GAME PREVIEW: 12/9 vs. Kalamazoo

GAME PREVIEW: 12/9 vs. Kalamazoo

For Immediate Release: December 9, 2018

  

Game 23 (Road Game 11)

Vs. Kalamazoo (9-10-0-1, 19 pts)

Sunday, December 9, 2018 - 3:05pm ET

Wings Event Center – Kalamazoo, MI

 

Overview: The Cyclones conclude their short week with a trip to Kalamazoo on Sunday afternoon to take on the Wings. The Cyclones are coming off of a 3-1 win over the Toledo Walleye on Wednesday morning, temporarily placing them in the top spot in the ECHL’s Central Division. Cincinnati currently sits one point back of the Walleye, following a Toledo win on Friday night. 

Wednesday Morning Recap:The Cincinnati Cyclones (14-5-2-1) collected a 3-1 win over the Toledo Walleye on Wednesday morning. Defenseman Devante Stephens led the way with a pair of goals while forward Jesse Schultz chipped in one for the Cyclones. The Cyclones were outshot by the Walleye, 32-30, with goaltender Michael Houser stopping 31 in the win. 

Last Saturday Night Recap:  The Cincinnati Cyclones (13-5-2-1) snapped a three-game winless streak with a 5-2 win over the Ft. Wayne Komets on Saturday night. Forward Judd Petersonled the way with a pair of goals, while forwards Myles Powell and Jesse Schultz, along with defenseman Eric Knodel tallied the goals for the Cyclones. The Cyclones were outshot, 28-26 on the evening, with goaltender Jonas Johansson stopping 26 in the win.

Last Wednesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (12-5-2-1) fell in a shootout, 4-3, to the Ft. Wayne Komets on Wednesday night. Forwards Nate MittonMyles Powell, and Pascal Aquin tallied the goals for Cincinnati. The Cyclones outshot the Komets, 33-26, with goaltender Jonas Johansson stopping 22 in defeat. 

Previewing Kalamazoo: The Wings have been on a roll as of late, and enter Sunday afternoon winners of five in a row, including a 3-2 win over the Tulsa Oilers on Saturday night. Kalamazoo is outscoring their opponents, 22-14, during their five-game winning streak, and are averaging 3.00 goals scored per game. The Wings have also taken over as the League’s top penalty kill at home, allowing just four goals on 49 chances. They are led offensively by forward Justin Taylor who has accounted for 16 goals and three assists through 20 games. He is followed by forwards Chris Collins (6g,11a) and Kyle Thomas (3g, 13a) who round out the top three.

Inside the Series: This is the sixth of 11 meetings between the Cyclones and Wings this season, with Cincinnati posting a 4-0-1-0 record in those contests. The teams are scheduled to meet five more times after Sunday.  

Next Game Preview:Cincinnati heads home on Wednesday night to take on the Tulsa Oilers, to begin a three-game homestand. The teams split a two-game series last season, and Cincinnati is 2-1-0-0 all time against Tulsa. 

 

Roster Moves: TheCincinnati Cyclones have traded forward Adrian Carbonara to the Brampton Beast, in exchange for future considerations. Additionally, the Cyclones have placed defenseman Justin Lemcke on team suspension, as he has decided to pursue collegiate hockey opportunities in Canada. A native of Maple, ON, Carbonara appeared in seven games with the Cyclones this season, recording a plus-1 on-ice rating along with 10 penalty minutes. Lemcke skated in three games with Cincinnati, dishing out an assist in the process. In a separate transaction, the Cyclones have signed forward Ben Johnson to a Standard Player Contract (SPC) for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. Hailing from Calumet, MI, Johnson was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the third round of the 2012 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft, and has appeared in 74 games between the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder and Orlando Solar Bears, along with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Albany Devils. He accounted for 11 goals and 13 assists in that time.

The Best of Both Worlds: The Cyclones currently lead the ECHL in both offensive production (3.77 G/GM) and team defense (2.32 GA/GM), and are outscoring teams, 83-51.  

Familiar Foes: The Cyclones are in the midst of 10 straight games against the Central Division, and have won seven of the first nine games on their current stretch. Cincinnati is 12-4-2-1 against their divisional foes this season, and are set to play 51 total games against the Central this season.

Taking Away the Power: The Cyclones enter Saturday as the top penalty killing team in the League, having allowed just eight goals in 77 shorthanded situations (89.6%). Additionally, Cincinnati also boasts the third-ranked road (89.7, 20/29) penalty kills, and have only allowed six power play goals on their last 57 chances. 

Defensive Dominance: The Cyclones lead the ECHL team defense, allowing 2.32 goals per game with a pair of shutouts. Closing out games have been a specialty for Cincinnati, as they have only allowed nine goals in the third period, and are outscoring the opposition, 26-9, in the final 20 minutes of play. Additionally, the Cyclones are 12-1-0-1. when leading through two periods, and have given up more than three goals in regulation just three times this season. 

Offensive Explosion:The Cyclones are 12-4-0-1 in their last 17 games, outscoring their opponents 67-36 in that span, including 44-15 in their 12 wins. 

Welcome Matt Thomas: The Cyclones enter the 2018-19 season with a new head coach. In early August, Cincinnati hired Matt Thomasas the team’s new bench boss. He replaced Matt Macdonald who was named assistant coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins; American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.  A native of Maple Ridge, BC, Thomas has extensive head coaching experience in the ECHL, spanning 11 seasons with the Atlantic Boardwalk Bullies, Fresno Falcons, and Stockton Thunder from 2002-2013. Thomas served two seasons as an assistant coach with Atlantic City, including helping the Boardwalk Bullies to a Kelly Cup Championship in 2003, before assuming the role of head coach and Director of Hockey Operations with the team prior to 2004-2005. He compiled a 42-22-8 mark in his lone season as Atlantic City’s bench boss, and served as the head coach for the 2005 ECHL All-Star Game. He then moved on to Fresno prior to the 2005-06 campaign, leading the Falcons to a 43-15-14 mark along with a trip to the Western Conference Finals. Over the next two seasons in Fresno, Thomas compiled a 76-41-17 record, with trips to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs on both occasions. He coached the Falcons during the first half of 2008-09, leading the team to an 18-10-2 mark before the team ceased operations midseason. Thomas was not out of work for long however, as he was named head coach of Stockton shortly after, and finished the year with a record of 22-16-3, and a trip to the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Thomas went on to coach the Thunder for four more seasons, amassing a mark of 141-111-36, reaching the post season each year, including a trip to the 2013 Kelly Cup Finals. He enters the 2018-19 campaign as the ECHL’s sixth-winningest coach with a career record of 342-225-80, just one win back of fifth place all time. He is also the all-time leader in playoff games coached with 97, and ranks third with 49 playoff wins. 

 

The 2018-19 season is HERE, and the Cincinnati Cyclones want YOU along for the ride!Single game, Group, and Season Tickets are on sale NOW by calling (513) 421-PUCK! Stay on top of all the latest team updates and information on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!