Roadrunners host Bakersfield in competition for last playoff spot

After months of battling Bakersfield for the last Pacific Division playoff spot, the Tucson Roadrunners face the Condors in a two-game series in their penultimate home series.

The Roadrunners (31-30-3-2) host the Condors (28-26-7-3) on Saturday and Sunday, clinging to a one-point lead in the Pacific standings.

Tucson slid out of a playoff position during their eight-game winless streak but got back into it when they beat Bakersfield 3-2 on Feb. 11 on the road. The Condors chased the Roadrunners for weeks until they took back the last postseason slot with a 3-2 win over Tucson last Saturday.

However, on Tuesday, Tucson retook it with a 3-2 win over the Calgary Wranglers as the Condors fell 2-1 to the Abbotsford Canucks.

This weekend, Tucson has a chance to take a commanding lead on Bakersfield. The Condors have eight games left and Tucson has six remaining, but the Roadrunners are far ahead in the first tiebreaker (regulation wins), 27-19, so the Edmonton Oilers’ affiliate would have to finish the season with more points than Tucson.

“Oh yeah, it’s massive, obviously, right?” said Tucson head coach Steve Potvin. “The good thing is, is that we’re in control of it, we’re the ones that hold the spot. They’ve got some games in hand, but listen, this is a position that we’ve been longing for … playing some meaningful games, so we’re looking forward.”

In the AHL, you get two points for wins, one for overtime or shootout losses and zero for regulation losses.

Tucson also could improve its playoff standing, currently seventh place, as it is six points behind the Wranglers and San Jose Barracuda, who are tied for fifth. The Coachella Valley Firebirds are in fourth place, the last slot that gets home ice advantage in the first round, and are 10 points ahead of Tucson.

“Yeah, I think it’s great for us because we’re gonna be playing playoff hockey pretty much the last 10 games before playoffs,” said Tucson right wing Hunter Drew. “So our mindset will be the same for the last month or so and you know, we’re not gonna have to flip that switch that some teams will when playoffs start.”

Tucson leads the season series 4-2 against Bakersfield, including 2-0 at home, after they went 2-6 against the Condors last year despite finishing second in the division.

“I think it’ll be exciting, people are looking forward to it,” Potvin said. “It’s going to be as close, if not better than a playoff game.”

Roadrunners celebrate Hebig’s record

Last week, Tucson forward Cameron Hebig played in his 280th game for the Roadrunners, breaking the team’s record.

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“It’s awesome, I appreciate the support and everyone here in Tucson has been so great, it’s been a lot of fun here,” Hebig said. “The fans, just loving the city and the hockey side has been great to me, a lot of great guys along the way and coaches, so thankful to be healthy, thankful to get the opportunity and just grateful to be a Roadrunner and hopefully more ahead.”

On Saturday, Roadrunners are selling a limited T-shirt celebrating his record.

This season, he has a career high in goals and points, made his first AHL all-star team and last month signed a two-way deal with the Utah Hockey Club after having been on an AHL contract.

“It was great, he’s a player that’s worked so hard over the years to continue to improve, to stay in the league, to find a way in and he’s finding a way to really wear down the coaching staff and management and he found a way to an NHL contract, so we’re extremely proud of him,” Potvin said about the record. “He’s a model citizen for us, he shows up every day, he works, he tries to improve and he cares about it, so it’s great to see a player that’s as committed as he is being rewarded and it’s great to see him get the record.”

A portion of the proceeds from each shirt will be donated to the SickKids Foundation.

“I thought that was a good one to go to,” Hebig said. “You go to the hospital and you see those kids, yeah, it’s hard to see and they have a smile on their face and you know it’s not fair, but for it to go to a cause like that, I like it.”

They are also selling his all-star jersey, signed, on the auction site Dash, web.dashapp.io/team/tucsonroadrunners.

On Tuesday, Hebig scored the game winner to move into third place on the Roadrunners’ all-time points scoring list.

Country Night and Autism Acceptance series

Saturday’s game is Country Nigh,t with the first 1,000 fans getting a Roadrunners cowboy hat. Tucson will wear special Western-looking warm-up jerseys that will be auctioned on the Dash site for its charities.

The Roadrunners are also auctioning other country items, like name plates and signed photos.

Before the game, the Roadrunners and Barrio Brewing Co. will have a tailgate from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets for the tailgate and game include items like a Roadrunners hat and drinking glass.

On Sunday, it is Autism Acceptance Day. There will be a sensory room, and the Roadrunners ask fans to not bring their cowbells to that game.