After a week of heavy roster traffic in virtually all directions, the somewhat new-look Tucson Roadrunners were up their same old tricks Friday night.
The Roadrunners (22-5-0-0) scored in bunches — three goals in a span of barely six minutes in the second period — picked up a pair of power-play markers, and built yet another insurmountable lead to extend their club-record winning streak to seven via a 6-3 win over the Ontario Reign (13-12-3-1) at Tucson Arena.
Forward Hudson Fasching netted his first career hat trick, scoring one in the second period and a pair in the third. Fasching’s third goal came with Tucson up a pair and the Ontario net empty. He broke free to grab the puck near the left-side faceoff dots, but was dragged down while on a breakaway.
“That’s definitely the first time I’ve gotten a goal that didn’t go in the net, but I’ll take what I can get,” Fasching said, noting that he was disappointed when pulled down, but then remembered the rule — just as the on-ice official did, too — that being pulled down on a breakaway with an empty should mean automatic goal.
“I’m just happy to keep the winning streak alive,” he added.
In addition to Fasching’s eighth, ninth and 10th goals of the season, Tucson’s Kevin Hancock and Robbie Russo each scored their second of the year, while Lane Pederson netted his team-high 14th, tying him for fourth-best across the 31-team American Hockey League.
Tucson already owned the AHL’s best record on the season coming in, with the win improving the Roadrunners’ win percentage to .814. Tucson is being chased most closely in that category by the Milwaukee Admirals (.790), Rochester Americans (.750) and Pacific Division rival Stockton Heat (.731).
The Roadrunners, winners of 11 of their last 12, have lost just once this season in a game in which it led at any point. Tucson is 14-0 when leading after two periods.
This week alone, the Roadrunners saw third-year stalwart Nick Merkley and rookie contributor Nate Schnarr dealt away as part of a package that brought former NHL most valuable player Taylor Hall to the Arizona Coyotes. Forward Blake Speers, acquired from New Jersey in that deal, made his Tucson debut Friday night.
The Roadrunners were also without goaltender Adin Hill and defenseman Jordan Gross — both recalled by the Coyotes this week — but did see leading scorer Brayden Burke and defenseman Robbie Russo return to Tucson for their own recent NHL call-ups. The Roadrunners had a newbie in the backup goaltending spot, too, after signing Tyler Parks of the Rapid City Rush, the ECHL affiliate of both the Roadrunners and Coyotes, to a professional tryout.
“It’s for sure been a crazy week. But if there’s anything I’ve learned in these last two days with this team is that we’ve got a ridiculously-skilled group of guys that’s really close as a team,” Speers said of his own acquisition and the greater-than-usual roster movement that preceded this weekend’s set, which continues with a 7:05 p.m. Saturday matchup of the same two teams at Tucson Arena. “I think if we stick to our core, which is playing fast — playing with speed — I don’t think there’s very many teams that can play with us.”
Rookie goaltender Ivan Prosvetov stopped 37 of 40 shots Friday to improve to 8-1 on the season, with a 2.08 goals against average and .941 save percentage.
Prosvetov will likely see more action moving forward. Hill, Tucson’s career leader in minutes played, could see extended NHL time after an injury this week to Coyotes’ netminder Darcy Kuemper. Kuemper is listed as “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury, according to the Coyotes.
In all, 12 different Roadrunners recorded at least a point Friday. In addition to the goals by Hancock, Pederson, Russo and Fasching’s three, 10 Tucson skaters were credited with an assist each: Jeremy Gregoire, Jon Martin, Russo, Beau Bennett, Burke, Kyle Capobianco, Pederson, Andy Miele, Michael Chaput and Michael Bunting.
Mikey Eyssimont, Martin Frk and Paul Ladue scored for Ontario, while Cal Peterson turned away 28 of the 33 shots he faced for the Reign.
