CALGARY, AB – Two first-period goals lifted the Tucson Roadrunners (14-12-5-0) to a 4-0 shutout victory over the Calgary Wranglers (15-13-7-1) on Sunday afternoon at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The win marked Tucson’s second series sweep of the season and its second sweep of Calgary in an eight-day span.
Ryan McGregor and Juuso Välimäki each recorded multi-point performances for the Roadrunners. Välimäki led Tucson with two assists, while McGregor scored the game-winning goal and added an assist.
Nine Roadrunners recorded at least one point, including Ty Tullio, who scored against his former team, and Maveric Lamoureux and Sammy Walker, who each scored their second goals against Calgary this season.
Dmitri Simashev, Julian Lutz, Owen Allard and Sam Lipkin added one assist apiece. Walker finished with five shots on goal for the second consecutive game to lead Tucson.
Jaxson Stauber turned aside all 21 shots he faced to earn his second shutout of the season and fourth win overall. He improved to 2-0-1 against Calgary this season.
With the victory, Tucson clinched the season series against the Wranglers at 5-0-1, with two meetings remaining at the Saddledome. The Roadrunners moved into eighth place in the Pacific Division, just two points behind San Diego for seventh.
HIGHLIGHTS
TEAM NOTES
- Tucson has earned points in each of its last five games (season high) for a 4-0-1-0 record and in nine of its last 11 contests (6-2-3-0).
- Sunday’s shutout marked Tucson’s third of the season, with all three occurring on the road – previous: Jaxson Stauber on Nov. 15 at Colorado (32 saves), and Matthew Villalta on Nov. 1 at Iowa (19 saves).
- Tucson has scored three or more goals in each of its last five games (season high)for a total of 20 goals in that span (4.00 goals per game). The Roadrunners’ season average is 3.23 goals a game.
- The Roadrunners improved its record to 10-0-2-0 overall when scoring four goals or more.
- Tucson has scored in the first period in five consecutive games (season high), dating back to Dec. 27 vs. Calgary, totaling eight first-period goals in that span.
- Tucson has tallied multiple first-period goals in back-to-back games, marking the second time the Roadrunners have done so this season and first since scoring two goals in consecutive games against Bakersfield on Dec. 12-13.
- The Roadrunners improved its record to 8-4-4-0 overall and 4-2-1-0 on the road when scoring first and 6-1-3-0 overall and 3-0-1-0 on the road when leading after the first period.
- Tucson improved its record to 5-0-0-0 on the road and 10-0-1-0 overall when leading after two periods.
HEAD-TO-HEAD NOTES
- The Roadrunners have won five of its first six games against the Wranglers this season and have earned a point in all six contests (5-0-1-0), while outscoring the Wranglers 25-14.
- Tucson’s penalty was perfect across the two-game set at Calgary, going 8-for-8.
- The Roadrunners PK has been perfect in its last five games against Calgary, going 18-for-18 in the span. Tucson is 21-for-23 overall in the season series (91.3%).
- The Roadrunners have outshot the Wranglers in eight consecutive periods (nine including overtime), dating back to the second period of Tucson’s 3-2 OT win vs Calgary on Dec. 28.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Dmitri Simashev‘s helper marked his third straight game with a point dating back to Dec. 31 vs. San Diego, collecting three points (1g, 2a) in that span.
- Simashev now has 11 points (4g, 7a) in his last 10 games dating back to Dec. 6 at San Jose, tied for first among AHL blueliners and ranking third on the team.
- Simashev’s .92 points-per-game pace leads all AHL rookie defensemen and ranks third on the team.
- Juuso Välimäki has points in back-to-back games and two points (1g, 1a) in his first three games of the season.
- Ryan McGregor recorded his first multi-point game, game-winning goal, game-opening goal and road tally of the season.
- McGregor has three points (1g, 2a) in his last three games, his best three-game stretch of the season.
- Maveric Lamoureux tallied his first road and third-period goal of the season.
- Sammy Walker scored his first empty-net goal of the season. Five of Walker’s seven goals on the season have been scored on the road.
- Jaxson Stauber now has four career AHL shutouts – two with Tucson this season and two with the Rockford IceHogs in 2023-24 – with three occurring on the road.
THE RUNDOWN
FIRST PERIOD
Tucson’s penalty kill went to work just 1:30 into the contest, and Stauber and the Roadrunners denied Calgary any clean looks on the man advantage.
McGregor opened the scoring at 6:11, snapping a shot from the slot past Wranglers goaltender Arsenii Sergeev’s blocker off a point shot from Lamoureux to give Tucson a 1–0 lead.
The Roadrunners continued to stifle Calgary through the first 10 minutes and held a 7–3 edge in shots. Tucson’s first power-play opportunity lasted just four seconds after an offensive-zone penalty midway through the period.
Tucson doubled its lead at 5:09 when Tullio buried a loose puck backdoor after a Simashev point shot kicked free, making it 2–0.
Calgary pushed late, outshooting Tucson 4–1 in the final minutes, but Stauber turned aside every chance, including a highlight-reel glove save on Artem Grushnikov’s point shot through traffic.
The period ended with a scrum in the Tucson zone, sending the Roadrunners to the power play to open the second period while carrying a 2–0 lead into the intermission.
SECOND PERIOD
Tucson came up empty on its second power-play opportunity, though defenseman Artem Duda generated the lone shot, creating traffic in front of Sergeev before Calgary’s penalty kill cleared the zone.
The Roadrunners returned to the penalty kill just before the five-minute mark and delivered again, highlighted by a Lamoureux shot block and multiple saves from Stauber.
Calgary sustained pressure in the Tucson zone near the midpoint of the period, but the Roadrunners answered with timely possessions at the other end. Miko Matikka, Lipkin and Duda each generated quality looks that Sergeev turned aside.
Tucson closed the period on the power play after drawing a late penalty. The Roadrunners fired four shots, including a wraparound attempt by Austin Poganski that Sergeev denied.
Tucson carried the man advantage into the second intermission while holding a 2–0 lead and a 9–6 edge in shots during the period (21-15 overall).
THIRD PERIOD
The Roadrunners opened the final frame the same way they closed the second—on the attack. Ben McCartney generated a Grade-A chance early, but Sergeev turned it aside with the right pad. Tucson dominated possession and outshot Calgary 7–0 through the first five minutes.
Tucson’s penalty kill delivered once again, denying Calgary a single shot despite extended offensive-zone time.
The Roadrunners’ defensive commitment showed throughout the period. Lutz blocked multiple shots, including one that sprung Allard on a breakaway, though Sergeev got his stick on the attempt to keep Calgary within reach.
After weathering several stops from Sergeev, Lamoureux finally broke through, ripping a point shot past the netminder at 12:24 to push Tucson’s lead to three.
Walker put the finishing touch on the win with an empty-net goal at 17:20 to seal a 4–0 Roadrunners victory.
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