The physical hurdles only come naturally, as they do with any team when a club approaches the midway point of a grueling 68-game regular-season schedule. The Roadrunners, though, working through a constant cycle of assignments, call-ups, and injuries, have remained in the thick of the pace in the AHL's Pacific Division.
During the club's previous 10-game stretch, it endured its longest losing streak of the season, while matching it mark for the most games won in consecutive fashion.
Headlining the team's second four-game win streak of the season, which came during an eight-game stretch from December 20-28, was its affinity for winning games after regulation time. With a pair of shootout wins, along with one in overtime during that string of four straight victories, the Roadrunners improved to a 7-3 mark in games that extended past the 60-minute mark.
Tucson won five straight games that went into overtime or a shootout, a streak that was snapped in its 3-2 overtime loss to the Stockton Heat on Jan. 6.
Tucson snapped its season-long four-game losing streak on Jan. 10 in a 5-2 victory over the Manitoba Moose with a little help from Brendan Perlini. Perlini, who was assigned to the Roadrunners during the Coyotes' NHL-mandated bye week, registered a hat trick in his one game back with Tucson.
In 17 games with the Roadrunners this season, Perlini has totaled 19 points (14 goals, five assists), flaunting by far and away the best shooting percentage in the league (28.6 percent).
Perlini's hat trick was the second in Roadrunners history, following up Christian Fischer's three-goal performance on Dec. 16 in San Antonio.
Fischer is tied with Perlini for the team-lead in goals with 14, and has registered 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in the team's previous 10 games. He has been held off the score sheet only twice in the last 13 games, a period of time that included a seven-game point streak.
