For Immediate Release: March 4, 2018
Game 56 (Road Game 27)
Vs. Kalamazoo Wings (28-23-3-2, 61 pts)
Sunday, March 4, 2018 - 3:00pm ET
Wings Event Center, Kalamazoo, MI
FULL GAME NOTES | LAST GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Overview: The Cyclones enter Sunday having extended their winning streak to four games with a 5-2 win over the Quad City Mallards on Saturday night. The Cyclones still maintain the third spot in the Central Division, five points up on Sunday’s opponent; the Kalamazoo Wings.
Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (32-21-2-0) earned a 5-2 win over the Quad City Mallards on Saturday night. Forwards Winston Day Chief, Mike Barrett, Rob De Fulviis and Alex Kile, along with defenseman Eric Knodel scored the goals for the Cyclones, who have won four games in a row. The Cyclones were outshot, 33-28 on the evening, with goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopping 31 shots in the win.
Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (31-21-2-0) overcame a two-goal deficit to collect their first win of the season over the Indy Fuel on Friday night, 4-3. Forward Winston Day Chief recorded his second hat trick of the season, while forward Justin Vaive added the game winner late in the third. Cincinnati was outshot, 34-30 on the evening, with goaltender Jonas Johansson steering aside 32 in the win.
Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (30-21-2-0) took down the South Carolina Stingrays, 2-1 in overtime, on Wednesday night. Forward Justin Vaive netted the lone Cyclones goal in regulation, while forward Brandon McNally lit the lamp in overtime for the game-winner. The Cyclones were outshot, 23-18 on the evening, with goaltender Jonas Johansson stopping 22 in the win.
Previewing Kalamazoo: The Wings are coming off a 7-4 win over the Brampton Beast Saturday night on hone ice. Kalamazoo has dropped seven of their last nine games entering Sunday afternoon, and are five points back of the Cyclones who are in third, and one point up on the Kansas City Mavericks who hold down the fifth position. Like Cincinnati, special teams has been key for the Wings this season, as they rank third in the ECHL with 20% power play conversion rate (46/230). They are also one of the top offensive teams in the League as well, placing second with 3.71 goals for per game. They are led by forward Justin Taylor who has totaled 45 points (26g, 19a) in 46 games. He is followed by forwards Josh Pitt (24g, 20a) and Brendan Bradley (12g, 29a) who round out the top three. In goal, League minutes leader Joel Martin has posted a 19-14-2-2 record, along with a 3.22 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.
Inside the Series: The Cyclones are five points ahead of the Wings in third place, and have won the last two meetings in the seven-game season series. Overall, Cincinnati is 3-1-1-0 against Kalamazoo this season, with four of the five having been decided by one goal.
Next Game Preview: Cincinnati heads to Indy to battle the Fuel on Friday, in the first of a three-game weekend for the Cyclones. Cincinnati earned their first win of the season over the Fuel on Friday, and all but one of the six meetings have been decided by a single goal.
NEED-TO-KNOW
Hats Off: Forward Winston Day Chief recorded a natural hat trick in Friday’s 4-3 win over the Indy Fuel. It marked his second hat trick of the season, and he joins forwards Justin Vaive (2) and Justin Danforth, as well as defenseman Eric Knodel who also have three-goal games this season. Additionally, four of the Cyclones’ six hat tricks have come against the Quad City Mallards. Day Chief also scored a goal in Saturday’s 5-2 win over the Quad City Mallards, and is currently third on the team with 20 goals, and sixth with 27 points.
O’Donnell Returns: Cyclones forward Shawn O’Donnell has been released from his Professional Tryout Agreement (PTO) with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) and has been returned to Cincinnati. The Halifax, NS, native only appeared in one game with the Wolf Pack, having suffered an injury in his first game. O’Donnell has appeared 28 games with the Cyclones and ranks second on the team with 36 points (13g, 23a). He is currently on a four-game point streak for the Cyclones (3g, 2a), and rode an 11-game heater from November 18-December 29 (4g, 13a).
FOUR!: Saturday night marked the 25th time this season that Cincinnati has scored four or more goals in a game, and the ‘Clones now have a 23-1-1-0 record when lighting the lamp at least four times. Additionally, Cincinnati is successful when allowing fewer than four, boasting a 27-10-1-0 record when allowing three or fewer.
Home Cookin’: Cincinnati is one of the top teams in the ECHL on home ice this season, posting a 19-8-2-0 record at U.S. Bank Arena. They are outscoring the opposition, 97-82 on home ice this season, and have allowed more than three goals on just eight occasions. They boast a perfect 14-0-0-0 record when leading after 40 minutes of play, and the Cyclones have the second-best power play unit at home, converting on 24.3% of their man-advantage chances (26/107).
Power Surge: The Cyclones have at least one power play goal in 13 of their last 18 games, going 18-for-58 in that stretch (31%). They also have the second-ranked power play unit in the League overall with a 20.4% power play conversion rate (43/210).
Packed Schedule: Cincinnati will have their hands full in the second half of the season, playing their final 17 games over a stretch of 41 days, which is an average of one games every 2.41 days. Additionally, Cincinnati will play 11 of those 17 games against the Central Division, where they are 20-13-2-0 so far this season. Including this weekend, Cincinnati has five 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 22-1-0-0 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!
