GAME NOTES: 1/28 vs. Toledo

GAME NOTES: 1/28 vs. Toledo

For Immediate Release: January 28, 2018

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Game 41 (Road Game 21)

Vs. Toledo Walleye (27-12-2-2, 58 pts)

Sunday, January 28, 2018 - 5:15pm ET

Huntington Center - Toledo, OH

FULL GAME NOTES

 

Overview: The Cyclones wrap up their three-game weekend on Sunday afternoon on the road against the Toledo Walleye. Cincinnati is coming off a 5-2 loss at the hands of the Ft. Wayne Komets on Saturday night, and will play their next five games against Central Division opponents.  

Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (22-16-2-0) fell to the Ft. Wayne Komets, 5-2, on Saturday night. Forwards Alex Kile and Daniel Muzito-Bagenda netted the goals for Cincinnati, who tonight celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Mighty Ducks. The Cyclones outshot Ft. Wayne, 31-30 on the evening, with goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopping 26 in the loss.

Friday 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.

Last 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 Toledo: The Walleye have won two in a row after dropping three straight, and are coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the Brampton Beast on Saturday night. Toledo enters Sunday  with one of the top defenses in the ECHL, ranking second with and average of 2.49 goals-against per game. Additionally, the Walleye have the second-ranked penalty kill at 89.1% (122/137), and the third highest home power play percentage at 20.8% (16/77). They are led offensively by forward Erik Bradford who has accounted for 32 points (10g, 22a) through 38 games this season. He is followed by a pair of 29-point scorers in forwards Christian Hilbrich (15g, 14a) and Mike Borkowski (13g, 16a) who round out the top three. In goal, Pat Nagle has posted a 19-4-2-1 record along with a 2.47 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. 

Inside the Series:  The Cyclones and Walleye meet for the sixth time this season, with Toledo having won three of the first five, including the most recent matchup back on January 14; a 2-1 win.

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

Heating Up: Forward Daniel Muzito-Bagenda tallied a goal in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Ft. Wayne Komets, and currently finds himself on a four-game point streak, accounting for a three goals and six assists in that time. His streak comes on the heals of a five-game point drought, and he currently is fifth on the team in scoring with six goals and 15 assists. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Players Suspended: Cyclones forward Alex Kile has been suspended for one game by the ECHL for a hit in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Ft. Wayne Komets. He will miss Sunday’s game in Toledo against the Walleye. He has eight points through 18 games this season (4g, 4a), and is currently riding a three-game point streak (2g, 2a). Additionally, defenseman Nick Trecapelli has left the Cyclones to pursue opportunities and Europe, and has been placed on suspension by the team. He has appeared in 22 ECHL games this season, including 15 with Cincinnati, and has totalled an assist in those contests. 

Packed Schedule: Cincinnati will have their hands full in the second half of the season, playing their final 32 games over a stretch of 71 days, which averages out to a game every 2.21 days. Additionally, Cincinnati has seven more 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 13-10-2-0 against the Central Division this season, and will play 22 of their final 32 games within the division. 

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. 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. 

Limited Opportunity: Cincinnati is ninth in the ECHL, averaging 2.95 goals against per game, and have allowed three or fewer goals in 15 of their last 22 games. Additionally, they have given up more than four goals on just nine 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