The Tucson Roadrunners were nothing short of snakebit for more than six weeks. But over their last six games — including a 2-1 win Sunday over the San Jose Barracuda that featured an improbable game-winning goal inside 10 seconds to play in regulation — the Roadrunners have looked every bit the part of being a playoff-caliber team.
With Tucson (30-23-5-2) clinging to a 1-0 lead late, San Jose pulled its goaltender for the extra attacker with under two minutes to go in regulation. Alexander True would tie the game for the Barracuda with 57 seconds to play, and overtime looked like it would be in the cards once again — this time about 21 hours after Tucson defeated San Jose 3-2 in extra time on Saturday.
But with just seconds remaining in regulation, Tucson forward Michael Chaput took a pass from teammate Nick Merkley and skated up the left-side boards toward the San Jose zone. With the clock ticking, Chaput flung the puck cross-ice toward the San Jose goal where a streaking Michael Bunting reached out and — barely able to get a stick on it — flipped it up toward Barracuda netminder Antoine Bibeau. The puck found its way past the red line, and Tucson had the lead again with nine seconds to play.
“Merkley made a nice heads-up play there. Instead of just shipping it out he found me on the wing,” said Chaput, who scored the game’s first goal with about 13 minutes left in the third period. “I knew me and Bunts had a chance to go on a little two-on-one there. I just put it toward the net because I knew he had speed going and he got a good stick on it and fortunately it went in.”
Added Bunting: “I was able to just kind of whack at it. I think it just hit the goalie’s shoulder and popped over him. So, I’ll take it. That’s a huge win for us.”
Late heroics Saturday and Sunday against San Jose give the Roadrunners victories in five of their last six games — a hot streak coming immediately after Tucson cratered in the standings with just two wins in its previous 16 outings dating back to early February.
“I think it’s a lot of chemistry things that are coming together,” Tucson coach Jay Varady said, specifically noting the acquisitions of players like Chaput and Jérémy Grégoire via recent trades. “We lost a couple of other guys to injury, so we were just really trying to find our rhythm together.”
San Jose had its chances earlier in the game, although the Roadrunners outshot the Barracuda 46-33. San Jose got the puck past Tucson goaltender Adin Hill four minutes into the second period, but it was instantaneously waved off by the on-ice officials. Officials said the puck was knocked in by a high stick.
Hill has been Tucson’s goaltender of record during each game on the current six-game resurgence. In that span, Chaput has four goals and eight points, including his own goal and assist on Bunting’s game-winner.
“It’s good to have an older presence like that. Chapper’s been around the league for quite some time,” Bunting said. “Playing with him is a lot of fun. I feel like we have some good chemistry.”
With the sweep of the Barracuda, Tucson concludes its season series against San Jose with wins in five of eight matchups. The victories also gave Tucson four crucial points in the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup playoff race, and the Roadrunners now trail both San Jose and Colorado by four points for the third and fourth spot in the AHL’s Pacific Division. Four teams from each of the AHL’s four divisions reach the postseason. Tucson has eight games remaining, while San Jose has nine and Colorado has six to go.
Colorado visits Tucson Arena for two games next weekend, with four more points in the standings up for grabs. The puck drops for the Roadrunners and Eagles at 7:05 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.
