Cincinnati Cyclones (31-29-2-7)
vs.
Fort Wayne Komets (46-17-2-4)
Click here for tonight's game note packet
DATE: Wednesday, April 8, 2015
TIME: 7:30pm ET
SITE: Memorial Coliseum - Fort Wayne, IN
BROADCAST: Cyclones Radio Network, ECHL.TV
NHL AFFILIATES
Cincinnati Cyclones: Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators
Fort Wayne Komets: Colorado Avalanche
NEXT HOME GAME
TBD
2015 KELLY CUP PLAYOFFS
Tonight's Matchup: Tonight the Cyclones will open their three-game, season-ending road trip with the first of two visits to the Fort Wayne Komets in hopes of clinching a spot in the 2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Clones have managed to earn points in all but one of their five regular season meetings, going 1-1-1-2.
Scouting the Komets: Gary Graham’s club has won seven of its last ten games but will need a near-perfect finish to surpass the Toledo Walleye for the top spot in the North Division. Coming into the week, they trail the Fish by five points. Shawn Szydlowski, who has tallied six times against the Cyclones this season, leads the club on offense with 73 points (38g, 35a) in 54 games. Mike Embach has been a regular contributor all season long as well, amassing 70 points (24g, 46a) in 66 contests. Pat Nagle and Roman Will have shared the bulk of the goaltending duties this season. Nagle, a former Ferris State Bulldog, has gone 23-6-1-1 with a 2.36 goals-against average while Roman has earned a 15-8-1-3 mark and a 2.45 GAA.
Last Time Out: Rookie forward Garrick Perry posted his first two professional points to help lift the Cyclones over the IceMen by a 4-0 final score in front of 4,640 at U.S. Bank Arena.
Closing in on the Clinch: Cincinnati is still bidding for its third consecutive playoff appearance and their ninth out of the last ten seasons. The “Magic Number” to clinch a playoff spot currently sits at six. That number will dip by two for every Cincinnati victory or Wheeling loss. Should the Clones or Nailers lose in overtime or shootout the magic number would dip by one.
Busy Between the Pipes: Since Sam Brittain was recalled in early March, it has been the Rob Madore show between the Cincinnati pipes. He’s rocketed up to fifth on the ECHL’s minutes-played charts (2,585) this season and recently became the club’s third-winningest goaltender. All time for the Cyclones, Madore is 33-30-9. Tonight is expected to be his 19th consecutive start.
Season Series at a Glance (7 games - 4 home, 3 away - 2 remaining):
Cincinnati's 2014-15 Record vs. Fort Wayne: 1-1-1-2
Nov 15 Fort Wayne 5 at Cincinnati 4 Final SO
Dec 5 Fort Wayne 3 at Cincinnati 2 Final SO
Mar 14 Fort Wayne 1 at Cincinnati 3 Final
Mar 15 Cincinnati 2 at Fort Wayne 3 Final
Mar 28 Fort Wayne 4 at Cincinnati 3 Final OT
Apr 8 Cincinnati at Fort Wayne 7:30pm EDT
Apr 11 Cincinnati at Fort Wayne 7:30pm EDT
