you came from. Getting on the bus,
drop far far away, Hang up your gates, drop your gloves,
put just away.
Speaker 2 (43:38):
You got beat down tonight.
Speaker 7 (43:40):
That's the two sad Way road run over road running
from road ruder from road running Frock Next, the two
sent
Speaker 6 (44:01):
You U
When you want more roadrunners, We've got more road runners.
This is the Tucson Roadrunners Insider Podcast with a voice
of the Roadrunners, Jonathan Shaeffer.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
What advice do you have for me? Drink a lot
of water, it's pretty often.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
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 twuson Roadrunners Insider Podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Welcome to this week's episode of the two Soon Roadrunners
Insider Podcast. Jonathan Schaeffer with me Arizona Daily Stars James Kelly. James,
I am live right now currently at this moment, recording
this show.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I'm at the Scotia being saddledome.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I'm up in my very very high press box that
is connected to the catwalk. I scale the catwalk this
morning with my giant radio case, going up and down
constant stairs, with a Starbucks coffee in my hand, a
croissant sandwich in my backpack which I've yet to finish,
and work up here. We have a practice day here
(01:02):
today and then two big upcoming games versus the Wranglers.
We'll get to that in just a moment, but we
have a lot to talk about this past series versus
the San Diego Goals.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
We split it up.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
We'll take the split as we always do, especially on
the road. It was two really hard fought games between
the Roadrunners and San Diego Goals. And we also have
an interview with Igor Sokoloff after Saturday's game, who has
three games n R row with a goal and all
of a sudden James, we are starting to see Soaklov
heat up like he did in the month of October,
(01:38):
especially in the big.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Time of you know, scoring need for the Roadrunners.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
With Josh Jones recent call up to the team, we
have some guys coming back as well from injury. And yeah,
the road Runs are just still working away on this
current seven game stretch away from the two Soon Arena
current five game road trip right now, as we did
come back for a day after the Texas Stars series.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
We're back home very soon.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
But uh, and we're off this weekend as well with
with no games, so two huge matchups versus the Calgary Wranglers.
We didn't win both games here last last time we
were here back in December, and uh, we're just ready
to keep it rolling.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Of course since the last podcast a lot of action.
Josh Jone got recalled to Utah after Don Guhler got hurt,
and the expectation is that I'm doing Guler is gonna
be out for a long time, so that you would
think that Josh Jone would be up there for a while.
I mean, they might do a situation where they like
they did it with the Blue Line, where they kind
(02:41):
of use a committee the place, replaced them by a
committee or replace him in the aggregate or whatever you
know they say in like moneyball. But given how wald
Josh did last year, I'm in the NHL, I don't
expect him to be back soon, if at all, you know, honestly.
So that's gonna be with him getting name of the
All Star Game before that, before the game, before the
(03:02):
Coachah Valley game, really really really good timing because I
was on that it was on that same the Bollstar
Game is gonna be in that same arena. Not now
you kind of look and see who might replace him.
So it's something that Adrian said last year that I
don't remember. I think he did check with the league
or it was just something you just knew. But when
when you have a guy like called up to the
(03:23):
Alstar team like Josh did, like Josh's this year or
Dale was last year. What they like to do is
they like to have the call someone from the same
team if possible. It's not a requirement or anything, but
that do that. So one of the things you're kind
of looking at, I'm kind of looking at, is who's
going to be that guy that called gets called up
to replace down And obviously Igor has been a been
a great candidate all year long, and he's really picked
(03:44):
up the last over the weekend, and he had had
a great series in San Diego and and he did
really well in before that in the first part of
the California first for the first part of the kind
of foreigner leg of the of the trip over in
Coachella Valley.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Yeah, Jay, to be honest, I mean again, I'm always
biased here right towards the roads. I'm a little surprised
that we didn't get multiple selections, right, A couple of
teams here and there get two. A lot of guys,
you know, get one part. A lot of teams get one.
We had to last year with Dylan Gunther and Matthew Walta.
Originally Gunther got called up and then he was replaced
(04:22):
by Josh Stone. Yeah, the exact same case this year, right,
Josh Stone gets called up. Our parton Josh Stone first
gets assigned to the HL All Star Game or name
to it. Rather, he goes off, he has a goal
in and assists the same exact day in the first
period versus the Coachella Valley Firebirds in which the All
Star Game is going to be taking place in about
(04:44):
a month, rarely less than a month now that we've
had a couple of days since that game. And then
literally even though the announcement was made a few days later,
he was actually called up when we were leaving that bus, right,
And I think he said it on one of his
interviews after his first game in the NHL since being
called up. We were on the bus, we were about
(05:07):
to go Connor Ingram had a fantastic game, and you know,
the thought was maybe he would come to with us
to San Diego and get one more started. But I
think Bill Armstrong saw what he needed to see what
the way he played, and he had a fantastic game
as well. Coming back to the NHL just recently unfortunately
suffered the loss. But regardless, yeah, we were on the
(05:27):
bus and there was a bit of a delay. And
whenever you're on a bus and you're about to leave
and everyone's ready to go and there's a delay, you
just know someone someone's getting called up, right And obviously
there's always that the fear of like maybe a trade,
which you know, trading someone right after a game would
always be tough, and some kinds of sometimes the guys
start joking like, ah, someone got traded, but no, Usually
(05:49):
you think, okay, someone definitely got called up. And then
you kind of started seeing Connor Ingram on the phone
and Josh Stone on the phone and you're like, oh,
okay he Like at first it was like okay, Ingram's
just he's done with this loan, his conditioning loan. But
then you saw Dome start creeping up towards the bus
and yeah, and then you're thinking like, oh, don't just
(06:10):
got called up. And at the time too, I don't
think anyone knew that Dy't Gunther was was injured right
like they announced his injury when Doan was called up
on the Utah Hockey Club PR which I constantly follow
in case, you know, I don't get the updates from
their PR department beforehand. And yeah, so Josh Stone was
called up. I mean obviously super ecstatic for him, you know.
(06:34):
And again it's so tough, right, It's always so bittersweet
because you know, we want these guys to be in
the National Hockey League, and it's always the you know, we'll.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Miss you, but hope to never see you again.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
And we kind of thought that when Don't started the
year in Utah this season, right, like, we didn't think
at all he was gonna be reassigned. But uh, you know, again,
it's playing the first light minutes and playing on the
power play the p K and Done only had two
points in nine games, and yeah, you know, I wouldn't
say it's struggling, it's just how it goes sometimes.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
But came back down.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
He made the All Star bid despite not playing as
many games as a lot of these guys on this roster.
You know, you can tell, you can totally tell that
he is you know, he's exceeded from last season. You know,
like last season he was much more of a goalscorer,
but now this year he's creating more offense, you know,
with assists as well in creating plays, and so yeah,
(07:27):
we're We're super happy for him. We hope to never
see him again, you know, like as much as we
love seeing him in Tucson, like I hope he finishes
off the season in Utah. You never know, James, it
could be a Dylan Gunther situation from last year too.
We can very much see Doan come to Tucson for
a playoff run. But again, Utah is still very much
in the playoff race themselves as well, So I think
(07:49):
Done's gonna be a big jolt for them, especially with
Dylan gun through out, you know, indefinitely, so we have
no idea when he'll be back. But then in return
to the Roadrunners got Maverick Lamerue backs, so uh, you know,
as much as we'll miss Done, we get one man
back as well in the blue line. We know how
great Lambreu was playing with us before his call up. Yeah,
(08:10):
three points in a four games played with two goals
and one assists, and then three points in fifteen games
with the Utah Hockey Clubs. So a lot of transactions
this past week. But yeah, we get one huge force
back for the road Runners in Lambreau. And I'm really
excited to see him again.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Yeah, he was he's great to see for Runners fans,
even though he was very brief, but he could tire
right away. Oh yeah, he's he's he's going to be
back in the league pretty soon. His note, I don't
know if it's different because he's on a you know,
he's on a different contract than Connor Ingram obviously, but
he's not on a conditioning loan like Ingram was. So
it's the they you know, they recalled that. I mean,
(08:47):
they sent him back to so on, So it might
might be a little different, but it might be longer.
But he's a guy who definitely is going to be
back in the league really really soon. And I mean
remember you mentioned last year with Dylan gun there where
he was called up and it was us to be
just a brief, you know, just emergency call, but then
he just played so well I just took over and
he was just there. He was, he was just a
fixture back in the NHL until until he got called
(09:10):
until you got brought back after the Coyote season ended
and when the Runners win the playoffs. So that was
really that was really one of those great, great examples
of getting the opportunity and seizing it. And so with
with with Josh, that's kind of thing that I kind
of I'm gonna kind of expect, you know, it's a
tough league obviously to do well, and then he had
kind of slow start at least by his standards, to
(09:31):
start off the year. But just how well you played
last year and how well he's his game has developed.
That's one thing that if you Roder and his fan,
you saw how how well his game has developed from
when he joined the Road Unners a couple of years
ago after the ASU season, and then he progressed and
got got a lot better last year and he's gotten
even better this year. So he's the guy who you know,
(09:52):
I I don't expect to be back or if if
he is, that's that gonna be until for a while.
So maybe just work on a Liew Kings and game
or something. But he's a guy who's definitely NHL caliber
and he's the guy who whenever we talked to Steve Bouam,
he always talked about how he's he's a guy who's
ready made for the NHL and he works so hard
and he has he has such a lot of depth
(10:14):
in this game. So he's a guy who, you know,
he's gonna have a good career ahead of him.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Yeah, And I think it's not much of more of
a you know, a team that's out of the playoff
picture and just wants to see a prospect to get
the minutes. No, Utah as a team right now that
is competing for a playoff spot. And uh, you know,
though it's been a little tough for them in the
recent stretch. You know, you see that they're streaky, right
they they win a couple of games. They had a
(10:39):
really good, like ten games stretch, especially on the road.
I think they had the longest win streak of an
inaugural team ever in the national hockey with seven wins
on the road in a row. If if I'm not mistaken, Uh,
and you start to feel like, okay, I think Utah
finally found their group and then they kind of treaded
down a little bit. But there's still so much alive
(10:59):
in the playoff picture and they're gonna fight the whole season.
So it's not more of Josh Jones getting called up
to you know, just get.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
The minutes, YadA YadA.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
No, he's he's there to help this team with their
playoff push right now, especially losing, you know, a star
player like Dylan Gunther, and then for us as well,
you know, it's the next man up fatality. That's how
it works in this league, right, you know, one guy
gets called up, and now all of a sudden, the
guys who we've scratched recently are are starting to get
playing time, and we're even getting some guys back from
(11:30):
injury ourselves. We saw Mika Matika back in the lineup
these past two games, and though he didn't get any points, honestly, James,
he looked really good out there. He looked like a
guy who was hungry to just be back there on
the ice. He you know, he completed his checks, he
got his passes. In the game one on Friday, he
had two really good looks at the net and just
(11:51):
couldn't get past Oscar Dance could started both games for
San Diego.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
He looked fantastic coming back.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Ryan McGregor drew back into the line up on the
Saturday night game. He was with Igor Sokolov and Cameron
Hebe actually got a point on the night as well.
And he's a he's a two way four where you
know he's gonna play great defense for you.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
He's going to win.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
You face off draws a very very underrated guy on
the team in my opinion, in a in my opinion,
and uh yeah, and we're expected Julian Lutz very very
soon too. He is very close to game action. Could
be this week. I don't know, but uh, you know
that's why we have all the death on our team
as well. Right, you know, Josh Don't gets called up,
and uh, it will just give more opportunity for uh
(12:35):
these guys to get more playing time and uh where
I think we'll be just fine.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
You know, it's not like a whole panic situation.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Yes, Joe Joan is very important to our winning, but
at the end of the day, we're here to develop
players and yes we want to win, but uh, these
guys aren't here to stay in EHL forever. So uh
we're still gonna win on our end. I have every
confidence that we're going to be just fined. You know,
maybe we'll see Don't again down the line, but if
we don't, we're gonna be justifying because we have the pieces,
(13:05):
uh to still win great games on our end.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Yeah, that's what we saw last year when Guntha got
called up and Don't got called up. That there was
a little bit of a loll kind of as they
were replacing guys who put up so many points in
our so posily. But quickly they adjusted and obviously they
did really well and then up finished the second in
the in the division. But you haven't really seen that
this year. I mean they did. They did lose that
(13:29):
first Friday game, but it was a kind of a
maybe not a fluchush game, but it was just one
of those games where they just couldn't get one in,
get one behind ask and and then of course they
won on Fridays. I won a Saturday, so and then
we're seeing to be scoring. He may continues to score
really well, Gausino scoring and then Soakloth's really taken off,
really come back, and so it doesn't look like they've
(13:50):
had that little loll that they had after after those
guys got called up last year. So that that looks promising.
And then again, you know, it's a most cliche, but
to say that next man up thing, but that's really
have their own owners of work to get really excited
when guys like Than and Lamue and whatnot when they
get called up and they just they plug in another
guy to fix it, you know, to not to fix it,
(14:10):
but you know, to replace that place that guy and
still do well. And so that's that's what they've been
doing last few years under under Poffin.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Yeah, and speaking of next man up mentality as well, Uh,
we gotta give credit to to all the goaltenders right
in this situation. Uh, you know, Connor Ingram having to
step away from hockey due to personal reasons, condolence his
uh to his family as his uh his mother passed away,
and you know, and that's a tough time for for
any player, and you know, for for all the other
(14:42):
goaltenders to uh to step up in a really tough
situation like that. You got to give credit to Jeff Hill,
our goaltending coach, and uh, you know Jackson Stouber, for
you know, didn't play a lot of minutes, but you
got shut out the first ever in the Utah Hockey.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Club history, the first in his career as well.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Matthew Volalta who stepped into the starting role and really
just found his groove back because you know, it was
a struggle for him at the beginning of the season.
I said before, you know, I think the call for
stopbur was the best thing that happened for this team.
Of course, it was under really really tough circumstances and
we never wish that on anybody, but you know, just
for Vilalta's purpose is to you know, get the minutes
(15:23):
that he needed to get back into his groove. It's
tough to do that when you're maybe playing once a week.
You know, it's depending on what our schedule is this week.
Of course he'll get more starts. But you know, with
that being said, him being able to come into the
lights and get the reps he needed to get back
into his groove. Dylan Wells going to and oh with
(15:43):
the Roadrunners getting two big victories for US, one at
the end of November versus the Coachell Valley Firebirds, a
divisional opponents that were battling for standings points, and then
the Abbotsford Canucks, who were actually battling with at the
time both of our teams on those wins go into
that series. He helped us get the sweep right before
(16:03):
the Christmas break, you know, and again it's unfortunate because
now Dylan Wells is back with the Ehls Allen Americans.
You know, again it's it's it's tough to see because
we love Dylan Wells so much, we love having him
here in the building, but it's tough for goaltenders to
try to keep three on one roster because you know,
Dylan Wells needs his reps just as any other goaltenders do.
(16:26):
And now we have Jackson stauberback, and Stober looked fantastic
in his Game two versus San Diego, making a lot
of big saves at the end of the game and
ended up with thirty two saves on thirty four shots.
He's seven to two for the road Runs this season.
Even Matthew Bolalta was magnificent in the game prior, making
(16:48):
forty two saves on forty five shots, unfortunately just suffering
the loss even though he really deserved a win. But
you know, again, it's the Roadrunners are back with their
amazing goal tend We've talked about this a couple of
months ago where we said, you know, as much as
we love having Dylan Wells on this team, we brought
in Jackson Stauber for a reason. And you know now
(17:11):
where we have our goaltending death all back and the
Roadrunners have one of the best duos in the league now,
you know with Volalta and Wells, especially in these you know,
midweek back to back games when you've just played not
that long ago. And again, I don't know what the
rotation is going to look like in Calgary, but you
know we'll have Valalta one and and Jackson Stauber another
(17:33):
and it gives the Roadrunners a much better chance to win.
And again, Dylan Wells is a fantastic goaltender. He is
an AHL starter in this league. He's had NHL time
as well. It's just how the death goes for us
at the moment. But never know when we'll need Dylan
Wells again. And I'm sure he'll be ready for when
he's called up again potentially.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
Yeah, you said it like it was just really impressive
for the goaliest from this organization, starting with conoring him
obviously and on down Wells. I'll just had it just
been playing really great daily. It was. It was funny
when the when Ingram got that got the start in
Coachella Valley. I was thinking, you know, we'll see how
(18:12):
he plays. You know, his timing has to be awful
of it being away from games for so long, but
he went in there and he just he just pitched
a gym, you know, they say, and he just did
so well that obviously said the Drowntrong was like, we've
seen enough for ready to call him back up. And
so he did that and he came back, and then
you expect him when he comes back to the NHL
to you know, they might do as well necessarily. But
(18:32):
then he went up and had a good game on Saturday.
So really impressive showing by him. And it's interesting to
note that when I was watching, I watched a little
bit of the the Utah game on Saturday because we
were we were out to eat and we saw a
restaurant and they did change the channel, fortunately, but to
change the football game. But we won the NFL games,
(18:53):
so I did see at the beginning that set. I
meant to look up, but I forgot to look up.
But Texan Stober was second second in a couple of
big categories among the rookies. Rookie goalie, so I remember
the saves or goals against average or wins or whatever.
I don't remember, maybe not wins, but you know something.
So basically he's kind of like the second best rookie
goalie in the NHL. So he did that. And then
(19:15):
when he came back, and you expected him to be
maybe a little adjusting back to the league, coming back
and having not play as many games, but again he
came hop and did really well in that road in
important win to get on Saturday. And then obviously Matt Valota,
he he had was this record like two and six
or something, two and seven something like that. When when
Jackson got called up, so was something like that. But
(19:37):
now he's boom and he's back quickly in this form.
It looks like they did get the loss on Friday,
but he had a monster game and it's kind of
a one of the kind of sad things about that
game on Friday was that Throwners kind of lost. They
kind of almost wasted that effort that he that great
effort that Matt had on Friday with so many saves
and so many just there's a barrage of San Diego
(19:58):
shops that he had to face, so it was like
twice as many as Tucson had, and it was he
just created really well. And then obviously we talked about
dun Walls, how he was able to with his number,
got call, he went up and did really well and
show that he's definitely a guy who's a HL caliber
and he's a guy who he off she goes back to,
you know, he goes back to Allen, which you know
(20:19):
he said that he liked it and he played in
DAWs the Dallas area previously. But he's the guy who's
definitely HL talent and if he does have to come
back up Tucson or maybe you know, maybe they trade
him or something or something like that, that he's some value
with that He's going to reprove to be really viable
with the organization. And now, obviously we talked about the duel,
(20:39):
the duelo of Stabur and Valtas I'm back together again.
So it looks like Cody's gonna be under Codies looks
at the Runners are gonna be really set again at goalie.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Yeah, and I think one thing, look just looking at
the the goaltender stats from its his season and to
have all the guys that have played for you this
year having under three goals against averages, I feel like
a lot of teams look at that and say, how
do we get that? You know, Connor Ingram just allowing
the one goal in his one star Jackson stalbur Is
down to a two point two five goals against savage
(21:12):
and a nine to thirty two say percentage.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Matthew volalta a little higher two point eight four.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
That's still pretty considered good in a league like this
with a lot of high scoring. But again that nine
to eight say percentage really high considering because again he's
set a lot of games this season where he's had
to make a lot of a lot of saves on
a lot of shots. And then even Dyan Wells two
point nine to five goals against average eight eight to
five percentage, But that's also primarily because when we got
(21:38):
being by Coachella Valley eight to two in November, Wells
came in a relief of Alalton allowed two goals. I mean,
you know, even though it's not counted, it was a
count against him. It wasn't a star, he wasn't mentally ready.
But so you take that out, you know, probably much
better stats. And so yeah, you know, kudos to all
the goaltending. Kudos to Corovomelka as well Veggie nicknamed from
(22:02):
the Utah Hockey Club fans, you know, for stepping in
that starting role as well and eating up those minutes
and you know, playing like a starting goaltender, and the
just the goaltending coaches of both organizations Jeff Hill, goaltending
coach with us and technically the development coach with the
Utah Hockey Club as well to just making sure that
all the goaltenders were prepared for you know, something like
(22:25):
what happened to Connor Ingram, you know, to have to
step away from hockey, and again, condolences to him and
his family, and you know, just glad that he's back
playing and we were happy to have him in Tucson
for that one game and he helped us get a
huge win versus the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Let's get to
our first and only interview of this week's show. We
talked to Igor Sokoloff after Saturday nights victory.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Played it on the post game show.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
But in case you missed it, Jase Clemmons was with
us on the trip, did a fantastic job at our
intermission and postgame interviews. Came on the air with me
a couple of times as well. He not with us
in Calgary, unfortunately, he's back in tusaon now, but it
was with us in San Diego. Did a fantastic job
and he grabbed a circle of after a Saturday night victory,
(23:12):
I'm joined.
Speaker 5 (23:13):
By Igor Sokolov, who's our first start of the night. Uh,
after a goal assesss two point night. Igor, you opened
the scoring and then finished the game helping set up
Cameron he bigs game winning goal. Walk me through what
was going on in your mind U as you set
up that play.
Speaker 6 (23:29):
I think, uh, it was a long time coming for us.
I thought, uh, we were playing really well as a
line today and create a lot of opportunities. So this
amount of time for one of us to put another
one back of the net, and uh, yeah, I thought
we had a goodsis stating pressure there for a minute.
You know, took a pock and uh, you know, big
a call for a pock and then you know he ripped,
ripped on one, ripped on pretty good. I mean excuge
that we got a w you know what I mean,
(23:50):
going uh from pretty poor effort last night and again
the win today.
Speaker 2 (23:54):
So it's it's good.
Speaker 7 (23:55):
I'm happy.
Speaker 6 (23:55):
I'm happy was able to contribute to the win.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (23:58):
After you know, everything went so perfect against Coachella. This
this series was a battle and it always is on
the road. Just how important was it to you know,
come out, come out here with the series split and
head into Calgary with some momentum.
Speaker 7 (24:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
Absolutely, I mean you gotta give the San Diego the profs.
I thought they played really well to both games. And
for us, you know, getting a split here was huge.
You know, you don't want to lose to in a
row in this time of the year right now, you
know you can buttch you there at the end when
you find in for playoffs bought and a home at Banner,
So it's huge. Now, you know, we got a really
tough ass to go to Calighan and try to sneak
(24:33):
a couple there. So yeah, I'm pretty excited for this opportunity.
Happy to Boay's got a job done.
Speaker 5 (24:37):
And last question for you, congrats by the way in
the two point nine three games with the goal. What's
just been working for you recently?
Speaker 3 (24:44):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (24:44):
I think obviously there's always ups and downson hockey, and
for me, it's just not over pink stuff, you know
what I mean, just wait for the right opportunity and
I know it can put the back back on that.
So for me, it's just playing a good hockey. You
know what I mean. And at the end of the night,
you know, if I don't score for ten games, I
know I'm still gonna get rewarded. And yeah, Dayla and
I if I can contribute not only offensively and defensively
(25:05):
making right place, I think I'm doing a good job.
So I'm just happy don't get rewarded and help the
team to win.
Speaker 5 (25:10):
Great game, great weekend, Thanks for your time enjoying to win.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
Yeah, James, I think that was most impressive by Sokolov. Right,
he had about a six game stretch with no points.
You know, was still playing great, but just wasn't really
getting rewarded. And then he gets the empty netter and
Coachella Valley and we were Chase and I were talking
about that game as well with Bennett as At two
who also came on our trip, our social media manager,
(25:33):
where we're just talking. You know, even though it's an
empty netter, it matters, right, it's a goal. You're back
on the score sheet for the first time in quite
a while. And then all of a sudden, Sokolov now
has three games in a row with a goal scored.
Here last time, we're at the Scotia Banks Saddle Dome,
and I think Igor's gonna get a little bit of
another hot streak going and maybe potentially make the bid
(25:56):
to replace Donut the All Star Games.
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Yeah, speaking of bet, create a shout out to him
for that tweet that he had on Saturday when he
tweeted out the three stars and you know, obviously two
on one, but there were two two of them are goals. Ye,
So he said no, San Diego vote for this, So
that was funny. He has a lot of good a
lot of good posts this year and really really really
(26:20):
fun to see those. And you know, Igor is a
guy who we remember we started off the season. He
mentioned that he didn't usually start the season slow, but
then he he made a concerned effort to coming in
the new city, kind of coming coming new conference and
everything coming in the organization when it wanted to prove
that he's doing well. He wanted to prove himself, wanted
(26:40):
to show his talent after that's the big trade over
the summer, and he did that. And then now that
Josh is you know Josh and all his goals and
points and are up in the NHL, he has the
opportunity to show once again. Yeah, he's a he's a great,
great forward, I'm great leader on this team and puts
up a lot of good staff.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
Yeah, and you know we're gonna need a guys like
soko Off coming up in this really again a porn
series versus the Calgary Wranglers. Standings all as they show
right now on this Monday, as we have no games
obviously in the league, because we don't usually have HL
games on Mondays, let's see what they are looking like
on Tuesday. Let's peak at the upcoming scores and we'll
(27:24):
look at the standings. So have a lot of midweek
games actually in the Pacific Division. Three of the four
games are in the Pacific Division, so a lot of
scoreboard watching coming up. Of course, we have the Roadrunners
versus the Calgary Wranglers, Bakersfield and Colorado. That's a big
series because we know Bakersfield is scratching and clawing no
pun intended, as I keep saying, to get into the
(27:46):
playoff picture of the AHL's Pacific Division. They're going up
against Colorado, who is up on Tucson right above them
in the standings right now, So you know, maybe be
Bakersfield Condors fans for that upcoming series, and the Ontario
Rain and the Abbotsford Canucks Ontario another team that the
Roadrunners are trying to take over in the standings and
(28:06):
Abbotsford is barely hanging on to that last place spot
into the division are part in in the division standings,
and then the same matchups for Wednesday's tilt, and then
the Iowa Wild take on the San Diego Goals Goals
are back home. San Diego's not been playing Terribles up recently.
Two they're also eyeing that seventh place spot in the
(28:28):
hl's Pacific Division. Then later on this week, the road
Runs don't have any games this upcoming weekend, so if
you fans want to watch some hockey, if you have
the flow Sports your own flow Sports account, some more
games to keep an eye on. Coachelle Valley playing the
Henderson Silver Knights on Thursday, our lone game on in
the entire league, and then no Pacific Division games on Friday,
(28:50):
and gosh, we have none on Saturday, and then a
couple big one okay, a lot of big Pacific Division
games on Saturday this upcoming week Henderson on Ontario, Calgary
and San Diego.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Coachell Valley Colorado.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
I feel like that's the biggest game to look out for,
and then San Jose and Abbotsford, and then I'm assuming
those are first games of back to backs.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Yes it I are.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Well, we have a couple of different matchups Coachell Valley
in Colorado again, Calgary then plays the Ontario Rain Texas
Stars in Milwaukee that's not Central Division part of me,
and then San Jose and Abbotsford again. So a lot
of big games to watch out for this upcoming week
when the road Runners finish off their seven games stretch
away from the Tucson Arena.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Looking at the standings, yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
Once again every week, the standards are so interesting. I mean,
you look at Calgary, they're kind of getting a little
bit the pack is getting a little closer to them.
They still they still have like Runners still have three
games in hand on them, but up second place Coachell.
They both have played thirty six games with them and Calgary.
Calgary is forty seven points and you look down Abbas
for the last playoff spot is thirty fourth points. But really,
(29:57):
when you look at it's really close to the tel
has forty three and two on a thirty nine. So
if you know if everything goes well for two song
this week and they get four points, then they'd be
right in a thick of it, right right at the
top of right right at the top of the division.
And it's just just a wild division. But you also
look at you know, the me mentor bakers Bakersfield, they're
(30:18):
they're only a couple of points back of playoff spots,
so they have a lot to play for. And you
you mentioned earlier about how, you know, how surprising it
was the Roaders, how well they all strong, they are
as good and good as they are as a team.
This year they only had two All Star selections. But
again that kind of comes down to the division being
so big in terms of there's ten teams and so
there's twelve guys selected, and there are two teams that
(30:41):
had multiple guys selected. So it's just really hard to
get in there because there's so terms of number, there's
just so many guys. The teams are so are you know, smaller,
and so you have to fit in how many guys
in there. But hopefully they do get a runners, do
get a guy in the All Star Game. Because of that,
that's always fun to watch and I just want.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
To check out yeah, And I think the frustration of
looking at the standings constantly and saying like, oh, yeah,
this seems in fifth, this seems in fourth, YadA, YadA,
is because there's so many different games played, right, Calgary
and Coachella Valley have played the most games into the
entire division. And you know, though Calgary's been fantastic point wise,
the reason why Coachella Valley has jumped a second was
(31:22):
is because they played, you know, four more games in Ontario,
who actually have the same amount of points as them,
and they played two more games than San Jose, who
has second place locked up for quite some time. But
even though despite them being on a three game point streak,
they're in fourth place now Colorado on a two game
winning streak. They've been fantastic as of recent as well.
They are two points over Tucson. Again, they don't play
(31:46):
until Wednesday, I believe. After I was just looking at
the upcoming scores, I'm gonna double check that.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I'm a double check. Do any play Wednesday?
Speaker 3 (31:54):
No? Right, no, they do play Wednesday versus Baker's Field. Again,
we'll be scoreboard watching these upcoming two games. But this
is a big opportunity for Tucson. You know, again they've
swept Calgary before, they've done it once, they could do
it again. Calgary's lost three games in a row, They're
four and six in their past ten games. If the
(32:16):
Roadrunners get two big points, and again you can't exchange points.
You can't let these games go into overtime, you know,
if as much as possible. Of course, we want to
get the wins, but and points are important far our
end too. But if you're trading points with Calgary, then
you know they're you're just giving them much more of
an edge. But the Roadrunners get four big points with
Calgary getting none, all of a sudden, Tucson is within
(32:40):
four of first place with some games in hand, so
you kind of can feel like, you know, playoff atmosphere
like series coming up. Couldn't get it done last time.
But the Wranglers then went on a nine game stretch
of wins or points I believe as well, that was
their hottest stretch or one of them of the season.
And now they've been struggling a bit so and they're
(33:00):
coming off of getting swept by Colorado. So this is
a big opportunity for Tucson. Who's you know, been great
at home. They're a little teeter totter on the road
at the moment. Again, it's been really tough to win
games away from home this season for the entire Pacific Division.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
You know, it's not I don't want to give any.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Discredit, but crowds don't get as big here as at
the Scotia being saddled home. So with that being said,
it's not gonna be too crazy of a hostile environment.
But you're still playing a very talented Calgary Wranglers team.
But TUCSONA can really really make some noise in the
AHL's specific division race, you know, playoff wise, pretty serve
Tucson can make and unless we see it an entirely
(33:38):
utter collapse, knock on wood. But there's still that battle
for first place. And I think all teams know that
Calgary has it, but we've seen it happen before where
they had first place and then they kind of fell apart.
And not saying it's happening again, but teams are gearing
themselves to get ready because when teams get cold, you
got to get hot, and that's how you take over
(34:00):
spots in this division race.
Speaker 4 (34:02):
Yeah, it's really in the kind of series with the
season series with Calgary has really gotten really interesting. I mean,
you remember, unfortunately, remember I'm back in the playoffs last
year when they swept Tucson on the road and then
Tuson came back and they swept Calgary and then Calgary
and got upset about that, and they swept Tucson in
(34:26):
the Son's first strip to Calgary this year. So I'm
not saying that you should expect the Runners to get
this week, but it's gonna be a battle. It's it's
been a battle this whole year long. And even though
you know it is in Calgary, it's a tough trip
to physically to fly fly across the fly across the
country and then go in the going to Canada, go
go up the Calgary. It is gonna be you know,
(34:47):
it's it's it's it's not gonna be the same kind
of atmosphere as Coachelli or San Diego, because you know,
it's it's one of the cases where they play it's
one of the teams that playing the same city as
the NHL team and they I'm playing this say play
lance headled them too with the Flames. So there's not
as usually as big as crowds there was one of
them was big last time they played in Calgary when
(35:09):
they had one of the Christmas nights or something, I
remember what it was, but they had a big crowd there.
But good crowd there. But it's probably not gonna be
as intense as it wasn't Coachell or San Diego. So
it's it's an opportunity for road Urns to get get
some points on this week.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
Yeah, a really big opportunity coming up for two so on.
I think what also really helps us and uh again,
you know, it's all about travel schedule and and budgeting
and sometimes it's tough to stay at a hotel and
extra night because you know, it all costs money. And
most most Canadian trips are all the trips we've taken
to Canada this year with Abbotsford and our previous trip
to Calgary, we've traveled the entire day before the game, right,
(35:49):
and it's tough.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
It's it takes a while to get here. It's a
three hour flight.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
You get to the airport early because we always get
there extra early. You you know, got to get all
the equipment boarded up on the plane and then even
afterwards too have to you know, we want to help
the equipment guys get the back to the truck as
quick as possible. And then you got busts at a hotel.
Last time we were here, we hit really bad traffic.
From the airport to the hotel. It took us about
(36:15):
an hour, even though it's like a twenty minute bus ride.
You get here laides and then you know, obviously, a
game day is a game day and you're always excited
for it. But I think having an extra day here
is huge. Like I said when we started the show,
it's a practice day. It's eleven forty four am right now.
Currently guys are taking the ice. I think believe from
(36:36):
twelve fifteen to one to fifteen they have a regular
practice day. They're doing the regular practice prep and I
think that gives us a really big advantage, you know,
especially that the guys get a night out here tonight
as well, you know, to to enjoy themselves, enjoy Calgary.
You know, obviously we have a lot of guys with
who are family and attendance again as we always do
when we play in Alberta. And yeah, I think that
(36:59):
gives the runners a slight more advantage. You're coming off
a really good victory versus San Diego, which honestly, I
think the Goals played some of their best games this season,
and they have been against us.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
But you're coming off of a really hard fought win.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
You know, guys are getting drawn into the lineup with
recent call ups that haven't played in quite a while.
They're excited to get going. We have Jackson Stopper and
Matthew Bilalta backets as the one two punch and I'm
I'm really confident in this upcoming series starting tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
Yeah, San Diego really good. I mean it didn't look
like a ninth place team out of ten teams. Definitely
over that weekend. Runners got that big win on Saturday,
but it was really battle and honestly, you remember San
Diego's playing for their i ATE Border Cup our lives
because I didn't realize that you mentioned on the air.
I was like, woops, I didn't realize that. But that's
the seventh game out of eight games to play this year.
(37:52):
So with the win, Runners ended up punching the trophy
again for it's they've won every single year other than
twenty one twenty two, and if you remember back to
that when they won that game when they when that
series finished, that season serious finished in twenty twenty two,
what happened was Gagury, Cicagury Sandy Ago left the trophy
(38:15):
Tucson because they're probably upset about the loss because what
happened is they lost that game in overtime, Tucson. In
order to retain the Cup that year, they needed to
get two points, but they end up winning an overtime
getting one point. So they're excited to get the win,
but they ultimately didn't win the Cup. But it's still
stay in Duson. So technically it's been Duson the whole
time since twenty sixteen twenty seventeen, so it's been a
(38:37):
It was a big, big win for Tucson.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
Yeah, the cup's still out our office. It's uh, it's
in our meeting room right now. When I came in
last year, I'm like, what is this. An agent kind
of explained to me, Explain to me how it all worked.
And obviously we went seven to one against them last
year and we are currently five and two against them
this year, so we've already pretty much won the season series. Crazy,
the thing that we played them seven times before the
(39:01):
halfway mark of the year and now we only get
them one last time in San Diego in Mars, so
really weird schedule. It's also nice to get the two
Canadian trips in. You know, this is our last time
in a regular season in Canada, and again I love
coming here, but the travel is just so it can
be very long, and so I think the second half
stretch for Tucson is it's much more better traveling wise
(39:25):
as well, which we'll talk about next week because by
next week we'll pretty much be at the halfway point
of the twenty four twenty five season.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
And yeah, we're just super excited to speak of agent.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
Just wanted to give a congratulations to him calling his
first play by play action in the National Hockey League
for the Utah Hockey Club called a nice win versus
the San Jose Sharks. Had a nice game winning goal
call when when Utah scored, you know, within a within
a minute left this past weekend versus San Jose lost
the next game unfortunately, but again I just want to
(39:59):
give a shout out to Adrian and he's one of
the hardest workers, uh I've ever met. You fans in
Tucson got to enjoy him. For for about five years,
five six years, and uh yeah, just super thrilled for him,
thrilled for Utah that they get Josh stoneback. We're thrilled
to have Maverick lambrou for the time being as he
uh you know, continues his development for us for US.
(40:19):
Jackson Staubur back as well, and uh yeah, this is
a big upcoming stretch for Tucson. I feel like I
say that every week, but it just is because this
division is so tight. But this is a big opportunity
for for the Roadrunners to get well within first place
of this of this crazy division.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
Yeah, it's such a such a wild division and such
a great opportunity, and it's coming a time when the
Ruthernands are playing really well even though you know, even
though they're on this long you say not roadch it
but out for style wise for newsaper, we thought, yeah,
we'll continue calling it roach it because that's what we do,
like when we cover like uve A stuff when they
have like A have two games one weekend and then
(40:59):
they come back for classes and then they go back
for another trip. So we still got as the four
game road tip. So that's what my thing. It was
out but This is definitely this part of the road
tip is definitely a road trip because they they came
back for one for one day last week, and then
they and then they went to Coachella Valley, and then
they went to San Diego and then they flew up
the Calgary. So even though they're on this long road trip,
(41:20):
they're still doing well and there's still have a chance
to have a come out of this road trip with
the solid record. They you know, showed their improved and
once again they improved their road record this past few
the past few days, so it's really it's a good
time for the road donners.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
Well, James, I think that's that about. Does I feel
like we we covered a lot. Tucson's Uh, We're ready
to just get going in Calgary. We're ready to finish
off this seven game stretch away from the Tucson Arena.
Will be back uh next week on Monday and Tuesday
versus Henderson Silver Nights for Martin Luther King Day on Monday. Also,
first one thousand kids to enter arena we'll receive a
(42:02):
Roadrunners Kids workbook. Also kids fourteen to underwell get free
and mission to the arena at the box office with
the paying of an adult ticket as well, so find
out all the more information at Tucson Runners dot com
For that really exciting matchup.
Speaker 2 (42:19):
We'll be back on this show.
Speaker 3 (42:21):
We'll record since with the weekend off, we'll record our
next show beforehand as well, and in Kim Koda, Robas
and I will be back on Tuesday night for our
usual get together. Roadrunners Happy are We are eyeing an
episode of a Game Day edition with Roads Defenseman Montana
on Yobucci, so stay tuned for that as well. James,
thanks again for joining me. Roadrunners are back in action
(42:44):
tomorrow night and Wednesday night here at the saddle Dome.
We will see you for game action on Fox Sports
fourteen fifty am, the iHeartRadio app, or if you still
want to watch it not too late on hl TV
now on Flow Sports. We will see you tomorrow nights
here at the scoch To Banks Saddle Down. Have a
grave rest of your day, everybody, and we also throw
(43:05):
things out of broad.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
Runners from come after one of ours.
Speaker 5 (43:09):
You couldn't need a little more friends.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
You've seen newskape before.
Speaker 7 (43:13):
We know how this story ends.
Speaker 1 (43:16):
Tonight We're running up tonight.
Speaker 5 (43:18):
You go down, you try to run.
Speaker 8 (43:21):
Up on us looking on left down, get all the bus,
go back to where you came from. Getting on the bus,
drop far far away, Hang up your gates, drop your gloves,
put just away.
Speaker 2 (43:38):
You got beat down tonight.
Speaker 7 (43:40):
That's the two sad Way road run over road running
from road ruder from road running Frock Next, the two
sent
Speaker 6 (44:01):
You U
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