For Immediate Release: December 27, 2016
Game 27 (Home Game 17)
Vs. Kalamazoo Wings (11-15-0-3, 25pts)
Tuesday, December 27, 2016 - 7:35pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: The Cyclones are back on home ice following the Christmas break on Tuesday night when they host the Kalamazoo Wings to begin a stretch of four games in five days. The Cyclones are coming off of a 2-1 loss to the Wheeling Nailers on Thursday night, however despite the loss, Cincinnati has collected points in six of their last eight games.
Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (11-11-4-0) fell to the Wheeling Nailers, 2-1, on Thursday night. Forward Nick Huard tallied the lone goal for Cincinnati, while goaltender Mark Visentin turned aside 31 in the loss.
Last Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (11-10-4-0) climbed back above .500 with a 4-1 win over the Indy Fuel on Friday night. Forwards Jordan Sims, Peter LeBlanc, Shane Walsh, and Dominic Zombo tallied the goals for the Cyclones, who complete the two-game sweep of the Fuel. The Cyclones were outshot, 32-25 on the night, with goaltender Michael Houser putting together another stellar performance, stopping 31 in the win.
Last Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (10-10-4-0) earned a hard-fought 3-1 win over the Indy Fuel on Thursday night. Forwards Andrew Yogan, Justin Kirkland, and Brandon McNally collected the goals for the Cyclones, who have points in five of their last six games. The Cyclones outshot Indy, 31-28 on the night, with Cincinnati goaltender Michael Houser stopping 27 to collect the win.
Previewing Kalamazoo: The Wings have won two of their last three games and are coming off of a 3-2 win over the Toledo Walleye on Friday night. Forward Justin Taylor leads all active players with 23 points (11g, 11a) through 29 games, followed by forward Tyler Shattock (5g, 12a) and Anthony Camara (9g, 6a) who rounds out the top three. In goal, Joel Martin continues to be the workhorse of the Wings, posting a 7-7-0-2 record along with 3.18 goals-against average along with a .903.
Inside the Series: Tuesday marks the third of five meeting this season between the Cyclones and Wings, with each side splitting the first two matchups. Cincinnati held the slight edge in last season’s series, posting a 2-1-1-0 mark in four games.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones head to Ft. Wayne on Thursday night to battle the Komets in the third of eight meetings on the season, and the first of the year in Ft. Wayne. The sides have split the first two matchups of the season.
News and Notes:
Megan Debuts in The Show: Former Cincinnati Cyclones forward Wade Megan made his National Hockey League (NHL) debut on Thursday night with the St. Louis Blues in a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 26-year-old wasted little time making an impact with his new team, tallying his first NHL goal in the opening period of the game, and finishing with a plus-2 on-ice rating and a 56% face-off percentage in 9:40 of ice-time. Megan spent parts of the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons with the Cyclones, accounting for 27 points (17g, 10a) in 21 regular season games played. In 2013-14, he was named ECHL Player of the Week for the week of October 28-November 3 after netting six goals and dishing out three assists over a three-game span. A native of Canton, NY, Megan made his presence felt in the postseason for the Cyclones as well, leading Cincinnati to Game 6 of the 2014 Kelly Cup Finals where they ultimately fell to the Alaska Aces, 4 games to 2. In 22 playoff games that postseason, Megan ranked second in the League with 10 playoff goals, and added three assists for 13 total points.
Slump Buster: Forward Nick Huard snapped a career-long nine-game point drought with the lone goal in Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Wheeling Nailers. He is coming off of a stellar rookie season 2015-16 where he ranked sixth in League rookie scoring with 52 points (21g, 31a), and first in power play goals with 15. He is currently fourth on the team in scoring with 13 points (5g, 8a).
Scoresheet Staple: Forward Andrew Yogan has been a near-constant on the score sheet this season, leading the team with 27 points and scoring in all but seven games played this season. He registered a goal and an assist in last Friday night’s 3-1 win over the Indy Fuel, and has been responsible for four goals and eight assists in his last 11 games overall.
You’re Cut Off!: Teams have had a tough time taking shots over the last seven games, as the Cyclones have limited teams to seven or fewer shots in 10 of their last 20 periods, and five or fewer in five of their last 13. Cincinnati allowed four shots in the second period to both the Missouri Mavericks on December 7 and Ft. Wayne last Wednesday, before holding the Komets to just three in the third that evening, as well. Cincinnati then limited the Quad City Mallards to just five shots in the third period of last Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss, and Indy to four in the first on Friday night.
Special Play: The Cyclones’ special teams have played a crucial role in recent games. Cincinnati’s power play has converted on five of their last 19 chances (23.8%), while the penalty kill has held the opposition scoreless on their last 24 of their last 25 power plays.
“O” from the “D”: The Cyclones have been getting major offensive contributions from the blue line in recent games, as Cyclones defensemen have accounted for 23 points (6g, 17a) in the last 10 games. Arvin Atwal leads the way with a goal and seven assists in that time, while Eric Knodel is right behind him with two goals and six assists.
Disciplined Hockey: The Cyclones enter the week as the fifth-least penalized team in the ECHL, averaging 11.23 minutes in penalties per game, and totaling 292 minutes overall. Forward Brandon McNally leads the team with 63 penalty minutes while rookie defenseman Arvin Atwal is second with 50, which places him fifth amongst League rookies.
Upcoming Promotions: Cincinnati closes out the 2016 calendar year on December 31 when the Indy Fuel come town. The Cyclones will be hosting a New Year’s Eve Fireworks spectacular on following that night’s contest, and that night will also be a $1 hot dog night, sponsored by John Morrell. Call (513) 421-PUCK (7825), visit us online at www.cycloneshockey.com, or stop by the U.S. Bank Arena box office for tickets and more information.
The 2016-17 season is underway, and the Cincinnati Cyclones want you along for the ride as they march towards another Kelly Cup Championship! 2016-17 single game tickets and packages along with group and Season Ticket Packages are available NOW! Call (513) 421-PUCK to reserve your seats. Fans can also get the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!