In a schedule rarity, the Tucson Roadrunners played four games in a row against one of the top teams in the league and earned a split.
The Roadrunners split a road series with the Colorado Eagles, who lead the Pacific Division and are tied for most points in the AHL, and then split a home series with them in their next outing.
“I think we can be proud of that, I think it's one thing to be proud and another thing to be satisfied,” Tucson head coach Steve Potvin said. “Anytime when you drop the puck, you want to win. You believe that you can win, and I do believe that you have the players in the room to be able to win consistently, back-to-back and sweep series, there's no doubt.
“We're still learning to do that, I think we obviously took a step playing against Colorado and beating them, and it was nice to see that we were able to get two in a row, that’s something that we hadn't done this season as well,” he added. “So, we'll get there, but I think we're, we're trending in the right direction, and you can see the spirit in the room is high.”
The Roadrunners (7-7-2-0) host the San Diego Gulls (6-5-5-0) on Wednesday for a single game. The Gulls are the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks.
Tucson opened up the Colorado games with a 6-2 loss to the Eagles on Nov. 14 but responded the next night with a 3-0 win over Colorado.
On Saturday, the schedule shifted to Tucson, with the Roadrunners beating Colorado 3-1. The Eagles won 5-2 on Sunday.
“Feels good, yeah, but yeah, we're not satisfied,” said Tucson defenseman Montana Onyebuchi. “Wish we could have swept this weekend, but we'll come back next time and get the job done.”
Colorado is 20-10 at Tucson Arena, the most wins they have tallied against an opponent since joining the AHL in 2018.
Tucson’s win on Saturday was the first time the Roadrunners have won consecutive games this season and outscored the Eagles 6-1 over those two games.
The Roadrunners became just the second team to win at the Eagles’ Blue FCU Arena this season and the first to beat them in regulation since the Rockford IceHogs topped them 4-0 on Oct. 25.
Onyebuchi, center, scored his first goal of the season on Sunday and said the Roadrunners' four games felt like a playoff series and the idea was to treat it as such.
Even with the split from the Roadrunners, the Eagles have gone 8-2-0-1 over their last 11 games.
Onyebuchi, who scored his first goal of the season on Sunday, said that the four games did feel like a playoff series and the message was to treat it as such.
“It really did, it really did, we start in Colorado, you're doing what you can to make sure that you come out of there with some points, the first game I thought we played real well and there was some moments that, we wish we had back, but we felt like we played well enough to get points that night,” Potvin said when asked if it felt like a four-game playoff series. “The game got away from us a little bit at the end. We had to open up. They have firepower, they're going to score.
“But I love the way we responded for the next two games and, you know, now it's it's time to reflect a little bit and refine, get an opportunity to have a day off, practice Tuesday, then we got San Diego.”
Roadrunners give thanks
Although only seven of the 26 active Roadrunners are American, they do celebrate the United States edition of Thanksgiving.
On Sunday, after the Colorado game, Onyebuchi said they are getting together for a Thanksgiving meal on Monday.
“We have our little Thanksgiving before, it's nice to just show gratitude and be thankful, you know?” Onyebuchi said.
For the second year in a row, defenseman Kevin Connauton is hosting.
“Nauter's hosting it again, got a big place there,” Onyebuchi said. “He's got a nice place, so yeah just hang out there, have some good food and just enjoy each other's company.”
Connauton is from Edmonton, Alberta; Onyebuchi is from Dugald, Manitoba and Potvin, who played for Peoria, Baltimore, Portland, Albany and Hamilton in the IHL or AHL, is from Montreal.
Potvin joked that he couldn’t remember if guys celebrated American Thanksgiving when he played in the early ’90s to the late 2000s.
“I think so, yeah, I can't even remember that long ago,” Potvin said. with a laugh. “I mean, it's been quite some time, yeah, I think it has been, it was the same.”
Tucson Roadrunners coach Steve Potvin converses with an official during the Roadrunners’ 3-2 shootout win over first-place Calgary on March 18, 2023.
Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October.
Retro night
San Diego will wear its 10th Anniversary jersey, which features a logo from a past Gulls team, and Tucson will wear a faux back.
The San Diego Gulls debuted in the AHL in 2015, but the name dates back to 1966. The Roadrunners haven’t rebranded since their start in 2016, so they will counter with a retro-looking jersey.
Interstate 8 supremacy
As Tucson’s original league rival, the Roadrunners went 5-3 against the Gulls last year and have gone 20-10-2-0 over the last five years against San Diego. They'll battle for the I-8 Border Cup Trophy, which Tucson has won every season except for 2021-22.
