Game #50: Tucson Roadrunners (4) vs Abbotsford Canucks (3) OT
Game #50: Tucson Roadrunners (4) vs Abbotsford Canucks (3) OT
SOG: TUC (22) – ABB (34)
PP: TUC (1/2) – ABB (1/3)
ABBOTSFORD SCORING: Max Sasson (7), Jonathan Lekkerimäki (18), Linus Karlsson (16)
TUCSON SCORING: Ben McCartney (8), Austin Poganski (12), Cameron Hebig (19), Andrew Agozzino (11)
Agozzino Seals Overtime Win as Roadrunners Sweep Canucks
Tucson, AZ – In just his second game back from injury, Andrew Agozzino played the hero, netting the overtime game-winner to lift the Tucson Roadrunners (24-22-2-2) to a 4-3 victory over the Abbotsford Canucks (27-21-2-1) on Sunday afternoon at Tucson Arena.
For the second straight game, the Roadrunners struck first and never trailed. The Canucks battled back each time, erasing three one-goal deficits—including Linus Karlsson’s game-tying tally with 2:41 remaining to force overtime.
Tucson forward Cameron Hebig had an assist and found the back of the net for the second consecutive game to cap his two-point performance. Newly acquired forward Sammy Walker also had two points with a pair of assists in just his second game in Tucson. Roadrunners captain Austin Poganski and alternate captain Ben McCartney also scored, each extending their point streaks to two games. Goaltender Jaxson Stauber made 31 saves to secure his ninth win of the season.
With the victory, Tucson completed its first series sweep since Dec. 21—also against Abbotsford. The Roadrunners have won three of their last four games and earned points in four of their last five. Tucson remains in seventh place, holding the Pacific Division’s final playoff spot with 52 points, now three points clear of eighth-place Bakersfield. The Roadrunners sit just five points back of both the fifth-place Canucks and sixth-place San Jose Barracuda.
YA GOTTA SEE IT
After missing 15 games with an injury dating back to mid-January, Agozzino made a statement in his second game back. The veteran forward found himself all alone on a breakaway in overtime, and deked forehand-backhand to beat Abbotsford goaltender Nikita Tolopilo to clinch Tucson’s series sweep. Fired up after the game-winner, Agozzino gave Karlsson a brotherly shove behind the net as Tucson Arena erupted.
It marked Agozzino’s second overtime goal of the season, and he now leads the team with four game-winning tallies.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
Hebig recorded his second point of the game and second goal of the series late in the second period, putting the Roadrunners back in front 3-2. The tally was his team-leading 19th goal of the season, and it tied him with Egor Sokolov for the second-most points on the team with 35.
The goal also etched Hebig’s name further into the franchise record books. It marked his 121st career point as a Roadrunner, surpassing former Tucson forward and current Belleville Senator Jan Jeník for fourth all-time in franchise history.
THEY SAID IT
“Coming back from a long road trip, we wanted to come out hard this weekend with a good team coming in from Abbotsford and the division (standings) so tight. These were huge points for us, and to get four points this weekend was huge. Hopefully we can build off it and just keep stringing some wins together.”
Roadrunners forward Cameron Hebig on sweeping the Canucks
THE RUNDOWN
FIRST PERIOD
The forward duo of Julian Lutz and Aku Räty continued their strong play, creating an early scoring chance just over two minutes in. Räty carried the puck into the Canucks’ zone off the rush and threaded a pass to Lutz, who fired a low, far-side shot that Tolopilo turned aside with his left pad.
Tucson earned the game’s first power play at 5:15 when Abbotsford’s Ben Berard was whistled for hooking. The Roadrunners capitalized just over a minute later as Walker drove to the net and created a rebound chance in the crease. McCartney pounced on the loose puck and jammed it home at 6:47 to give Tucson a 1-0 lead.
The Canucks pushed back midway through the period with a dangerous rush. Chase Wouters flew into the Tucson zone and rang a shot off the crossbar, narrowly missing the equalizer.
Tucson nearly doubled its lead with six minutes left when Lutz carried the puck into the Abbotsford zone and teed up Hunter Drew for a one-timer. However, Tolopilo stood tall and denied Drew’s heavy slap shot from inside the left circle.
Abbotsford found the equalizer in the final seconds of the frame. Karlsson fired a slap shot from the high slot that Sasson redirected past Stauber to tie the game at 1-1 with 16 seconds left in the period.
SECOND PERIOD
The middle frame began with four-on-four play after offsetting penalties between Lutz and Abbotsford’s Nate Smith at the end of the first. Neither team capitalized on the extra ice, but Tucson struck first for the second straight period.
Maveric Lamoureux carried the puck across the ice alongside Poganski and delivered a centering pass to the Roadrunners captain. Despite tight coverage from the Abbotsford defense, Poganski kept his stick on the ice and redirected the feed home from his backhand to give Tucson a 2-1 lead at 3:47.
Tensions flared just over six minutes in, as Lamoureux dropped the gloves with Danila Klimovich near center ice during a full-line scrum. It marked the first AHL fight for the rookie defenseman. Moments later, Tucson blueliners Max Szuber and Robbie Russo took back-to-back penalties, putting the Roadrunners down two men. Abbotsford took advantage, with Lekkerimäki tipping in Karlsson’s point shot from just outside the crease to tie the game 2-2 at 8:20.
The Roadrunners answered back late in the period. With 5:28 remaining, Hebig buried a rebound inside the left circle off Räty’s shot, restoring Tucson’s lead at 3-2.
THIRD PERIOD
Curtis Douglas nearly put Tucson up by two just over two minutes in, driving around the net for a wraparound attempt. However, Tolopilo shut the door with his left pad to keep it a one-goal game.
After the play, both teams limited scoring chances throughout the first half of the period until Abbotsford’s Tristen Nielsen fired a one-timer from the high slot eight minutes in. Stauber came up with a huge glove save to preserve Tucson’s lead.
The Roadrunners’ netminder continued to stand tall in the final stretch. With just under seven minutes left, he turned aside a close-range wrist shot from Wouters near the left faceoff dot.
Tucson’s offense gave Stauber a brief reprieve by controlling possession in the Abbotsford zone late in the period, generating two dangerous insurance chances. Räty fed Artem Duda below the right circle for a one-timer, but Tolopilo made the stop. Moments later, Drew had a prime look from the slot, but his one-timer was blocked.
The Canucks made a late push, and Karlsson snuck a shot past Stauber short side from the low left circle to tie the game 3-3 with 2:41 remaining.
Stauber bounced back in the closing seconds, making another key save on a point-blank chance from Wouters to send the game to overtime.
OVERTIME
Just 30 seconds into three-on-three overtime, Walker nearly ended it on a wraparound attempt, but Tolopilo made a sliding stop to keep Abbotsford alive. The Canucks countered with a two-on-one rush, but Walker hustled back to break up the play with a key blocked pass.
Duda pounced on the loose puck and quickly sent a hand pass to an open Agozzino in the neutral zone. With no defenders in front, Agozzino raced in alone and deked to his backhand, lifting the puck over Tolopilo’s blocker to net the game-winner just one minute into overtime.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners continue their homestand on Friday and open a two-game series against the Central Division’s Rockford IceHogs at 7 p.m. MST at Tucson Arena. Fans can catch all the action live on AHLTV on FloHockey and purchase tickets using the link here.
