For Immediate Release: January 27, 2018
Game 40 (Home Game 20)
Vs. Ft. Wayne Komets (26-13-2-0, 54 pts)
Saturday, January 27, 2018 - 7:35pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: The Cyclones fell to the Indy Fuel on Friday night in the first of three games on the weekend. Cincinnati wraps up a brief two-game homestand Saturday night against Ft. Wayne, before heading out on the road for four straight starting on Wednesday. Additionally, the ‘Clones are in the midst of 12 straight against divisional opponents.
Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (22-15-2-0) dropped a 5-4 overtime decision to the Indy Fuel on Friday night. Forwards Jesse Schultz, Daniel Muzito-Bagenda, and Winston Day Chief, along with defenseman Mitch Nylen, scored the goals for the Cyclones. The Cyclones were outshot, 30-24 on the night, with goaltender Jonas Johansson stopping 25 in the loss.
Sunday Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (22-15-1-0) came from behind to beat the Quad City Mallards, 6-5 in overtime, on Sunday evening. Forward and assistant captain Justin Vaive led way with a hat trick, including the game-winner in overtime, while forwards Justin Danforth, Brandon McNally, and Alex Kile each added lone tallies for the Cyclones, who snap their four-game losing streak. The Cyclones were outshot, 41-29 on the night, with goaltender Jonas Johansson stopping 36 in the win.
Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (21-15-1-0) fell to the Indy Fuel, 3-2, on Saturday evening. Forwards Daniel Muzito-Bagenda and Justin Vaive lit the lamp for the Cyclones. Cincinnati and Indy each registered 30 shots on goal, while goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopped 27 in a losing effort.
Previewing Ft. Wayne: The Komets saw their five-game winning streak snapped on Friday night in a 7-4 loss to the Kalamazoo Wings on the road. Their winning streak propelled them into the top spot in the ECHL’s Central Division for a short time, and they currently sit just two points back of that top spot. Offensively, the Komets are the highest-scoring team in the League averaging four goals per game, and most of their damage has come in the second and third periods, as they are outscoring the opposition 119-78 in the final 40 minutes. They are led by forward Shawn Szydlowski who has totaled 47 points (21g, 26a) through his first 36 games of the season. He is followed by forwards Garrett Thompson (19g, 23a) and Gabriel Desjardins (16g, 20) who round out the top three. In goal, former Cyclone Michael Houser leads the way with a 18-9-2-0 record along with a 2.83 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.
Inside the Series: Ft. Wayne earned their first win over the Cyclones in five tries in last Friday night’s 6-2 win in Cincinnati. The Cyclones have outscored the Komets 20-15 on the season, including 18-9 in their four wins.
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati heads back out to Moline on Wednesday night to take on the Mallards. The Cyclones are 6-0-0-0 against Quad City this season, outscoring them 33-18.
NEED-TO-KNOW
First For The Kid: Cyclones defenseman Mitch Nylen scored his first pro goal in Friday night’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Indy Fuel. His goal tied the game with less than a minute left in regulation to force overtime, and he also had an assist in that game. The Lawrenceville, GA, native now has a goal and four assists on the season.
Heating Up: Forward Daniel Muzito-Bagenda is on a three-game point streak, accounting for a pair of goals and six assists in that time. His streak comes on the heals of a five-game point drought, and he currently is tied for fourth on the team in scoring with five goals and 15 assists.
Duo Called Up: The Rochester Americans, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Cyclones, have recalled forward Justin Danforth and defenseman Arvin Atwal. Danforth is in the midst of a stellar rookie campaign, leading all ECHL first years with 22 goals and 22 assists through the first 38 games of the season. His 44 points have him tied for second overall in League scoring, while his 22 goals place him in a tie for third, Additionally, he enjoyed an 11-game point streak from November 18-December 15, accounting for seven goals and 10 assists in that span. He was also the Cyclones’ representative in last Monday’s CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic, recording a goal and emerging victorious in the Fastest Skater Competition, setting a new ECHL record with a lap of 12.75 seconds. This is the second call up of the season for Atwal, who is tenth on the team in scoring with a pair of goals and nine assists through 27 games. He has skated in two games with Rochester this season during his first call up from November 16-December 8, registering an assist in those contests.
Cyclones Add Taulien: The Cincinnati Cyclones have signed forward Alexander Taulien to a Standard Player Contract (SPC). A native of Crystal Lake, IL, Taulien has appeared in 31 games this season with the Birmingham Bulls of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), accounting for seven goals and six assists along with 81 minutes in penalties in that span. He has spent the bulk of his three-year pro career in the SPHL, totaling 32 points (16g, 16a) in 71 games. He has also seen time with the Danbury Titans of the Federal Hockey League, and skated in one game with the Missouri Mavericks late in the 2015-16 season. He played collegiately for Elmira College from 2013-16, amassing 50 points (29g, 53a) in 65 career games.
Tip of the Hat: Cyclones forward and assistant captain Justin Vaive recorded his second hat trick of the season and second in Quad City in Sunday’s 6-5 overtime win over the Mallards. He also added an assist in that contest as well. Vaive is currently on a four-game point streak after dishing out an assist in Friday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Indy Fuel, totaling five goals and two assists in that span. The Cyclones now have five hat tricks this season, as forwards Justin Danforth and Winston Day Chief, along with defenseman Eric Knodel, have also lit the lamp three times in a game this season.
Packed Schedule: Cincinnati will have their hands full in the second half of the season, playing their final 33 games over a stretch of 72 days, which averages out to a game every 2.18 days. Additionally, Cincinnati has eight stretches of three games in three days, two stretches of four games in five days, and one stretch of seven games in nine days.
Familiar Foes: Cincinnati is in the midst of a stretch of 12 straight against divisional opponents. Cincinnati is 13-9-2-0 against the Central Division this season, and will play 23 of their final 33 games within the division.
Home Power Surge: The Cyclones have the League’s top power play at home, converting on 22.4% of their man advantage opportunities (17/76) at U.S. Bank Arena. Cincinnati has power play tallies in four of their last six home games, lighting the lamp nine times on 28 chances.
Limited Opportunity: Cincinnati is eighth in the ECHL, averaging 2.90 goals against per game, and have allowed three or fewer goals in 15 of their last 21 games. Additionally, they have given up more than four goals on just eight occasions.
Finishing What They Started: The Cyclones have a 16-2-0-0 record when leading through two periods this season. This is a continuing trend from last season, when the Cyclones were 23-1-3-1 when leading after one, and 26-1-2-0 when leading after 40 minutes.
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!
