Desert hockey is alive and well as Arizona Coyotes AHL affiliate Tucson Roadrunners won the first two games in their franchise history.
The Arizona Coyotes aren’t off to a great start this season, but the Tucson Roadrunners are making up for it.
After losing their first game to the San Diego Gulls, the Roadrunners rattled off two straight wins this weekend.
Friday night’s 2-1 win over the Stockton Heat was the first victory in the franchise’s young history.
Three games in, a few familiar faces are leading the way for Tucson.
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Kyle Wood
The headliner of the Meeps season thus far has been 20-year-old defenseman Kyle Wood.
#3 is leading Tucson in shots on goal and has produced one goal and five assists in just three games. Yes, you read that right.
Wood was acquired in the Mikkel Boedker trade from the Colorado Avalanche.
Standing 6’5, the Arizona Coyotes would be thrilled to have that size patrolling their blue-line. If he keeps his current tear up, it’ll be hard to deny him an opportunity.
Brendan Perlini
Size. Skill. Power.
Everything about Brendan Perlini‘s game enticed the Coyotes when they drafted him 12th overall in 2014.
Unfortunately, Perlini hasn’t quite lived up to the hype for a variety of reasons.
Moving into the pro game with the Roadrunners, Yotes brass are no doubt curious how the youngster will respond now that he’s facing grown men.
Things are definitely looking up early on this season, however.
The Perl. pic.twitter.com/i7hDktOtmh
— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) October 23, 2016
When he’s making plays like that, I’m sure they’re thrilled.
Perlini has started well in Tucson, averaging a point-per-game and scoring goals in two straight.
If #11 can rekindle the magic in the AHL and translate it to Glendale, the Arizona Coyotes’ future looks that much brighter.
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Adin Hill
Adin Hill is Arizona’s goaltender of the future.
He started off the season in the ECHL with the Rapid City Rush, but Mike Smith‘s injury forced the Yotes to call up Justin Peters.
That gave Hill an opportunity in Tucson. Saturday night he made good on his promise, stopping 31 of 32 shots in his AHL debut.
Hill was among the most impressive players at development and rookie camps this summer, appearing poised and confident in net.
Facing the Bakersfield Condors, Hill buckled in for a penalty kill in the final two minutes of regulation clinging to a 2-1 lead.
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The final minute of play saw the young netminder turn into a veritable Pac-Man for pucks, stopping multiple high-danger chances and shutting down the Condors desperate attempts for a last minute equalizer.
If Smith’s injury has him out for an extended period, perhaps we’ll see a bit more of Hill in net for the Roadrunners moving forward.
Early indications lead us to believe they’ll be in capable hands.