The Tucson Roadrunners had their chances Saturday night against the Texas Stars. Plenty of them, to be sure — to the tune of tying their season high with 42 shots on goal and a bevy of late-game activity in front of the Texas net.
But the Roadrunners (5-5-0-0) still came up short, this time losing 4-2 in the series finale of what amounted to a three-game sweep over four days by the visiting Stars (7-3-0-0) at Tucson Arena. The loss is Tucson’s fifth over its last six games — the Roadrunners’ first such streak of that magnitude since March 2019.
Tucson coach Steve Potvin said even in defeat, his team’s effort Friday far surpassed that of the first two games of the series.
“We didn’t deserve to win tonight because of the last two games. To be real honest, our energy and the way we connected the dots today was really it,” Potvin said, noting that even in defeat, “this is one of the first 60 minute games that we played.
“I think our team needed to go through it in order to have success longer term,” he said of the three games against Texas, where Tucson was outscored 14-6.
However, the Roadrunners — now .500 after starting the year 4-0 — get something the shorter, reconfigured 2021 scheduled won’t allow them that often this season: time to regroup.
Tucson has five full days before its next game, scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. against the Ontario Reign in El Segundo, California, followed by a Saturday matchup at 8 p.m. with the San Diego Gulls in Irvine.
The time will give Potvin's team a chance to work out some of the kinks.
“What we’ve appreciated in the past, so much, is that practice time,” Potvin said, noting the differences between the current season and past campaigns. “This is obviously a development league and that practice time is as key to us as games.”
In Saturday’s loss, not unlike the prior two, Tucson’s biggest issue was falling behind by too much, too fast. Wednesday, Tucson trailed 4-0 before falling 5-2. The Roadrunners lost Friday by the same score after trailing 3-0 and 5-1. Then Saturday, it was a 3-0 hole before the Roadrunners started to crawl back. They cut the lead to 3-2 and had pressure on Texas goaltender Colton Point in the final minutes. Texas would add an empty net goal with barely 10 seconds to play to round out the scoring.
Point stopped 40 of 42 shots Saturday.
A bright spot for Tucson in each of the last two outings: offensive results out of the Roadrunners’ fourth line.
Kevin Hancock, in the lineup for just the second time this season, scored both Tucson goals while skating alongside Nate Sucese and Ryan McGregor.
“I’ve been out for a few weeks now, so coming into the lineup, I want to bring that energy. I’ve been fresh, so there’s no excuse to skate as hard as I could,” Hancock said. “It was just getting ready and being ready for the last few weeks, doing skates with Potvin and (assistant coach John) Slaney. They’ve been great with me.”
Added Potvin: “You know he’s been wanting this opportunity, and been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. I give him a lot of credit … It’s obviously not easy to be patient.”
McGregor, who scored his first career professional goal in Friday’s loss, assisted Hancock’s first goal a minute before the second intermission. Sucese, who assisted Hancock’s second score five minutes into the third, has had his name show up in spots on the scoresheet this season in 10 games played — but hardly for lack of taking his own chances. Sucese has a goal and two assists on the year, but has also taken the fourth-most shots on goal of any Roadrunner this season while usually skating on the team’s third or fourth line. He trails only top scorers Kevin Roy, Michael Bunting and Lane Pederson in that category.
“I thought the line of me, (McGregor) and (Sucese) were flying all night,” Hancock said. “We were able to get on the forecheck and that’s what led to both goals tonight. We had two good forechecks that led to turnovers.”
Texas’ scoring came via the sticks of Adam Mascherin in the first period, then Nick Moutrey and Riley Damiani in the second. Jake Slaker added the capper into the empty net.
Adin Hill made his second consecutive start in net as part of a conditioning assignment from the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes. Hill stopped 21 of 24 shots.
