There’s nothing quite like some home cooking.
Especially when you’ve got a new chef to add to the mix.
And it’s even more important when you’re the Tucson Roadrunners, and you’re about to lose your home ice for 20 days for the Tucson gem and mineral show.
The Roadrunners will open an important three-game series against the San Diego Gulls on Wednesday, coming back to the Tucson Arena after a disappointing 0-2 road swing.
They return home with Anthony Duclair, a talented but curiously underproductive forward who was sent down last week by the Arizona Coyotes.
“Obviously, they felt like he needed to try to find his A-game,” general manager Doug Soetaert said. “He’d been struggling up there in regards to production. They want him to basically find that scoring touch he had last year. I think he had 20 goals last year, and they feel like he’s a young player who didn’t have to clear waivers, and it’s an opportunity to get him a little more ice time than he’s had, an opportunity to gain some confidence.”
Duclair had a breakout season last year as a second-year pro and first-year Coyote, scoring those 20 goals and racking up 24 assists in 81 games while tallying 105 shots on goal.
His numbers fell: In 41 NHL games this season, Duclair has just three goals and six assists. He’s already made his presence known for the Roadrunners, scoring a goal in Sunday’s debut.
“His natural ability is scoring goals, and the thing is he’s a young player, and he’s started to get frustrated at times, and maybe your work ethic drops and you start thinking about things too much,” Soetaert said. “This gives him an opportunity to clear his head. Goal-scoring is a confidence thing. He’s lost it a little, and by coming back here, he should be able to be a decision-maker. It’s not a bad thing.”
In fact, these brief tune-ups are precisely why the Coyotes brought their AHL franchise to Tucson.
“We want our young guys down here in a winning environment, and to make them earn their stripes to get up top,” Soetaert said. “It allows a player like Duclair to come down here and be in a good environment in a situation where the pressure is lesser, where the limelight is off him.”
Duclair’s new Tucson teammate, defensemen Jarred Tinordi, understands his struggle.
“He’s been a great, great player, had a great year in Arizona last year, and he’s a young guy,” Tinordi said.
“He’s a professional about it. He’s comfortable here with everybody, and for him, it’s all about finding his game again. He has all the talent in the world. Anybody who’s played the game understands that. You don’t have a point, you’re not scoring, and before you know it you’re at five or six or 10 (games without a goal). Then you start really gripping the stick too tight. It comes back again to keeping simpler.”
Tinordi said that was the biggest key for the team during its five-game winning streak, and the biggest reason things went south last weekend against the Charlotte Checkers.
“When we’re playing well, we’re a simple hockey team,” Tinordi said. “We’re getting pucks to the net, keeping it simple, and it’s where we get our points. On the road, tried to be a little too fancy, too skilled, and we committed turnovers that cost us the games.”
