The Tucson Roadrunners complete their weekend visit to H-E-B Center when they visit the Texas Stars this Saturday in the FloHockey AHL Game of the Week (8:00 p.m. ET).

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A strong December has helped to push Tucson (17-11-1-0) into a fourth-place tie in the Pacific Division. They took a six-game winning streak into their holiday break before a pair of losses in a home set against Colorado last weekend. But they rebounded Friday night against the Stars behind a Cameron Hebig hat trick that sent them to a 6-3 win. Friday’s contest also began a seven-game road trip that will keep them on the road through Jan. 15. Josh Doan provided three assists as well. With Jaxson Stauber on recall to the Utah Hockey Club, Matt Villalta has recovered from a slow start to become a workhorse in the Tucson net, taking all but two starts since Nov. 22. An AHL All-Star selection last season, Villalta has posted three shutouts in his past 11 starts. Villalta had 25 saves in Friday’s win.

The Stars (17-12-1-0) had taken a pair of wins in an October visit to Tucson before Friday’s setback that also ended their five-game winning streak. Second in the Central Division, this Tucson series is a rare stop at home for the Stars, who are in a stretch of 10 of 14 games on the road. Texas had captain Curtis McKenzie back from the Spengler Cup in Switzerland, where he represented Team Canada, and he delivered a first-period power-play goal.

Texas played Friday’s game without top defensemen Kyle Capobianco and Alex Petrovic. Capobianco, a former Roadrunner, won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s top defenseman last season when he was with the Manitoba Moose.

What You Need To Know About Tucson at Texas

Game Details

Tucson Roadrunners at Texas Stars, Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET*

Where to Watch: Subscribers can continue to watch via FloHockey.tv or the FloSports app 

Free Streams: Follow the game across FloHockey's social channels including YouTube, Facebook and X. More details below.

Tucson Roadrunners (Utah Hockey Club) – What to Watch For

Tucson possesses a strong veteran base that begins with forwards Andrew Agozzino and Egor Sokolov, who both hold the team scoring lead at 23 points.

But right behind them are two more forwards in Kailer Yamamoto and Josh Doan. Yamamoto (8-13-21 in 20 games), a 2017 first-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers, is back in the AHL for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign. He signed with Utah HC just before the start of this season but only dressed for three games with the team after spending the past four campaigns as a full-time NHLer. Doan’s 26 goals last season for the Roadrunners led all AHL rookies and won him a spot on the AHL All-Rookie Team. But he struggled to find ice time in the Utah line-up at the start of this season and found himself back with Tucson, where he has 7-12-19 in 23 games.

First-year defenseman Artyom Duda, a 2022 second-round pick, has had a solid start to his North American pro career. The 20-year-old has 1-11-12 in 27 games, second only to veteran Robbie Russo (0-14-14) among Tucson blueliners.

Texas Stars (Dallas Stars) – What to Watch For

Dallas management brought in several top veterans in the offseason, starting with Capobianco along with a pair of Calder Cup finalists in forwards Cameron Hughes and Kole Lind from the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

But Texas also boasts its fair share of young talent. Dallas has long had a knack for taking undrafted talent and finding success with it. This season it’s rookie forward Justin Hryckowian, who signed with Dallas last March following three seasons at Northeastern. The 23-year-old has already made his NHL debut and holds the AHL rookie scoring lead with 12-16-28 in 28 contests. Texas is without forward Arttu Hyry, whose hat trick last Sunday at Manitoba came just before a promotion to Dallas.

One point ahead of Hryckowian for the Texas team lead in points is forward Antonio Stranges (12-17-29), who has blossomed as a scorer in his second full season at the AHL level. Another second-year Star, defenseman Christian Kyrou, has 4-9-13 in 22 games. He joins a pair of promising first-year AHL blueliners in 2022 first-round pick Lian Bichsel and Luke Krys.

Long-time netminder Magnus Hellberg has taken the bulk of the work for the Stars and turned in 26 saves Friday.

How To Watch AHL Free Stream On YouTube

On Saturdays throughout the season, the AHL and FloHockey will present a free Game of the Week on YouTube. The home team's broadcast will be shared as a free stream on FloHockey's YouTube page. The free broadcast will begin shortly before puck drop. Check FloHockey and AHL social channels to see which game will be streaming each week.

WATCH HERE

How To Watch AHL Free Stream On X

On Saturdays throughout the season, the AHL and FloHockey will present a free Game of the Week on X (formerly known as Twitter). The home team's broadcast will be shared as a free stream on FloHockey's Twitter page. The free broadcast will begin shortly before puck drop, posted on FloHockey's X feed. Check FloHockey and AHL social channels to see which game will be streaming each week.

WATCH HERE

How To Watch AHL Free Stream On Facebook

On Saturdays throughout the season, the AHL and FloHockey will present a free Game of the Week on Facebook. You can access the game multiple ways on the Facebook. FloHockey will stream both home and road (if available) broadcasts on its Facebook page. The game can also be found live on the AHL's Facebook page.

WATCH HERE

How To Watch The AHL On FloHockey 

The AHL is streaming on FloHockey and the FloSports app. Live games, replays, highlights and breaking news will be on both platforms. 

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