CYCLONES GAME PREVIEW
Cincinnati Cyclones (9-9-0-4)
vs.
Elmira Jackals (14-9-0-3)
Click here for tonight's game note packet
DATE: Friday, December 19, 2014
TIME: 7:30pm ET
SITE: U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
BROADCAST: Cyclones Radio Network, ECHL.TV
NHL AFFILIATES
Cincinnati Cyclones: Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators
Elmira Jackals: Buffalo Sabres
NEXT HOME GAME (After Tonight)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20 - 7:30pm vs. ELMIRA
UGLY SWEATER NIGHT
Tonight's Matchup: The Cyclones look to ring in the holiday season with a couple of wins as they welcome in the Elmira Jackals for the first of back-to-back games at U.S. Bank Arena. Over the years, these two teams have played very evenly - with the ‘Clones owning a 23-16-1-3 all-time record vs. their Big Apple State foes.
Tonight's Promotion: Cyclones Ornament Night - The first 2,000 fans through the gates will receive a Cyclones Ornament featuring Twister courtesy of The Plastic Surgery Group.
Scouting the Jackals: Jamie Russell’s club will round out its six game road trip here in Cincinnati in hopes of gaining ground in the East Division; they currently rank third with a record of 14-9-0-3 and sit six points back of the leading Florida Everblades. The Jackals are led offensively by Matt Tassone and Steven Shamanski, who both have earned 18 points this season. Shamanski’s numbers rank tied for third among all ECHL defensemen. Between the pipes, Sam Marotta and Travis Fullerton have split the workload; Marotta, a rookie out of Merrimack college, is 6-6-0-1 with a 2.53 goals-against average while Fullerton has gone 8-3-0-2 with a 2.71 GAA.
Last Time Out: A 22-save performance from goaltender Jason Missiaen and a two-point night from Josh Nicholls helped lift the Road Warriors to a 3-0 win over the Cyclones in front of 3,002 at U.S. Bank Arena on Wednesday night. It was the first time all year that Cincinnati was held off the scoreboard.
Well, That’s a Plus: Cyclones defenseman Shayne Taker has rapidly set himself apart from other first-year players in the ECHL. His +10 rating ranks 4th among all league rookies and is tied for the Cyclones’ lead.
Shooting Shutdown: All season long, Cincinnati has been one of the strongest defensive teams in terms of shots on goal. Coming into tonight, they are allowing the sixth-fewest average shots on goal per game (26.86). Their opponent has only reached the 30-shot plateau three times out of the last 11 games.
Season Series at a Glance (4 games - 3 home, 1 away):
Dec 19 Elmira at Cincinnati 7:30pm EST
Dec 20 Elmira at Cincinnati 7:30pm EST
Jan 28 Elmira at Cincinnati 7:30pm EST
Feb 6 Cincinnati at Elmira 7:05pm EST
