For Immediate Release: March 30, 2018
Game 68 (Home Game 35)
Vs. Ft. Wayne Komets (44-18-4-1, 93 pts)
Friday, March 30, 2018 - 7:35pm ET
U.S. Bank Arena - Cincinnati, OH
FULL GAME NOTES | VIDEO PREVIEW | LAST GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Overview: The Cyclones picked up their second win in a row over the Wheeling Nailers on Tuesday night, and dropped their magic number to four in the ECHL’s Central Division. They still maintain the third spot in the Division heading into their final two home games of the season, five points ahead of the Kalamazoo Wings in fourth.
Tuesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (37-27-3-0) collected a 5-3 game over the Wheeling Nailers on Tuesday night. The game was a make-up from the February 17 contest that was postponed due to flooding in the Wheeling area. Forward Daniel Muzito-Bagenda netted a pair of power play tallies, while forwards Shawn O’Donnell, Alex Kile, and Justin Vaive each netted lone goals for the Cyclones, who have won two in a row. The Nailers outshot Cincinnati, 36-28 on the evening, with goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopping 33 in the win.
Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (36-27-3-0) picked up a 3-2 overtime victory over the Wheeling Nailers on Saturday night, snapping their five-game losing streak. Defenseman Chris Leone and forward Vas Glotov scored the goals in regulation, while forward Brandon McNally netted the game-winning goal in overtime. The Cyclones were outshot, 36-26 on the evening, with goaltender Jason Kasdorf steering aside 34 in the win.
Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (35-27-3-0) fell to the Atlanta Gladiators, 3-2, on Saturday night. Forwards Jesse Schultz and Daniel Muzito-Bagenda tallied the goals for the ‘Clones. The Cyclones were outshot, 34-28 on the evening, with goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopping 31 in the loss.
Previewing Ft. Wayne: The Komets head into Friday night in second place in the Central Division, six points back of the Toledo Walleye in first, and has won two in a row following a four-game losing streak. They are coming off a 2-1 overtime win over the Kansas City Mavericks on Wednesday night. The Komets currently have the League’s top offense, averaging 4.07 goals per game, along with the seventh-ranked defense with 2.93 goals allowed. Additionally, Ft. Wayne is in the top 10 on both the power play (18.7%) and penalty kill (83.8%). They are led offensively by forward Shawn Szydlowski who has totaled 30 goals and 47 assists through 60 games played. He is followed by forwards Garrett Thompson (29g, 39a) and Gabriel Desjardins (29g, 33a) who round out the top three. In goal, they are led by former Cyclone Michael Houser who has a record of 26-11-3-0 along with a 2.72 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
Inside the Series: in the second-to-last regular season home game of the regular season. The Cyclones hold a 4-3-0-0 edge in the season series, however the Komets have the last three games. The teams will meet once more on the League’s final day of the regular season (April 8).
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones wrap up the home portion of the 2017-18 schedule on Saturday against the Toledo Walleye, in the finale of their eight-game season series. Toledo has the edge through the first seven games, 5-2-0-0.
NEED-TO-KNOW
Americans Recall Kasdorf: The Rochester Americans, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Cyclones, have recalled goaltender Jason Kasdorf. A native of Winnipeg, MB, Kasdorf has appeared in 28 games for the Cyclones this season, posting a 13-11-1-0 record, along with a 3.04 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage with a shutout in that time. He has wo two straight starts for the Cyclones, and has allowed three or fewer goals in each of his last five wins. Kasdorf is in his second full pro season, having split last year between the now-defunct Elmira Jackals and the Americans. He made his pro debut late in the 2015-16 with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, appearing in one game and posting a goals-against average of 4.00 and a save percentage of .867. Prior to turning pro, Kasdorf enjoyed a successful four-year career at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) where he appeared in at least 23 games in all but one season, and combined for 38 wins over his four seasons. He was also named ECAC Rookie of the Year during his freshman season of 2012-13.
Cyclones Add Three: The Cincinnati Cyclones signed forward Myles Powell to Amateur Tryout Agreements (ATO), and goaltenders Hayden Stewart, and Josh Taylor to Standard Player Contracts (SPC).Powell has appeared in four games with the Rochester Americans, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Cyclones, however did not record a point. He is coming off a successful career at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where he accounted for 105 points (45g, 60a) in 149 career games. He was also named team captain during his junior season of 2016-17. The Comox, BC, native spent three junior hockey seasons in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), where he accumulate 108 points (44g, 64a) in 151 games between three teams. Stewart just completed a four-year collegiate career at Cornell University, appearing in 22 games and had a goals-against average of 2.13 or lower in three of his four seasons, and a save percentage of at least .923 in all but one of his seasons. He played three seasons of junior hockey in both the United States Hockey League (USHL) and North American Hockey League (NAHL), posting 37 wins in that time. Taylor has spent time with the Cyclones as an Emergency Backup Goaltender (EBUG) this season, however has not seen any game action.
Shouldering the Load: Cyclones forwards Alex Kile, Daniel Muzito-Bagenda, Shawn O’Donnell, Jesse Schultz, and Justin Vaive have accounted for 25 of Cincinnati’s last 28 goals, dating back to Cincinnati’s 3-2 win over the Brampton Beast on March 11. Muzito-Bagenda leads the way with goals in six of his last 10 games played, including a pair in Tuesday’s 5-3 win over the Wheeling Nailers. Vaive has goals in five of his last nine, including a hat trick in last Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Indy Fuel.
Comeback Kids: Saturday’s come-from-behind win over Wheeling was Cincinnati’s 17th comeback win of the season. Additionally, the Cyclones are now 7-3 in games that require overtime.
First for the Kid: Rookie forward Vas Glotov scored his first pro goal in Saturday’s 3-2 overtime win over the Wheeling Nailers, in his second game as a Cyclone. Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2016, Glotov has spent the last two seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) appearing in 128 games between the Shawinigan Cataractes and the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, amassing 44 goals and 49 assists in 128 career games.
Power Surge: The Cyclones have at least one power play goal in 21 of their last 29 games, going 29-for-101 in that stretch (28.7%). They also have the second-ranked power play unit in the League overall with a 20.8% power play conversion rate (54/260), and they have the second-ranked home power play unit at 25.2% (32/127).
Finishing What They Started: The Cyclones have a 24-1-0-0 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.
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!
