Photo credit: @sjbarracuda

By Marko Ukalovic

The defending Pacific champion Tucson Roadrunners (8-3-0-1) received two power play goals from Adam Helewka and dominated the San Jose Barracuda (9-2-0-1) from start to finish in a 5-0 shutout victory on Friday evening at the Tucson Convention Center Arena. The loss snapped the Cuda’s four-game winning streak and undefeated record on the road.

The former Cuda forward continued to haunt his former team. Helewka scored the first of his two power play goals at the 7:48 mark of the first period. Mario Kempe and Robbie Russo assisted on Helewka’s goal, who has had a resurgence in the desert–sixth goal on the season.

Michael Bunting gave the Roadrunners a 2-0 when he deflected a shot from the right point by Jordan Gross shot into the upper corner of the goal past Cuda goalie Joesef Kornear (5-1-0). Kempe received the secondary assist on Bunting’s fourth goal of the season at the 17:03 mark.

This was the worst period on the season for San Jose as Tucson had the ice tilted in their favor throughout the period. They outshot the Cuda 17-2 in the opening frame. It was the lowest shot out put on the season for the season. The one and only scoring chance for San Jose was when Maxim Letunov breakaway attempt was stopped by Roadrunners goalie Merrick Madsen (2-0-0) early in the period.

Helewka terrorized the Cuda for his second power play goal of the night and third goal in two games against San Jose. A failed clearing attempt by the Cuda led to a cross-ice pass from David Ullstrom over to Helewka who buried the puck into a wide open net for his seventh goal on the season at the 6:08 mark of the second period.

Kyle Wood had a point-blank chance to get the Cuda on the board during their first power play with under five minutes remaining in the period but shot the puck wide of the net.

Ullstrom made it 4-0 when he sent home a shot past Kornear just seconds after a Roadrunner penalty kill after taking a pass from Bunting at the 14:39 mark of the third period.

Lane Pederson completed the scoring when he was set up nicely by Trevor Cheek and slammed home a shot into an empty net for his third goal of the season at the 17:53 mark.

Madsen had an easy night as he stopped all 19 shots he faced for his first AHL career shut out. Kornear suffered his first loss of the season in a valiant effort, where he was under siege for most of the night, making 33 saves on 38 shots.

GAME NOTES: San Jose was 0/4 on the power play. Tucson was 2/5.

Tucscon’s Cam Dineen suffered an upper body injury when he was shaken up on a high hit from San Jose’s Nick DeSimone that resulted in a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for DeSimone.

San Jose is now 5-1 on the road.

The announced attendance was 4,451.

UP NEXT: Both teams square off with each other again on Saturday, November 10 at 6:05 pm PT at the Tucson Convention Center Arena.