GAME NOTES: 11/8 vs. Florida

GAME NOTES: 11/8 vs. Florida

For Immediate Release: November 8, 2017

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Game 8 (Road Game 6)

Vs. Florida Everblades (8-1-0-0, 16 PTS)

Wednesday, November 8, 2017 - 7:30pm ET

Germain Arena - Estero, FL

 

FULL GAME NOTES

 

VIDEO PREVIEW

 

Overview: The Cyclones are back on the road to begin a three-game series against the ECHL-leading Florida Everblades on Wednesday night. Cincinnati has been on a roll as of late, having won three in a row and four of their last five. 

Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones, (4-2-1-0) collected a 2-1 win over the Adirondack Thunder on Saturday night. Forward Jesse Schultz and defenseman Eric Knodel netted the goals for the Cyclones, who have won three in a row, and four of their last five. Adirondack outshot Cincinnati, 25-17 on the night, with Cyclones goaltender Anthony Peters stopping 24 in the win.

Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (3-2-1-0) earned a 4-3 overtime win over the Wheeling Nailers on Friday night. Forwards Rob De Fulviis, Brandon McNally, and Winston Day Chief potted the goals in regulation for the Cyclones, while forward Jesse Schultz netted the winner in overtime. The Cyclones were outshot, 27-26 on the evening, with Cincinnati goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopping 24 on his way to his first win as a Cyclone.

Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (2-2-1-0) collected a 4-3 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Wednesday evening. Forwards Andrew Radjenovic, Daniel Muzito-Bagenda, Brandon McNally, and Jesse Schultz netted the goals for the Cyclones, who have won two of their last three games. The Cyclones outshot the wings, 41-40, with Peters turning aside 37 in the win.

Previewing Florida: The Everblades are one of the hottest teams in the ECHL in the early going, currently sitting in a tie for the League lead with 16 points (8-1-0-0) through their first nine games. Special teams has been a major piece to their success, as they currently rank third in the ECHL with 25% power play conversion percentage (11/44). Offensively, they are led by forward Michael Kirkpatrick who has accounted for 12 points (5g, 7a) this season. He is followed closely by forwards Mitchell Heard (5g, 6a) and Matt Berry (2g, 6a) who round out the top three. In goal, Martin Ouellette currently sits fifth amongst League netminders with a 2.01 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage, to go along with a perfect 5-0-0-0 record.  

Inside the Series: This will be the first time two seasons that the sides have met, with the Everblades taking a 3-0 decision on March 4, 2015. All-time, the two sides have met 25 times with the Everblades holding a slim 11-12-1-0 advantage.

Next Game Preview: The Cyclones and Everblades continue their three-game series on Friday night. 

 

NEED-TO-KNOW

DISCIPLINED HOCKEY: The Cyclones enter the week as the ECHL’s least penalized team, having recorded 70 minutes in penalties through seven games. Cincinnati is also tied with the fewest major penalties at two, and have 10 or fewer penalty minutes in each of their last five games. 

POWER PLAY PROWESS: Cyclones defenseman Eric Knodel currently leads all ECHL defensemen with six power play points (2g, 4a), including a man-advantage tally in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Adirondack. Not far behind are forwards Shawn O’Donnell (1g, 3a) and Jesse Schultz (4a) who are tie for second on the Cyclones with four power play points each. 

LEADING THE WAY: Forwards Shawn O’Donnell (3g, 5a) and Jesse Schultz (3g, 5a) sit atop the Cyclones leaderboard with eight points, while defenseman Eric Knodel (2g, 5a) is right behind them in second place with seven. All three have points in six of Cincinnati’s seven games played, and combined for five goals and six assists in Cincinnati’s four wins. Additionally, Schultz is currently riding a four-game point streak, totaling three goals, including a pair of game-winners and two assists in that time. 

HEATING UP: Forwards Brandon McNally, Daniel Muzito-Bagenda, and Andrew Radjenovic have provided an offensive spark from the Cyclones second and third lines, accounting for nine points (4g, 5a) over the last three games. McNally has four points (2g, 2a) in his last three games, while Radjenovic has accounted for a goal and two helpers in that time. Muzito-Bagenda had a goal and an assist in last Wednesday’s 4-3 win over Kalamazoo while totaling a game-high seven shots. 

SHARING IS CARING: The Cyclones have been spreading around the offensive responsibilities this season, as 16 players have recorded at least a point. Ten players have multi-point outings, including forward Brandon McNally who has two. Additionally, forward Shawn O’Donnell is the lone Cyclone with a multi-goal game, netting a pair in a 5-3 loss to Kalamazoo on October 28. 

LEADERSHIP GROUP ANNOUNCED: As decided by a team vote, this season’s captain will be defenseman Eric Knodel, and serving as assistants will be forwards Justin Vaive and Shawn O’Donnell. Knodel was the captain at the University of New Hampshire during his senior year, while O’Donnell previously served as an assistant captain in college at St. Mary’s University in Canada.

WELCOME BACK: The Cyclones season-opening roster includes seven players from the 2016-17 season, including three of their top five and five of their top 10 scorers. This season’s returners include Shane Walsh, who ranked second on last year’s team in scoring, followed by Shawn O’Donnell who was fourth and Brandon McNally in fifth. New captain Eric Knodel placed eighth in team scoring in 2016-17, while forward Dominic Zombo came in 10th and defenseman Arvin Atwal was 13th prior to his season being cut short due to injury. Forward Rob De Fulviis accounted for three points last season, along with accounting for 36 minutes in penalties in 26 games played. 

NEW AFFILIATION: This offseason, the Cyclones, in conjunction with the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Buffalo Sabres, announced a new affiliation agreement. For Cincinnati, the move comes following a 10-year partnership with the Nashville Predators, while the Sabres recently concluded a two-year relationship with the now-defunct Elmira Jackals. This affiliation will be a reunion of sorts for the cities of Cincinnati and Buffalo, as the Sabres’ American Hockey League (AHL) Affiliate from 1971-1974 was the Cincinnati Swords. The Rochester Americans will serve as Cincinnati’s new AHL affiliate, and have been the AHL affiliate of the Sabres since 2011. This is not the first time Cincinnati and Rochester have been affiliated, as the two clubs teamed up in 2010-11 when the Americans were affiliated with the Florida Panthers.

Stay Connected!: Follow the latest news on Twitter (@CincyCyclones), Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and more! Also, for all of the latest news and notes, head over to www.cycloneshockey.com.

 

The 2017-18 season is underway, and the Cincinnati Cyclones want YOU along for the ride! Call (513) 421-PUCK for information regarding Cyclones single game tickets, ticket packages, and Season and Group Tickets! Also, stay on top of the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com