Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
When you want more Roadrunners, We've got more Roadrunners. This
is the Tucson Roadrunners Insider Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, everybody to this week's edition of the
Tucson Roadrunners Insider Podcast. Late week edition after the Christmas holiday.
Don't worry everyone, We're alive. We haven't gone anywhere. We're
still here, so here bringing you all the Tucson fun.
But it was a pretty busy week. Pretty busy week,
(00:31):
James for the Roadrunners. Pretty busy entire month of December
for the team. Just finished a sixth game in nine
day eight to nine day stretch when six and zero
in that stretch, had a great homestand huge sweep on
the road versus the Canucks. Then the team went on
the holiday break. All quick turnarounds for everybody. Guy, we're
(00:52):
back home here in Tucson. Have a game tomorrow on
Saturday for Star Wars Night versus the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Another big seer coming up.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
We just wanted to get you an episode this week, folks,
before those games that just kind of get a quick
recap of everything, right of what has happened since the
last time we've talked, and what has happened for the
Roadrunners in this entire month of December, that still has
two more games left before the new year of twenty
twenty five, and James Tucson is playing the best hockey
(01:23):
we've seen right now. Eleven and three in the last
fourteen games, season high six game winning streak, season high
six games over five hundred, and Tucson went from seventh
place in the AHLs Pacific Division to now just two
points consider what happens later tonight, two points from the
(01:44):
San Jose Bear Rakuda. In the standings, they're tied with
the Ontario rank. Colorado's one point behind Coachella Valley has
fallen off, Abbotsford's fallen a bit after the sweep by Tucson,
and we are really now starting to see this division
become a gauntlet for us, and you just feel like
there's no margin for error. But this big winning streak
(02:05):
for the Roadrunners has put them in a fantastic spot
going into the weekend.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Yeah, another big weekend, big sweep for the road Unners.
At this point, you're wondering, are the hot streak or
is this how they're just gonna be? There're gonna settle
in and there's playing how they're playing up to their potential,
So it's a I tend to you know, on the
Arrival podcast, Kim says that you're more the optimist, and
(02:32):
I I'm pessimist, but I'm kind of more thinking. I
would generally probably think like, maybe this might just be
hot streak, but they've done it. So they have the
six game win streak, and you talked about it's not
just that, but they've had a great run since you know,
they won those six rounds since they got swept by Calgary,
but before that, they swept Calgary at home. So I
(02:53):
think it's a it's more of accurate telling of showing
them how good they are. And it's obviously said it's
an importance home series this week. You know, they want
to keep up that momentum even though they had the
Christmas break, but they have a big road trip coming
up after that, so it's important to get get as
many points as possible to say atop the rankings, stay
stay in that position where you know, at this point,
(03:15):
you know it's a little it's still really early, but
it's to me, I think it's one of the big
milestones coming up in the in the in the league
calendar where the the the calendar year ends, and that's
at that point that to me, it is one of
the milestones because that's the point where they they picked
the hl the the All Star coaches, so they pick
them up, they pick them up at the end of
(03:36):
the year. So the Runners are not in it in
contention for that one because that that goes to the
first place team. And and as we talked about, Calgary
is still way ahead, although they have a punch of
they play a much more games, but it's still it's
still impressive to be at that point where that first
milestone is for the Runners to be up in that
position to be hosting a playoff game. So it's a
it's a great great move that they that they had
(03:58):
to shut up the rankings. They you look at the
you talked about the about this not the rankings, but
the standings. You talk about where the road Owners were
going in this series. There were one point behind Absford,
who they did have two Sondy have a game in hand.
Basically Avatur was ahead of to some by point because
(04:20):
they played one more game and they it was basically
because they lost a shootout and they got that point
from the getting the tie in the regulation, but two
sons right neck connect with Absford and with the sweep,
they jumped up and they're in a great position heading
into the big Colorado series.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, and we're at that point now games this year
where these series are starting to feel like playoff series, right,
you know. You go into that one versus Abbotsford, the
Canucks were on a five game winning streak. Pardon four
game winning street. We were also on a four game
winning streak. Each side on both four game winning streaks,
uh Canucks. The Abbotsford Canucks had great goaltending going into
(05:00):
that series, playing sheeloffs again. We remember him from the
playoffs last year in the National Hockey League. And then
Tolopilo who's coming also off of two games in a
row with a shutout. We'll talk about Matthew Vlalta soon,
but yeah, you went into that series with two great
goaltenders or two just great goaltending units as a whole games,
(05:20):
two teams on a winning streak, and you just felt
like it was a playoff series, and especially being in
that building and playing right before the Christmas break, And
I'm just really happy the team didn't get that mentality
of Okay, let's just get through these games and then
we finally go into No.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
No, they did not think that at all.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
They said, let's take these next four series as playoff series,
right that. That's what the whole message in the locker
room was. You know, let's take they let's take the
Henderson series as one swept him. Let's take San Diego
as one swept him. Did I say four? Sorry, meant three.
Let's take the abbots first series as just one swept
(05:58):
them as well, and now you did the job right.
And I was talking with coach Steve Povin at the
airport the day after we had that great series against
Sabbotsford and he was like, man, you know, like I'm
happy where these guys get a break, but you know,
I don't think I want one because we're playing so
good and you know, and he had a good point too,
(06:20):
and we kind of combined ideas with it, but more
or less it was saying like, okay, you took this
six games in this really short stretch and you went
six and oh you did your job. Throw it out
the window. Now doesn't matter anymore. Let's start a new
winning streak. And of course we're still gonna put it
as you know, aren't a sixty and winning streak. We
(06:40):
won't forget that, but you can say, like we went
six and oh in this stretch, it's over. Now, let's
start a new stretch of these last two games at
home and then this longest road trip we do go
come back home for a bit, but longest road trip
of the season at seven games. But I think you
want to take this Colorado series as another playoff series potentially,
(07:03):
because it's another division changing series once again. Colorado's just
one point behind the Roadrunners in the standings right now.
Both sides got one win in the opening series of
the season back in October. So I think that's the
mentality that's been helping the Roadrunners win games. We've been
taking these two game series as like its own little
(07:23):
playoff series, and you don't worry about what happened before
or what happens next. You focus on the moment. That's
been the Runners' mentality for the last two years. You
focused on the moment. We did it in Abbotsford, we
did it in the six game stretch. Now we're ready
to start a new one.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Yeah, however you approach it, however they approach it. They've
they've had great success.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
I'm lately almost funny when I when I talked to
Steve after the game on after last home game, you know,
when they're before they're after last Diego game, when they're
heading into the road trip, he said the same thing
where he's hoping that you know, it's excited to have
the Christmas break, you know, have the opportunity for players
to see their families, see their friends, you know, have
(08:05):
the opportunity to recharge for that before that big before
the big road trip.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
They have coming up.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
But he also was like, well, yeah, yeah, we're excited
about that, but we almost don't want it to have
to have that break coming up because we're so hot.
And he said that before the I was for serious,
so you know, usually that's something you say after after
you get that sweep. But they're just playing so well.
They're just playing so well right now that he said
that before they went to play habits for it. So
(08:30):
it's a big it was and not only do they
they get the sweep, but it was even though they're
both you look at the status as four to two,
both four to two wins, they're both different types of wins.
And that's that's really impressive to me because it's one
thing to win by a couple of goals, Win my
couple of goals, win my like four goals, win my
like four goals, you don't like that, or win my
one goal, win my one goal. But it's going different ways,
(08:51):
you know where in Friday they came back and then
they got the win. And then Saturday they they got
the lead early and they and then Amaster fought back
and they fought back in and they pulled out pull
off the win. So to me, it's really impressive to
be able to win different ways. And when when the
games where it's four to two, win the games where
it's one one goal games too, when when when they
(09:12):
when the games win there's a bunch of goals, when
the games when there's that many goals, So it's really
it's really impresident, really burst out to me.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Yeah, and uh, I think it's kind of funny when
you know you're in a one goal game, right and
you score an empty netter, which the Roadrunners did a
couple of times in this entire six game winning streak,
it suddenly doesn't become a one goal game anymore stat wise,
Like it's not gonna show on the stats of UH
and our in our media notes.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
You've seen them, James.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
We have the stat for the one goal games and
what our record is in those, and I think the
Roadrunners just weren't able to score empty netters last year
so much that we had so many of those one
goal games. You take that into consideration, right, Uh, And
in this season, yeah, we've been in the one goal games.
We've probably just been in as many as we were
last season, but we're getting the empty netters and then
it's suddenly doesn't count as a one goal game, which
(10:02):
you know, we'll take that as consideration, and then you
can say, like, oh, well, two goal games. It's still
really close. You know, Roadrunners are still doing good in
that category. Two But yeah, James, two really impressive wins
in Abbotsford because you know, one, again, you know you're
going into a hostile environment and in game one, Abbotsford
took a lead on the power play after the Roadrunners
(10:23):
kind of got dominated in the first period, and then
we tied things up won apiece. Hunter drew great overall series.
We'll talk about that in a moment as well, but
Hunter Drew tied it up for us. And then they
took back the lead again and then we were down
two to one. In the third period, Cameron hebig tied
it and then Hunter Drew got the game winner and
(10:45):
then we got an empty netter. Game two, we did
take the one nothing lead to start off. Abbotsford tied it.
Then they scored on another flute goal that you know,
just it's like, gosh, how unlucky can we get?
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Right?
Speaker 2 (10:59):
I don't even we talked about that one after the game.
No one knows what happened with that putt when Dylan
Wells was in that for Game two. But again you're
down to to one, you low this crazy goal, you're
thinking like gosh, like here we go again. And then
we tied up and then we win that game too,
and they were two really impressive wins. Drew Hunter drew
(11:20):
three goals over the entire series, and on the year
now he has nine total on the year, second on
the team, tied with Andrew Ragazino, nine goals, three assists
for twelve points in nineteen games played. Cameron Hebick also
had a really good series as well. Two points on Saturday,
(11:43):
one point on Friday. He's running a four game point streak.
He has points in five of his last four as well.
And yeah, Cameron Yhebicks having a really good run right
now as well, thirteen points in twenty one games played.
And what I liked about that series two James as
we we didn't fully rely on our top scores in
(12:03):
that entire series. Uh, you know, it's it was the
guys that it was the Cameron Hebigs, it was the
Hunter Drus who really put the pressure on Abbotsford.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Uh, you know throughout the series.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
And when we see guys like that helping the win
games where we don't have to fully rely on our stars,
watch out. I mean, the league needs to watch out
for these guys right now.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Yeah, it's a series that I mean, you say that
they didn't rely on the in that first line scores,
but they did rely on the juggernut line and Cam
e big a lot.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
But you know, joking, but.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
They did play a really great, great series especially I
mean you talked about Kavi Ebig but obviously special also
Austin mcgassey scored scored a big goal on Saturday. But
ye know it's a great, you know, great showing by Hunter,
especially from that Juggernaut line. But it's it always feels
good to see, uh see that line do well in
(12:58):
terms of stats and obviously to do well in terms
of other things. But they came up really big, really
you know, really big. The juggernaut came up, dugger nut
line came up really big, and it was that they
were crucial of getting that getting that sweep in atmosphere.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Yeah, and we I think we finally can say, like
what the lines are set at right now is what
we are going to keep rolling with as long as
we keep winning games on this current stretch. We have
don't Agasino and soakle Off on that. You know, that
first line, the line you go you send out there
when you you know, maybe need a big goal. You
(13:36):
have the the second line of Pagansky Yamamoto and he big.
That's like kind of the grinding line, right Like that's
the line that's gonna get into those dirty areas and
get along the boards and you know, find ways to
get pucks in the center front when you know, Kyler
Yamamoto is getting bodied by two different guys and he
somehow you know, gets the puck out. Because we saw
(13:56):
a couple of those overall in the in the weekend
of how the that line has scored. They really scored
two similar goals like that where Puck was in the corner.
You had two guys battling it away, one of them
gets it out and then Center feeds it. And then
I think he big and Pagansky to ones who kind
of scored on those kinds of goals.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
And then you have the the kind of new line
which I've liked lately too of Sam Lipkin, McCartney and
and Aku Ratu that that line just compliments each other.
And uh, you know, I think that line kind of
starts things off for Tuson. They get early goals and
you know, and sometimes it's the early goals that that
are crucial for any team. Right then you have our
(14:36):
juggernaut line as we talk about all the time with
Travis Baron, Hunter Drew and Curtis Douglas. And I think
if you're in a game, maybe it's scoreless and you
know whether you're getting outplayed or not, or you need
you need the big goal. You know, I think that
line will set the tone. We also have said like
the Identity line for you know, similar players in that
line as well. But yeah, James, I think we finally
(14:58):
have found the common nation of what we need to
win at the moment, and uh beaus in May, Miko
Matika and Julian Lets will be back soon, just you
know out right now of the lineup. But you know
once they come back, they'll get their mixes in as well.
You know, they'll get their playing times too. And you
know we still have guys like Ryan McGregor and that
Peter Delibatory on the blue line as well, so you know,
(15:21):
once we we'll get those guys folded into the mix
as well, because they do supply still a lot for
the team, especially on back to backs. But uh man,
you know what Steve and Steve Povenenko has put together
in these lines has really benefited the road Runners, And
I think it just took a while to what we
wanted to find and yeah, we have it.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Now we have the lines what we want to help
us win.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
Yeah, there was so much early on the season, there
was so much depth and so much so many guys
that you kind of felt like maybe there's just too
much talent, you know, where they have to kind of
figure out that right farming of for to win and
to get to get back to winning winning every night,
and you know they found it. There's some guys that
they said they sent to Europe. There's some guys that
sent to to Alan, and there's some you know in
(16:04):
the e c h L. And there's some guys they
you know, they sent to juniors. But now they figured
it out and they were really rolling and they're really
set and it's a they work really well. Because I
remember there was one in the third period. There was
late I think it was around like ten minutes where
they were just you knew they were going to score.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
Then Roters are gonna score again.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Just the way they were that they're playing, they're playing
so frantically that I don't know if you notice in
your voice where it just kind of had that frantic,
uh a franctic sound because they were just like going
back and attack, attack, attack, attack, and it was just
like it just felt like the end of the game
where you know, we're frantic they're trying to score a goal,
but they were boys and they were just doing that.
They were just attacking and you knew they're gonna score.
(16:45):
It's just it's just it's just yeah, that that that
that they had that depth that they were on Frona.
This was on Saturday. There was just attacking, attack, attacking,
and you can tell a boy your voice that they
were just frantic in there, but in an positive way.
They were just like, I'm putting so much pressure on
on the Ausford goal that you know they're gonna score.
(17:05):
It's just it's just it was just wild, just wild
to see because they keep they change lines and they
keep continuing and they keep continuing in that pressure because
they have so much staff that so many people are
playing so well.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Yeah, yeah, you can definitely, uh, you know, Hotel, I
was calling that game as if it was a playoff
game because, like I said, it just felt like one.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
It felt like one of those. It's gonna be the
same this week.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
And I feel like, you know, every game that the
Roadrunners play now, especially in this Pacific Division is uh,
it's gonna change a lot of the season. Like I
mentioned before, Colorado's only one point behind Tucson also with
the game in hand too, so that's also something big
to consider. Reverends are in third place right now, thirty
(17:46):
two points. San Jose's at thirty four. They are playing tonight,
so that's a scoreboard watch game for sure. Then you
have the Ontario Rain at thirty two points, right next
to Tucson. Reverends have played two more games than the
Ontario Rain as well, so another again, another thing to
consider there with the seating. Coachella Valley has finally fallen
off a bit. I say finally because it seems like
(18:08):
they're always managing to be good. They had a good
run of like nine or ten points in a run.
You're like, gosh, he's like, when are these guys not
gonna be good?
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Now? They finally fall into earth a little bit.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
Three six on one or the last ten oh and
three in their last three games, they're still in sixth play,
still in a nice spot. Abbots for Despy getting swept
by US at twenty nine points. But watch out, James,
watch out. We talk about them a lot. We always say,
no matter what their slow starts are, they always find
a way to make noise. Bakersfield just a couple of points,
(18:40):
three points away from Abbotsford with two games in hand.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
They are four on one or the last five, four
to five and one in the last ten.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
But that's because they run a really bad run, and
now they're starting to win games again. So that's a
team to potentially look at down the line, and as
I said, there's just no more and for ara in
this division, if you lose four in a row, you're
dropping the seventh, right, you're dropping the seventh and now
eighth place is threatening you. If you win six in
a row like Tucson, it doesn't even get you to
(19:10):
first place.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
It slowly climbs you up.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
And Tucson still is barely hanging on to the third
place spot, just again tied with Ontario, and Colorado is
just one point behind us. So you know, this, this
series upcoming is also going to feel like a playoff series,
and it's gonna be like that for quite a stretch.
So you know, I have the Colorado Eagles for the
next two games, and then the Roadrunners go on a
(19:35):
seven game what don call it a seven game trip
because we do come back for one day, but we
are away from the arena for seven games two against Texas.
You know, it does won't feel like a playoff series
in that one, but again, the points will be big
for Tucson, especially that the uh that Texas swept the
road Runners back in October. Then we have the Coachella
Valley Firebirds, again on the eighth. Two more games against
(19:59):
San Diego, who is going to be trying to push
for any big spot they can, and.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
We have two against the Calarie Wranglers.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
So you know, I would say the next uh, you know,
few three out of the next five opponents are are
gonna feel like, you know, full playoff games for the Roadrunners.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
And it's good, It's gonna be fun.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
And another you know, another thing to consider about this
this weekend series is that you know, in addition to
obviously you know, you want to see the Runners they're
playing really well, you want to see them play a
couple of games before they you know, before they go
on that trip. In terms of being away from home,
they're not coming back until they're not playing another home
game until January twentieth.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
And you know, maybe you're not.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Thinking about going to the game on Saturday because you're
you know, a heretic or I'm just kidding, but you're
a star stand but yeah, you're not.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
But another thing to think about is that they're playing
Colorado and who was obviously the affiliate of the Carletter
Avalanche and on Saturday, the color State Rams. They're playing
in Arizona, ball, and they're supposed to have a lot
of fans going to that game, a lot of fans
in town. So I remember last year a lot of
Wyoming fans came came from the game, you know, came
from the football game to when did the CCC after
(21:15):
that that night when when there were runs had a
home game too, So that's another thing that you maybe
want to go out there, you know, try and cancel
out Eotentually eventually a lot of a lot more Eagles
fans and normally f So that's not that's another reason
to go. There might be a lot of there should
be a lot of I'm Carlo, our fans called our
sports fans in town.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Yeah, we have the bowl game tomorrow, the Snoop Dog Bowl.
Is that what it's called the snoop Ball? Snoop Dog Bowl?
The bull snoop dog I forget right.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
It's called Snoop dogg Arizona Bowl presented but calledop Dog Balls.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
So we're getting Dusty there, right, and from what I
was told, we are trying to get Dusty to meet
Snoop Dogg.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
So if you guys see that on social media.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
You're hearing it here first, Yeah, that would be absolutely legendary.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
I went to the game last year.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
I was thinking of going in this year, but it's just, uh,
you know, when we've just gone back from holiday and
there's just so much to do, Like I've been frantically
running around all day and I feel like I stuff
so much to do, and I'm like, you know what,
I'm just gonna take it as a regular game day
and get my stuff ready, get to the arena early,
and just kind of, you know, get back into the
(22:28):
flow because you know, it's again James like, we're we're
happy that we were on a six game winning streak
and we're happy that we ended that stretch on a
good note. But again, it's tough to get back into
the swing of things when you've gone these days off and.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
It still doesn't feel like enough days off.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
But it is a lot without practice, without you know,
being in that mentality. But practice went well today from
what I saw, and you know, but you can't just
say like, well, we had we had these days off,
and this other team didn't.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
Know.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Everybody did, right, you know, everybody had these days off.
Of course, the different was it was a travel day
for Colorado to get here today for the tomorrow's games.
So you know, every team went through this break, and
you know, even for the Eagles as well, if they've
been they've been playing great hockey as of late. Two
points in their last four games, they're three zero, zero
to one, and they're six to one and one in
(23:17):
their past ten, so they're on they're on just as
good as a run as the road Runners were. So
and last time the road Runners faced a team that
was undefeated in four games, we swept them, the Abbotsford Canucks.
So I don't think we can say like, well, you know,
we had a disadvantage because of this. No, I think
both teams are in the same space right now. Maybe
you could say, again, Colbado had the travel day today,
(23:38):
but we had a crazy travel day last week too.
We had a game on Wednesday, traveled on Thursday, it
took us all day to get the Abbots for and
then we had a great series overall.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
So uh, yeah, I think it's a very evenly tilted matchup.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Split the series in the first round back in October
for the opener of the year, and yeah, it's gonna
be a great series against two teams just trying to
climb up those standings.
Speaker 4 (24:05):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
One interesting note about that about the Christmas break, and
you said that everyone has that, and that's even give
me something that I wrote a story about last year.
Or I think it's kind of a built in thing
where you're when you're a winter sport team that you have.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
That Christmas break or you have that holiday break.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
And there's a high school team that I'm gonna write
a story about, looking to write a story about, but
they have actually have a month in between games, about
a month from early December to early January.
Speaker 4 (24:27):
But usually you have that break.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
But interesting, I was looking at the scores Belleville and
on Toronto that the Marleys, the Senators and the Marleys
they had a game last night, so I guess they
didn't have a winner break, or maybe they had that
break and they came back and they came back to.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
The pregame skate around.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
There were the kind of stuff on on on Boxing
Day on yesterday, on the Cember toy sixth, so that
was interesting. I never I was kinda kind of surprised
they had a game on the only game in the
league on that Tuesday, but in some games on this Friday,
but the Runners have that nice schedule where they had
come back. They have a little bit more, a little
bit longer, a Christmas break, and they come back and
(25:04):
they have have their their usual weekend serious starts on
Saturday this week instead of the usual Friday. So they
have the Saturday and then make a note that the
Sunday game is Sunday afternoon game. So that's a nice
opportunity to go and you know, check out a weeknight
game as basically weeknight game, even though it's in the weekend.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
Check out a weeknight game even.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Though it's you know, during the during the Holidy break
where a lot of people are having that Monday off.
But it's a nice opportunity to check out another afternoon game,
even though it's a little later than the afternoon game
they played on against Avtsford. But it's a nice schedule,
a nice change the pace. I like those Sunday games,
Sunday afternoon games. I like the Saturday night games. Friday
night game is the best, but I like that variety
(25:45):
that a little difference on there. But that's another thing
to think about. It's cool they have that quick turnaround
like that where they have the they have the Saturday
night game and then the Friday and then the Sunday
afternoon game.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
So I think that's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Yeah, I'm excited for the next week too, because we
have New Year's right and you know, considering I don't
know who out there gets these certain days off, but
technically no office on New Year's even New Year's Day.
Of course, that's subject to change for me in case
anything comes up where I need to come to practice,
because the guys do actually practice that day. But also
(26:21):
considering that usually when we have a Sunday game, I'm
recording our next episode from home because I usually work
from home on the Monday following a Sunday game since
we're there all day. But yeah, the only pace that's
low chaotic about that is when you have a seven
pm start on the Saturday night.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
You do your usual game, you.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Have a great time, you do your stuff after the game,
and then you're there late. But then you're like, okay, well,
you know, we just have one more and we're good
for the weekend. But then it's different when you have
the Sunday early start. Everything's pushed back by like three hours.
We haven't had one of them in a while. We
haven't had one these Saturday Sunday games in a bit,
But earlier in the season when we start off with
(27:00):
it was like, oh my gosh, It's like how do
I keep up with this? It's such a quick turnaround.
But again, the Roadrunners play better when they have these scrunches.
And now they have another one. They have a game
which they're going to finish and it's going to be
way less than twenty four hours later and they're gonna
be playing yet another game. So if anything, I think
that's going to benefit two so on, especially with having
(27:20):
the last four days off of the rest needed, and
it's going to go the same way for Colorado as well.
So Roadrunners overall having a good month of December so far.
With two games left, the team is six and two
in the month of December, two and two on the road,
four and zero at home, and yeah, now it's two
(27:43):
big opportunities to get two more wins. Top scores of
this month of December for the Roadrunners and Draga Zino
has nine points in eight games with three goals and
six assists. Don't is right behind him with eight points
in eight games played with three goals and five assists.
As we mentioned before, Cameron Ebek on a great run
right now, seven points in eight games, two goals and
(28:05):
five assists in that stretch as well. And then guys
like Paganski has four points this month. Hunter drew four
points this month with four goals in seven games, Ben
McCartney having a good month with four points in eight games.
You just like all this depth scoring right now. I
can name so many guys where I'm having really good
months in December, and that's what's been a big key
(28:28):
for two. Soon we're not relying on the big guys
to score for us as much. Everybody's been contributing. Even
if you're not on the score sheet as much, you know,
you're still finding a way to create offense or create turnovers.
Speaker 3 (28:41):
One big thing too during the stretch revers blue line.
Fourteen points in the last six games combined from the
blue line with three goals and eleven assists. So I
talked to him on ten on Yobucci.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
But yes, he's not one of the guys who got points,
but he's still big part of that blue line. He
still finds ways to, you know, uh, be that big
body defenseman for the units. And I'm sure John Slaney
has to be really proud of what the blue line
has helped the team and the scoring aspect as of recently.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Yeah, it's been really impressive how they have so many
you know, two way defensive players that are in great variety,
you know what they're scoring and it's just another threat
they have to deal with. And another thing that you know,
we talked about how while the the Fords are doing
how I'm talking about all the defense they're doing right
right now, but also really impressive is the is the goalies.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
I mean they were you.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Know, since that move, when Jackson got moved up to
the NHL, it's just been like pretty much a perfect,
perfect time. Other than you know, obviously that that one
game that Maddy got lit up by Coachella and then
Dylan had to come in unexpectedly the you know, coming
to that game. But other than that, it's been a
(29:51):
great It's been almost perfect in terms of how all
the housewalts worked out for the road Owners. Because Matt
gets in there and he he has a shout out
streak as a he plays really well. He helps his
record to what was his record. His record was like
two and six or something before before Jackson got called up.
(30:12):
And now it's sorry, it's loading. Should have had that
called up, but Matt Valotza's record was like something like
two and six or something when Jackson got called up.
But now it's nine and eight. It's really impressive. Really
came back. And then you saw with the quick turnaround
in that its Ford series where they had a Friday
(30:34):
night game in and the Saturday afternoon game. Jilan Walls
came in and he played a great game. He got
the second Star and you talked about that goal that
he gave up that that second goal, which it was
kind of to me is double fluke because what he
was doing, if he didn't see it, he was waiting,
you know, around the we're waiting at the trap is
to get the puck, get the buck, go go go
across the boards. As we've seen so many times where
(30:56):
it looked like it looked it totally looked like to
me and obviously to them, it looked like is going
to just slide down the boards and curve across. But
it made it took this random bad hop or good
hop for the Absford, but it took that weird hop
where it bounced in front of the goal and only that,
but it bounced off the post perfectly, so it was
able to bounce in front of the goal.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Oh, I didn't.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Get that rebound. So so you're telling me two crazy bounces.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
So you're telling me.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
One bounce off the boards right and it's already in
harm's way and it hit the post so perfectly that
I just bounced right in front.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Yeah, it shouldn't if you think about it, it'd be
like really weird bounce because because of how it hit
in the front, it had to be like a perfect,
two perfect bounces for Attosford to score that.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
So it's really really unlucky for Dylan up for that
second goal.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
But other than that, you know, he played really well.
I mean, other than that, stats wise, he played really well.
But literally he played really well. So he played that
and to me, it's just so impressive that he sits
on the bench for so long he's able to come
in and do that and play really well. And you
look at Jackson where they did lose that last game
when he played against Anaheim, but you know, you know
(32:04):
they did lose it in was it shoot it?
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Yeah, they lost Anaheim.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
Yeah, so he did lose it, but he did he
people played well and he really, like, absolutely like a
inchil goalie. So if he does come back, I'm assuming
he does come back. And obviously they're gonna have two
really hot goalies in Maddie and and Jackson, but then
right now they still have a great, great backup in
Dooing Well. So it's really it's just really impressive. I
(32:32):
was able to play so well even though he's been
seen on the Venture so long. In terms of games,
obviously he's playing practice and everything, but in terms of
game action, he hasn't been playing that much. But he
gets steps in and he plays like he plays like
he's playing every night. So it's really wild.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
Yeah, Dylan Wells was awesome on Saturday's game, and I
think everyone knew he was going to get the NOD
right because it was a Friday game. Maddie played awesome,
we won, and then that Saturday it was a two
o'clock and you like, there's as much as Volotza has
been playing awesome and great, and you know, and this
stretch of games that he was starting, he had started
(33:06):
what I think eight straight games up to that point,
and you know, you just thought, like, Okay, I think
it's time for Wells now you know, it's playing Volalta
at a two pm start after a Friday night game.
I wouldn't say it would be too much because if
he was out there, he's out there, right. But at
that point you just kind of knew, like I think
it's Wells time. You just felt it. And even when
(33:29):
Wells was in there's just there's no panic at all.
You know, there was no worry that he was gonna
have a bad game or you know, whether he was
rusty or not.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
He was one hundred percent ready.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
And you gotta give credit to that for Jeff Hill
to our our our goaltending coach, where you know he's
not only been able to find a way for Volalta
to get back into his groove, he also put in
a lot of work to keeping Dylan Wells ready for
his moment. Then it just shows what the character Wells is, right.
You know, he's he knows his role for for this team.
He knows that he's in the backup role for the
(33:59):
time being. But everyone you ask in that locker room,
every coach you talk to, they always say, like, no,
Dylan Wells is a starting ahl goaltender. You know, he's
a starter, And I think a last year, there's a
lot of teams who said, like they see Dylan Wells
to say we wish we had him as a starter,
And this guy's a backup in Tucson. And now it's
the same case here where he's off to a good start.
(34:19):
He's making these crazy saves, and there's some teams that
have starters on their team that can't even do what
Wells does.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
And it's like, man like.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
How did how do the Roadrunners nab this guy again
for another season when he's not just playing as much?
And again, it's all about opportunity, and you know, Wells
loves it here, he loves the organization, and it's so
we're so lucky to have him. And you never know,
even if Stober ends up being back with the road Runners,
Tuoson can Tuson can keep three goalies? I mean, we'll see,
But you know, I've seen a lot of teams keep
(34:48):
three goaltenders. Of course, it'd be the playing time would
be a little more tough. You know, you want guys
to play too, But you know, as much as we
want Wells here in Tucson is it's it's part of
the business, right, But it just feels good to see
him go out there and do his thing, especially that
he's barely played. And I talked to Steve Popvin about
it in the pregame show, and you know, Steve said,
(35:09):
it doesn't matter. You know, we're we're we don't start
Wells because we don't think he can do it, or
you know, it's because he's a he's the backup. You know,
we we don't start Wells because we know Matthew Volalta
and what he's capable of. And you know, Matthew Walalta's
just been on the hot streak right now. But you know,
for for the coaching staff to have the come come
(35:29):
being comfortable to put Dylan Wells out there and for
him to have that phenomenal game. And now Dyan Wells
is two and zero on the season and two starts
against two very good opponents. Made twenty four twenty seven
versus the Coachella Valley Firebirds on November twenty seventh, and
then made let me get I believe it's like very
very similar Wells in the second game twenty five of
(35:52):
twenty seven on the Saturday, December twenty first game versus
the Canucks.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
So kudos to Dan Wells.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
So happy to have them back and just for him
to be able to, you know, start in a game
like that where it's a two pm puck drop your goal,
your starter. Matthew Violalt has played many games in a row,
and he just went out there and did his thing.
Speaker 1 (36:12):
Yes, not only for those two two two wins, but
they're two big wins because that Coachell game came after that,
that came out on Wednesday, when you know it was
coming after the game where they got you know, it
was so bad that they had the pull matt It
was just just an order on his night. But so
it became really must win to that and that was
one of the big wins that sparked their current streak
(36:33):
when they got that win and you come you look
back to last Saturday's game. That was another big game
too because you want to get that sweet but as
they definitely don't want to get swept. It was one
of those games where you know, it felt like you
kind of talked about earlier, but it felt like could
have been like a kind of when you talk about baseball,
to talk about the Gateway Day where they they have
the afternoon game for baseball. After all the night games
(36:55):
and they're kind of focused on leaving and you know
they're not gonna do that in hockey, with it was less.
Speaker 4 (36:59):
Games and being in a more intense sport.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
But he kind of thought, I kind of thought that
maybe that might be the case with when they're trying
to kind of in the back of the mind and
think about going to see their family, seeing their friends,
you know, going home for a few days, you know,
get relaxed. But they were very focused and very poised,
and obviously for Abbats for they're like, oh, we got
to win this game because we don't get it swept
at home, and we we don't want to have that
bad taste of getting swept going into that break. So
(37:22):
it was this game that I don't know if you
saw where Klemovich when he scored, he did like a
motion to the road ins bench kind of because you know,
there's a lot of tripping going on that Saturday game.
It was a really important game. So for Dylan to
come up and get that win on that night, and
it was a game where they controlled the game most
of the way.
Speaker 4 (37:42):
They did.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
Ultimately on that Fluke goal they scored, they tied it up,
but it was a game where the road owners led
for most of the way. So it was really impressive
to get those wins in those situations too.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
It was a very pressive two victories, very big six
game stretch for two So on it.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
And just one more thing I wanted to add.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
You know, I think I said this on the pregame
show before our road trip in Abbotsford. And obviously I
don't wish injuries upon anyone, and you know, no matter
what the situation is, But honestly, I think Jackson Stouber's
call was the best thing to happen for Matthew Bolalta.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
Right.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
You know, you're you're struggling to start the year. You know,
there's there's questions from just outside of you know, people
saying like who's the starters? The stobber of Rolalta, And
we knew that there's no starter on this team except
when it's only Matthew Valta, right and Dylan Wells. But
you know, there's there's just that dilemma and Lolalta's struggling
and the results aren't there. He's these flukes gold are
(38:37):
getting scored on him. Then Stobert gets called up and
everybody in the building knew like, all right, this is
Valalta's time, like he's gonna take this crease and he
has to show that he is still the guy that
what we're used to seeing last year. And we're not
surprised this happened. We said all year long, like Valalta's
gonna get his group together, it's only amount of time
and that he has, you know, he's since Jackson Stopber
(39:00):
was called up on I believe it was November twentieth,
it was a Tuesday. Valalta is eight and three with
a two point twenty five goals against Sabbage and nine
to twenty five say percentage. In the month of December,
Voalaltas has a one point eighty seven goals against Stabbage
and a five and two record with two shutouts as well.
(39:21):
So again, uh, I think just the situation that you
know was handed to Volalta when Jackson Staber was called
up has been the best of both worlds and even
the Utah Hockey Club, with the help of Stalbor, has
had a good run. As of reason, they've lost their
last two, but before that, I believe they were probably
one of the most hottest teams in the NHL. They
(39:42):
were about I believe nine to two and one or
something around those lines. They had nine wins in a
stretch of about eleven games or so. And with that
being said, you know, both sides were, both organizations were
I've been playing really good hockey as a recent and
you know, sometimes it takes a big call up or
it takes a guy to you know, man into the crease.
(40:02):
And you know, Connor Ingram will be back eventually, and
again we'll see what the situation folds into. You know,
whether Stabber is reassigned to Tucson or Utah lex to
keep all three goalies, or Tucson keeps three goalies, We'll
have to see. We really can't tell. Of course, we
want everybody to be in the best possible position they
can be in. But with that being said, we'll just
(40:24):
have to see. But again, for Vilalta to be able
to take back that crease and show the elite goaltender
that he is has been huge for the team and
it's been helping the Roadrunners get these big wins together.
The team is now sixteen to ten oh and oh
six game winning streak, third in the Pacific Division and
have a big series versus Colorado coming up tomorrow for
Star Wars Night.
Speaker 1 (40:45):
Yeah, that's the other thing that about Matt is that
you kind of think that when he was kind of
struggling in terms of stats, in terms of record, the
other thing you have to think about was probably kind
of thinking about maybe in the back of his minding,
back of other people's mind, and think about, like, well,
was last year almost a fluke because he played well
when he was with Ontario, but he didn't have a
(41:06):
year like I had last year, or how he's playing
right now. You know last year where he got his
first All Star selection for the HL and then he
got his first NHL call up, So you're wondering, is
that is he going to continue? Was last year kind
of fluke or is he going to continue his development
like that? So that that was really important for him
to step up and see this opportunity that he's got
(41:27):
right now. And you look ahead to the Star Wars Night,
you got to one thing, if you're a Stars fan,
you got to make sure to try and get there
early because they're giving away lightsabers, and you know it's
going to be super popular because there's just like such
a demand for that really cool giveaways like that, So
you're gonna have to get there early, so make sure
you get there early.
Speaker 2 (41:46):
All right here, I got the stat up for Utah
because I just didn't want to be wrong. So Utah
headed into Christmas twelve, six twelve, sorry, sixteen twelve and
six overall nine three and three in their last fifteen games.
So yeah, Utah on a good stretch right now. They've
lost their last two, but again we're starting to see
(42:07):
their results come in. We're definitely starting to see the
Roadrunners results come in. Eleven and three in the last
fourteen games overall six games winning streak sixteen ten oh
to o season high six games over five hundred, and
the Roadrunners are gonna try to do more this weekend.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
It's another big playoff.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
Atmosphere like series Star Wars Night coming tomorrow. First fifteen
hundred fans entering the arena, we'll receive a Roadrunners lightsaber.
So get your tickets at Tucson Roadruns dot com, slash
tickets or at ticketmaster dot com. James, thanks for joining
me again. Glad you folks can join us for this
quick kind of quick recap. We'll call it a recap special,
just a recap what the Roadrunners did right before the
(42:48):
holiday break, What to expect this weekend. It's another big
series coming up for the Roadrunners. We will see you
there tomorrow nights at the Tucson Arena, we will throw
things out with Roadrunners Rock