Series Preview – Tucson Roadrunners vs Colorado Eagles

Game 1: Friday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. AZT, Tucson Arena
Game 2: Saturday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. AZT, Tucson Arena

Officials
Friday – Referees: #42 Ben Betker, #92 John Lindner | Linespeople: #71 Harrison Heyer, #32 Robert Fay
Saturday – Referees: #42 Ben Betker, #92 John Lindner | Linespeople: #71 Harrison Heyer, #76 Gabe Lomen

Broadcast Info
Friday: LISTEN LIVE HERE or on Fox Sports 1450AM | WATCH on AHLtv on Flo Hockey 
Saturday: LISTEN LIVE HERE or Fox Sports 1450AM | WATCH on AHLtv on Flo Hockey 

Tucson, AZ – The Tucson Roadrunners (19-14-7-0) close out their best month of the season with a two-game home series against the Colorado Eagles (26-10-1-3) on Friday and Saturday at Tucson Arena. Puck drop for both games is scheduled for 7 p.m. AZT.

Tucson is 7-2-2-0 in January and has earned points in 12 of its last 14 games (9-2-3-0) dating back to Dec. 27.

The Roadrunners enter the weekend riding a two-game winning streak after a pair of comeback victories in extra time — a 3-2 overtime win over Henderson on Sunday followed by a 4-3 shootout victory against San Diego on Wednesday.

The weekend set marks the fifth and sixth of eight meetings between Tucson and Colorado this season. The Roadrunners are 2-2 in the season series, with each team earning one home win and one road win. It’s the first matchup since the teams faced off in four consecutive games over an eight-day span from Nov. 14–23. Tucson is the only team to have won consecutive games in the series.

Owen Allard leads the Roadrunners in scoring in the season series with four points (1g, 3a) and has recorded at least one point in each of the last three meetings.

The weekend set caps a six-game road trip for the Eagles, who are 2-2 through the first four games of the trip.

Colorado has won two of its last three games and sits second in the Pacific Division with 56 points. Tucson holds the final playoff spot in the division with 45 points and is tied with sixth-place San Diego.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

CLUTCH IN EXTRA TIME
Tucson has played 16 overtime games this season, tied with Calgary for the most in the AHL, and owns a 9-0-7-0 record in extra time. The Roadrunners’ nine overtime victories lead the league. Wednesday marked Tucson’s first shootout of the season.

Four of Tucson’s last six games dating back to Jan. 17 vs. San Jose have gone to overtime, with the Roadrunners posting a 2-0-2-0 record in that span. Six of the last nine games dating back to Jan. 9 vs. Iowa have required extra time, with Tucson going 4-2-0-0 in those contests.

NEVER OUT OF IT
The Roadrunners have erased multi-goal deficits in each of their last four games, showcasing their resilience and ability to stay competitive regardless of the scoreline. Most recently on Wednesday against San Diego, Tucson trailed 3–0 until the 5:22 mark of the second period before storming back for a 4–3 shootout victory. On Jan. 25 at Henderson, the Roadrunners erased a 2–0 deficit late in the second period and went on to earn a 3–2 overtime win.

The comeback trend continued the night prior on Jan. 24 at Henderson, when Tucson fell behind 2–0 early in the first period before battling back to tie the game 2–2, and on Jan. 21 vs. San Diego, when the Roadrunners rallied from a 3–0 deficit late in the first period to pull even before eventually falling 5–3.

STRENGTH IN THE CREASE
Both Roadrunners goaltenders have earned victories in their most recent starts and have been a key part of Tucson’s strong start to 2026. Matthew Villalta made 30 saves to secure his 13th win of the season Wednesday at San Diego — tied for the eighth-most in the AHL. After allowing three goals in the first 24 minutes, Villalta turned aside 20 consecutive shots over the final two periods and overtime and stopped nine of San Diego’s 10 shootout attempts. He is 7-2-1 in his last 10 starts dating back to Dec. 6 at San Jose.

Jaxson Stauber has also been locked in, going 3-1-1 in his last five starts dating back to Jan. 3 at Calgary. In his most recent outing, Stauber stopped all 26 shots faced over the final two periods and overtime to help Tucson rally from a 2-0 deficit in a 3-2 overtime win against Henderson. He has made at least 33 saves in each of his last three starts — 36 on Jan. 17 vs. San Jose, 34 on Jan. 21 vs. San Diego, and 33 on Jan. 25 at Henderson — becoming the only Roadrunners goaltender to record 30-plus saves in three consecutive games.

NUMBERS TO KNOW:

6 – The Roadrunners have outscored opponents 6-1 in the second period over their last four games dating back to Jan. 21 vs. San Diego. Tucson has scored 43 goals in the second period this season, tied for the fifth-most in the Western Conference.

WE’RE DOING IT LIVE
Both games this weekend will be streamed on AHLtv on FloHockey and broadcast on FOX Sports 1450 AM and the iHeartRadio app. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. AZT with Roadrunners Warm-Up hosted by David Mooradian.