Gameday Preview: Texas Stars at Tucson Roadrunners



           Texas Stars                         Tucson Roadrunners
     31-21-5-3, 70 pts, .583      at      30-17-4-1, 65 pts, .625
   #4 Pacific Division                       #1 Pacific Division

March 9th at 8:05 PM
Tucson Arena, Tucson, AZ
Brian Flynn 1-on-1 with Dysin Mayo (credit: Texas Stars)
Heading into the first game of a back-to-back weekend set against the Tucson Roadrunners, the Texas Stars have only played their Pacific division leading rivals twice this season and lost both times. Though they did collect a point with an overtime loss in the second game, this pair of games in the desert could go a long way in determining the fate of the Stars as the regular season winds down.

There are a couple of key positives to note about the Stars at the moment. They are coming off a recent win over the Iowa Wild on Wednesday in a game that had Brian Flynn and Justin Dowling back in the lineup after sustaining minor injuries. Dowling chipped in with a goal, which was a welcome sight considering the Stars will need secondary players to emerge down the stretch. Brian Flynn is a pro that contributes in all three zones and does all the little things to help win games.

The situation in net will be interesting this weekend. With Mike McKenna still up with the parent club, Landon Bow and Phillipe Desrosiers may split the games. Desrosiers has done much in his stint with the Idaho Steelheads to elicit confidence from the Texas coaching staff. 

The Roadrunners possess a sixth ranked power play unit with elite prospect Dylan Strome (49 pts) leading the way. Recently acquired from the Cleveland Monsters, Carter Camper rounds out a dynamic forward group that can score on anyone. Rookie winger Nick Merkley (37 pts) is also a ton of fun to watch. Tucson struggles on the penalty kill at 80.7%--just above the Stars. If the Stars can stay out of the box and capitalize on their power play, they can have success against Adin Hill (.911 SP) and Hunter Miska (.899 SP). 

The puck drops at 8:05 PM CST. 

Stars injury/call up report:
Dickinson, McKenna (call-up)
McKenzie (injured)

Roadrunners Web Resources
Website: tucsonroadrunners.com
Twitter: @RoadrunnersAHL
Coverage: @CallahanOnAir (Tucson PBP)

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