For Immediate Release: February 10, 2018
Game 47 (Home Game 23)
Vs. Wichita Thunder (25-19-3-0, 53pts)
Saturday, February 10, 2018 - 7:35pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
Overview: The Cyclones pushed their winning streak to four games with a 5-2 win over the Tulsa Oilers on Friday night, and still remain in a tie for the third playoff spot in the Central Division with the Kalamazoo Wings. Cincinnati is in the midst of a four game homestand, and Saturday marks the finale of three games in three days.
Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (26-18-2-0) took down the Tulsa Oilers, 5-2, on Friday night. Forwards Alex Kile and Justin Vaive each had a pair of goals while defenseman Chris Leone chipped in one for the Cyclones, who extend their winning streak to four games. The Cyclones were outshot, 40-30 on the night, with goaltender Jonas Johansson stopping 38 in the win.
Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (25-18-2-0) rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Kansas City Mavericks, 5-2, on Thursday night. Defenseman and team captain Eric Knodel led the way with a pair of goals, while defenseman Brycen Martin and forwards Justin Danforth and Brandon McNally added lone tallies for the Cyclones who have won three straight. The Cyclones outshot the Mavericks, 31-25 on the evening, with goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopping 23 in the win.
Last Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (24-18-2-0) picked up a 4-1 win over the Kansas City Mavericks on Saturday night. Forwards Daniel Muzito-Bagenda, Justin Vaive, Winston Day Chief, and defenseman Anthony Florentino netted the goals for the Cyclones, who have won two in a row against the Mavericks. Cincinnati outshot the Mavericks, 38-28, on the evening, with goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopping 27 in the win.
Previewing Wichita: The Thunder enter Saturday night having dropped three straight games and five of their last six games, and are coming off of an 8-4 loss at the hands of the Ft. Wayne Komets on Friday night. They currently hold down the fourth and final payoff spot in the Mountain Division, and are just one point back of third. The Thunder currently rank eighth in the ECHL with 3.39 goals per game, and are one of the top teams when playing with the lead, posting a 16-2-0-0 record when leading after the first, and 19-2-0-0 when leading after 40 minutes of play. They are led offensively by forward Ralph Cuddemi who has totaled 35 points (17g, 18a) through 43 games this season. He is followed by forwards Mark MacMillan (16g, 17a) and Kevin Dufour (15g, 16a) round out the top three. In goal, Shane Starrett has posted a 14-7-3-0 record along with a 2.93 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage.
Inside the Series: This will be the first of two meetings between the ‘Clones and Thunder this season, and Cincinnati has won two of the three all-time meetings.
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati and Wichita wrap up their two-game season series on Tuesday night at 7:35pm.
NEED-TO-KNOW
Approaching Milestones: With a pair of assists in Friday’s 5-2 win over the Tulsa Oilers, Cyclones forward Jesse Schultz sits just two points pack of 800 for his pro career, and he is only eight games shy of 900 pro games as well.
Picking Up Where He Left Off: In his four games since his first American Hockey League (AHL) call-up, forward Justin Danforth has accounted for four goals and six assists, and is currently on a six-game point streak overall, totaling five goals and eight helpers in that time. He leads all ECHL rookies and is second in overall scoring with 54 points (26g, 28a) through 43 games.
Bagging up the Points: Forward Daniel Muzito-Bagenda’s point streak now stands at 10 games, following a three-assist night in Friday’s 5-2 win over the Tulsa Oilers. He now has five goals and 13 assists in that time, and he currently is tied for fifth on the team in scoring with eight goals and 22 assists.
Offensively Defensive: Forward Mike Barrett has spent the last five games roaming the blue line on defense for the Cyclones, and has accounted for a goal and three assists in that time. He had a goal and two assists in 30 games as a forward.
Power Surge: The Cyclones had power play goals in nine straight games, going 13-for-34 in that stretch, and are now the top-ranked power play unit in the League with a 20.9% power play conversion rate (38/182). Additionally, Cincinnati has the top home power play percentage in the ECHL, having lit the lamp 22 times in 87 tries which is good for 24.1%.
Playing Stingy: Cincinnati is fifth in the League with 2.91 goals allowed per game, and tenth with 31.26 shots allowed. Cincinnati has outscored the opposition 22-10 in the last five games, and have allowed two goals or fewer in four straight games. Additionally, the Cyclones are 23-8-1-0 when allowing three or fewer goals.
Packed Schedule: Cincinnati will have their hands full in the second half of the season, playing their final 28 games over a stretch of 63 days, Additionally, Cincinnati will play 18 of those 28 against the Central Division, and 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.
Finishing What They Started: The Cyclones have a 20-1-0-0 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.
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