For Immediate Release: April 6, 2018
Game 70 (Road Game 34)
Vs. Indy Fuel (35-29-4-1, 75 pts)
Friday, March 31, 2018 - 7:35pm ET
Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, IN
FULL GAME NOTES | VIDEO PREVIEW | LAST GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Overview: The Cyclones saw their three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday night with a 4-2 loss to the Toledo Walleye, in their final home game of the regular season. Cincinnati’s “Magic Number” remains at two, which means a win on Friday night will clinch the Cyclones’ spot in the 2018 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Cyclones are currently in third place in the ECHL’s Central Division, four points ahead of the Indy Fuel who are in fourth.
Saturday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (38-28-3-0) fell to the Toledo Walleye, 4-2, on Saturday night. Forwards Alex Kile and Justin Vaive scored the goals for Cincinnati. The Cyclones outshot Toledo, 31-29, with goaltender Hayden Stewart stopping 25 in the loss.
Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (38-27-3-0) earned a 3-2 overtime victory over the Ft. Wayne Komets on Friday night. Forwards Justin Vaive and Daniel Muzito-Bagenda netted the goals on regulation for the Cyclones, while forward Shawn O’Donnell lit the lamp for the game-winner in overtime. Cincinnati was outshot, 28-26 on the evening, with goaltender Hayden Stewart shining in his pro hockey debut, steering aside 26 in the win.
Last 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.
Previewing Indy: The Fuel enter Friday night just four points back of the Cyclones in fourth place in the ECHL’s Central Division. Indy has been on a tear as of late, winning five of their last six games, including a 4-1 win over the Kansas City Mavericks on Tuesday night. Special teams continue to drive the Fuel’s success, as they currently rank first in the ECHL in both home and overall power play percentage at 27.1 % and 23.3%, respectively. Additionally, Indy has been climbing the ranks offensively, as they are seventh with an average of 3.39 goals per game, and have scored four or more goals in four straight games and five of their last six. They are led by forward Darian Dziurzynski who is tied for the team-lead with 25 goals while dishing out 26 assists. He is followed by forwards Michael Neal (24g, 22a) and Ryan Rupert (17g, 32a) who round out the top three.
Inside the Series: Friday marks the finale of a 10-game season series between the Cyclones and Fuel, with Indy holding a 7-2-0-0 edge in the first nine meeting. The Cyclones are hoping to continue their somewhat-recent success against the Fuel, as they are 2-1-1-0 in their last four outings.
Next Game Preview: The Cyclones head to Moline, IL, to take on the Quad City Mallards on Saturday, in the finale of their nine-game season series, with Cincinnati holding a 7-1-0-0 edge in the first eight games. Saturday’s game will also be the last ECHL game for the Mallards, who have withdrawn their League membership following this season.
NEED-TO-KNOW
Cyclones Earn ECHL Honors: This week, the ECHL announced that forward Justin Danforth has been named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team. Additionally, Danforth, along with forward Jesse Schultz and defenseman and team captain Eric Knodel have been named to the All-ECHL Second Team. Currently skating with the Americans, Danforth ranks second amongst ECHL first years with 28 goals and 31 assists, along with a team-leading plus-24 on-ice rating, through 44 games with the Cyclones this season. Before his recall on February 13, Danforth was riding a seven-game point streak totaling seven goals and 10 assists in that time, and he also enjoyed an 11-game point streak from November 18-December 15, accounting for seven goals and 10 assists in that span. Additionally, he has appeared in 15 games with the Americans this season, accounting for a pair of goals and three assists. He was also the Cyclones’ representative in this season’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. Schultz leads the Cyclones and ranks second in ECHL scoring with 18 goals and a League-leading 55 assists in 69 games played. He recently enjoyed an eight-game point streak from March 10-23 where he amassed a pair of goals and nine assists in that time. He also experienced a 13-game heater from November 25-December 27, totaling nine goals and 14 assists in that span. Currently in his second season with the Cyclones, Knodel is tied for third amongst League rearguards with 13 goals and 35 assists for in 55 games this season. His 13 goals tie him for fifth in the league, while his 35 assists place him in a tie for fourth amongst defensemen. He has also appeared in six games for the Americans.
Cyclones Add Raaymakers: The Cyclones have added goaltender Joseph Raaymakers to an Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO). A native of Chatham, ON, Raaymakers is coming off a successful junior career in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), spending time with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the London Knights. In 140 games, Raaymakers posted 79-45-6 record, along with a 3.20 goals-against average along with a .898 save percentage. His best season came during this past season where he recorded a 29-15-1 record, along with a 2.91 GAA along with a .910 SV%.
First for the Kid: Cyclones goaltender Hayden Stewart stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced in last Friday’s 3-2 overtime win over the Ft. Wayne Komets. The 23-year-old was signed by Cincinnati prior to Friday’s game, and recently completed a four-year collegiate career at Cornell University.
Shouldering the Load: Cyclones forwards Alex Kile, Daniel Muzito-Bagenda, Shawn O’Donnell, Jesse Schultz, and Justin Vaive have accounted for 30 of Cincinnati’s last 33 goals, dating back to Cincinnati’s 3-2 win over the Brampton Beast on March 11. Muzito-Bagenda leads the way with goals in seven of his last 11 games played, while Vaive has goals in six of his last 10.
Power Surge: The Cyclones have at least one power play goal in 22 of their last 31 games, going 30-for-109 in that stretch (27.5%). They also have the second-ranked power play unit in the League overall with a 20.3% power play conversion rate (55/270), and they have the second-ranked home power play unit at 24.0% (33/137).
Finishing What They Started: The Cyclones have a 25-2-0-0 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!
