The Tucson Roadrunners entered the playoffs on a high note, finishing second in the Pacific Division for their best record in franchise history. With so many of their stars coming back from the NHL, it looked like the seventh-seeded Calgary Wranglers won just one game in April. However, the Roadrunners met the unstoppable force known as Dustin Wolf as he single-handedly pulled the Wranglers to a 2-0 win to clinch the first game. Here are some takeaways from Wednesday night's game.
Goaltending Duel Worth Admission
Throughout the game it was clear that this game and the series will depend on the strikers. The wolf was invincible. It is clear why he is considered the next star of the Calgary Flames in net. Despite many opportunities for future NHL stars Dylan Guenther and Josh Doan, the Gilroy native stood strong with save reel after save. In the end, it was his play and his play alone that kept the Roadrunners at bay and ultimately secured the win for the Wranglers.
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In all, Wolf saved 46 shots. It was good for him to return to the Wranglers organization after spending most of the last few months with the Flames. He now aims to repeat his performance on Friday to ensure victory for his team. It wouldn't be the first time the Flames' American Hockey League (AHL) team won an AHL playoff series thanks to Wolf. The young goaltender backstopped the Stockton Heat to the Western Conference finals in 2022.
However, the loss is not an insult to Matt Villalta who also stood on his head. The player from Kingston had a breakout season for the Roadrunners becoming their starting goalkeeper after the departure of Ivan Prostetov. While it was his team's lead in shots throughout the game, it was Villalta who stopped the handful of breakaways the Roadrunners allowed.
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Coach Steve Potvin has been praising Villalta all season. Now, in the postseason, Potvin considers his young player not just a star on his team but a star in the league.
“He was good, especially in the first half when we didn't get into our game,” said Potvin. “We have been saying this for a long time. He helps us reach our true selves. He makes that save and then we can get into the game and find out who we are. It doesn't happen without his guarding and saving. He is a star in this team, there is no doubt but I think he is one of the stars in the league.”
This series will rely heavily on scoring. Both Villalta and Wolf are among the best pitchers in the AHL and it showed as it took until midway through the second half for the Wranglers to get Villalta and they only did it once. It will take the Roadrunners' entire offense to finally find a way to beat the Wolf.
The stars were silenced
Throughout the season, the Roadrunners have relied on their star players to help them win games. The core of Doan, Guenther, Aku Raty, and Jan Jenik are some of the future faces of the Utah NHL team. Conor Geekie rejoined the team on Wednesday after the Swift Current Broncos' season ended. It couldn't have come at a better time for Potvin and his team as those players did a lot for the Roadrunners.
“You could see they brought a lot of energy tonight,” Potvin said. “Doaner and Gunner were working hard on the puck, making a lot of plays, and showing good intensity. They also handled it well.”
As in the regular season, they were expected to help the Road Runners get a chance. Unfortunately in the first game, most of them were not that obvious.
Guenther was the best player, recording good volume and working hard. Doan, however, was invisible until the third period except for a poor line switch during a two-on-one. He looked good in the third half, hitting the post towards the end of the game but it wasn't enough. Jenik looked injured, Raty and Kesselring didn't get enough ice time, and Geekie looked absent whenever he was on the ice.
Yes, there are excuses. Doan, Raty, Kesselring, and Guenther have all been out of hockey since two weeks ago when the Coyotes played their last game against the Edmonton Oilers. Kesselring has not played with the Roadrunners since the start of the season. Geekie hasn't played a pro game in his career. However, excuses can only be accepted for so long.
Doan knows there will be a transition phase returning to the Roadrunners after spending a few weeks with the Coyotes. However, you know if the team's offense continues, nothing can stop it.
“I thought our line played well,” Doan said. “I am very relieved. Obviously, Gunts felt the same and played very well tonight. There are a couple that we both want to get back and he is the one that is missed most of the time. So I think once he gets going, it will be hard to stop.”
The Roadrunners need their young stars to start producing and find a way to beat the Wolf. If they continue to play the way they did in the first game, the series will end on Friday.
Hockey in Tucson is the Brink
Now down 1-0 in the series, the Roadrunners could be eliminated from the playoffs on Friday. It is not what was expected to happen when the team enters the playoffs as they are second in the Pacific Division. With the buzz of acquiring Doan, Guenther, Raty, and Kesselring from the Arizona Coyotes and Geekie coming over from the Swift Current Broncos, this is not the start anyone in the organization wants.
Friday could also be the Roadrunners' final game in Tucson. With the sale and relocation of the Coyotes, Roadrunners owner Alex Meruelo announced his intentions to move the AHL team to Mullett Arena in Tempe. This will leave a passionate and growing hockey community in Tucson.
The Roadrunners have played out of the Tucson Convention Center since arriving in 2015. On Wednesday, they showed that they have taken control of themselves in the community. Fans brought back the “white” for the first playoff game in Tucson since 2018. Others also carried signs that read “Stay in Tucson.” Small flyers with a QR code leading to the request to keep Roadrunner runners in Tucson were handed out everywhere. It is clear that if Meruelo moves this franchise, he will be losing a passionate community in the south that would lose its last sports franchise without an indoor soccer team.
While the team's future in Tucson remains to be seen, it is up to the team to ensure that the Roadrunners' season does not end on Friday. There is no need to panic. They played a good game on Wednesday but the only problem was getting past Wolf. If they can repeat their efforts from the first game and defeat the Wolf with more rebounds or better shots, they will have a chance to win the second game and force a decisive third game in the series.
“I think there is no reason to panic right now. One game. It's the best of the three so it's nice and short. It will be the focal point for your photography as well. At the end of the day, we liked the way we played. If we get back to that, we'll be good.”
The Roadrunners will play the Wranglers in the second game of the series on Friday night. The Wranglers can close out the series with a win while the Roadrunners can force a third game with a win of their own.
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