Tucson Stages Dramatic Comeback to Defeat Eagles, 4-3 in OT
Feb 26, 2021
LOVELAND, CO. – The Tucson Roadrunners netted two goals in the final two minutes of regulation to erase a 3-1 deficit and force overtime, generating a game-winning goal from forward Kevin Roy and defeating the Colorado Eagles, 4-3 on Friday. Eagles forward Jason Megna scored a pair of goals in the loss, while fellow forward Liam O’Brien also found the back of the net for the second-consecutive game.
Tucson would claim an early lead in the contest when Roy snagged a drop pass at the top of the right-wing circle and snapped a wrister into the back of the net to give the Roadrunners a 1-0 edge just 3:20 into the game.
The Eagles would find an equalizer late in the first period when Megna settled a turnover in the neutral zone and went streaking down the ice before lifting a backhander past Tucson goaltender Ivan Prostvetov. The tally was Megna’s second in as many games and knotted the score at 1-1 with 2:37 remaining in the opening 20 minutes of action.
With the game still deadlocked at 1-1 entering the second period, Colorado would expand its lead when Megna capped off a 2-on-1 rush with a shot from the right-wing circle that would light the lamp and put the Eagles on top, 2-1 at the 6:54 mark of the middle frame.
Just 17 seconds later O’Brien would build on the momentum when he scooped up a rebound at the side of the crease and fed the puck past Prosvetov to make it a 3-1 Colorado advantage. The Eagles would close out the second period by killing off a four-minute double minor to Sasha Mutala and headed to the intermission still on top, 3-1.
Still trailing by a pair late in the third period, Tucson would pull Prosvetov in favor of the extra attacker and the move would pay dividends, as defenseman Jordan Schmaltz wired a shot from the blue line that would beat Eagles goalie Peyton Jones and cut the deficit to 3-2 with two minutes remaining in regulation.
With Prosvetov pulled again and the clock ticking inside the final 20 seconds, defenseman Kyle Capobianco would unfurl a shot from the point that would hop into the back of the net and tie the game at 3-3 at the 19:46 mark of the final frame.
Colorado would outshoot the Roadrunners, 5-0 to start overtime, but a late rush into the zone for the Roadrunners would allow Roy to weave his way across the top of the slot, beating Jones on the backhand to complete the rally and give Tucson a 4-3 victory with only 14 seconds left in the extra session.
Jones suffered the overtime loss, allowing four goals on 26 shots, while Prosvetov earned the win by making 35 saves on 38 shots. The Eagles finished the night going 0-for-4 on the power play, but were a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
Colorado will return to action when the Eagles host the Tucson Roadrunners on Saturday, February 27th at 7:05pm MT. Fans can catch every game this season live on “The Home of the Colorado Eagles,” 92.9 The Bear or on AHLTV.
