For Immediate Release: February 17, 2017
Game 51 (Road Game 25)
Vs. Quad City Mallards (29-18-0-2, 60pts)
Friday, February 17, 2017 - 8:05pm ET
iWireless Center - Moline, IL
Overview: The Cyclones hit the road for their final trip to Quad City on Friday night. Cincinnati dropped a 3-2 decision to the Mallards on Wednesday at home, and have now dropped two in a row after winning five straight. Cincinnati enters Friday’s game just seven points back of the South Carolina Stingrays for the fourth and final playoff spot in the ECHL’s South Division.
Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (23-23-4-0) fell to the Quad City Mallards, 3-2, on Wednesday night. Forward Tommy Mele recorded both goals for the Cyclones, while goaltender Michael Houser stopped 27 of the 30 shots he faced in the loss.
Sunday Afternoon Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (23-22-4-0) fell the Toledo Walleye, 9-1, on Sunday afternoon. Forward Brandon McNally scored the lone goal for the Cyclones, who see their five-game winning streak come to an end. Cincinnati was outshot, 35-16 on the night, with goaltenders Joel Rumpel and Michael Houser combining to stop 26 in the loss.
Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (23-21-4-0) earned a 5-4 overtime win over the Ft. Wayne Komets on Saturday night. Forward Nick Huard tallied a pair of power play goals, while forwards Shane Walsh, Dylan Nowakowski, and Shawn O’Donnell each netted lone markers for the Cyclones.The Cyclones were outshot, 32-28 on the night, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 28 in the win.
Previewing Quad City: The Mallards enter Friday on an eight-game winning streak, and winners of nine of their last 10 overall. The Mallards’ offense has been on display as of late, accounting for 50 goals in their last 12 games (4.16 goals/game), and jumping out to a 2-0 lead in nine of their last 10. Quad City has also dominated the first period, outscoring the opposition 10-1 in the their last four games, and 23-4 in their last 10. They are led by recently-acquired forward Josh MacDonald who has accounted for 42 points (18g, 24a) in 49 games between the Mallards and Rapid City Rush. He is followed by forwards Chris Francis (18g, 22a) and Sam Warning (16g, 23a) who round out the top three. In goal, CJ Motte leads the way with a 15-9-0-0 record along with 2.52 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.
Inside the Series: Friday marks the ninth and final meeting of the season between Cincinnati and Quad City. The Cyclones have had the Mallards’ number, posting a 4-2-2-0 record in the first eight games.
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati returns home on Sunday afternoon to take on the Ft. Wayne Komets at 3:05pm ET. The Cyclones picked up a dramatic come-from-behind 5-4 overtime win over the Komets last Saturday, however Ft. Wayne holds a 3-1-1-0 edge in the first five games of the season series.
HEADLINES
Tommy Two-Tone: Forward Tommy Mele recorded his first two-goal game of the season in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to Quad City. He now has 12 points (6g, 6a) through 20 games this season, and Wednesday marked Mele’s first points since returning from an injury that sidelined him for over a month.
Power Surge: The Cyclones went 1-for-2 on the power play in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to Quad City, and have converted on 11 of their last 35 man-advantage opportunities over the last seven games (31.4%).
Smith Makes NHL Debut: After spending eight seasons in the minor leagues, former Cincinnati Cyclones goaltender Jeremy Smith made his NHL debut on Tuesday night for the Colorado Avalanche, stopping 37 of the 40 shots he faced in Colorado’s 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils. Despite the loss, Smith’s efforts earned him second star of the game honors. Smith made his pro debut with the Cyclones back in 2009-10, posting a 23-15-2 record along with a 2.63 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage in 42 regular season games. A native of Dearborn, MI, Smith was an instrumental piece to Cincinnati’s run to the Kelly Cup Championship that season, recording a mark of 9-7-1 to go along with a 2.67 GAA and a .907 SV%. He also earned Kelly Cup Playoff co-MVP honors. The 28-year-old has spent the majority of his pro career in the American Hockey League (AHL), appearing in 265 games between the Iowa Wild, Milwaukee Admirals, Providence Bruins, San Antonio Rampage, and Springfield Falcons. He has a career AHL record of 132-90-19 record along with a 2.43 GAA and a .917 SV%. He was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the second round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, and joins Wade Megan (St. Louis Blues), and Mike Liambas and Frederick Gaudreau (Nashville Predators) as former Cyclones to make their NHL debuts this season, and is the 22nd former Cyclone along with the 615th former ECHLer to skate in an NHL game.
That’s Offensive!: Forward Jordan Sims has been a man on a mission in the last nine games, accounting for four goals and nine assists in that time. He dished out four assists in Saturday’s 5-4 overtime win over the Ft. Wayne Komets, which followed his first pro hat trick in Wednesday’s 5-1 win over the Elmira Jackals.
Putting Up the Points: Forward Brandon McNally netted the lone Cyclones goal in Sunday’s 9-1 loss to the Toledo walleye, and has points in six of his last seven games, totaling three goals and three assists in that time, along with a plus-4 on-ice rating.
It’s Been a Good Month: February has been good to forward Shawn O’Donnell, as he has accounted for a goal and seven assists in 10 games this month, with his lone goal and four helpers coming in his last four games.
The Puck Stops Here: Goaltender Michael Houser collected his fifth-straight win in Saturday’s 5-4 overtime decision over Ft. Wayne. He was a busy man over that time as well, stopping 24 or more shots in each one of those contests. He earned his second shutout of the season in Friday’s 2-0 over the Elmira Jackals, and posted a 1.97 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage during his winning streak. Overall, Houser is 5-1-0-0 in his last seven games, and has a 2.57 GAA and .950 SV% in that time.
They Grow Up So Fast: Rookie forward Dylan Nowakowski potted his fourth goal in a five-game stretch in last Saturday’s 5-4 overtime win over the Ft. Wayne Komets. The rookie forward has appeared in 19 games for the Cyclones this season, and has totaled four goals and an assist, along with a plus-6 on-ice rating.
Lighting it Up: Forward Nick Huard had both Cyclone power play goals in last Saturday’s 5-4 overtime victory against Ft. Wayne. He has been enjoying some offensive success as of late accounting for five goals and six assists in his last 12 games, and he has points in 12 of his last 16 games overall (8g, 8a).
It’s Good to be Home: After playing 11-of-12 games on the road in January, the Cyclones play 12-of-16 at home in February. The Cyclones are 15-7-4-0 at home this season, averaging 3.07 goals per game on in their first 25 home games. Cincinnati also boasts the League’s third- best penalty kill at home, having killed of 67/76 oppositional power plays (88.2%).
Defensive Front: The Cyclones currently boast one of the top defenses in the ECHL, as they currently rank seventh in goals allowed per game with 3.00 and fifth in shots allowed with 29.58 allowed per 60 minutes.
Holding the Lead: The Cyclones have made a habit of holding onto leads this season, as they are 16-1-3-0 when leading after 20 minutes, and 19-1-2-0 when leading after two periods of play.
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