GAME NOTES: 3/27 vs. Wheeling

GAME NOTES: 3/27 vs. Wheeling

For Immediate Release: March 27, 2018

                                 

Game 67 (Road Game 33)

Vs. Wheeling Nailers (33-25-8-1, 75 pts)

Tuesday, March 27, 2018 - 7:05pm ET

WesBanco Arena - Wheeling, WV

FULL GAME NOTES | LAST GAME HIGHLIGHTS

 

Overview: The Cyclones snapped their five-game skid with a come-from-behind 3-2 overtime win on Saturday night in Wheeling against the Nailers. The win moved Cincinnati five points ahead of both the Kalamazoo Wings and Kansas City Mavericks, and shrinks the ‘Magic Number’ to seven. 

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.

Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (35-26-3-0) fell, 6-2, to the Atlanta Gladiators on Thursday night. Forwards Alex Kile and Justin Vaive scored the goals for the Cyclones, while Atlanta’s Lindsay Sparks recorded a hat trick. The Cyclones were outshot, 29-27 on the night, with goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopping 23 in the loss.

Previewing Wheeling: The Nailers enter Sunday winners of two of their last three, following Saturday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Cyclones. The power play has been one of the strengths of the Nailers this season, currently ranking fourth with a 19.5 power play conversion percentage (52/267). Offensively, Wheeling is sixth in the League with 3.42 goals-for per game, and they are one of the top teams in the ECHL when playing with a lead, posting a 22-4-1-0 record when leading after 20 minutes, and 22-2-2-0 when ahead after two. They are led offensively by forward Cody Wydo who has accounted for 26 goals and 30 assists in 53 games. He is followed by forwards Nick Sorkin (7g, 45a) and Reid Gardiner (27g, 24a). In goal, Adam Morrison has shouldered the bulk of the load, turning out a record of 16-12-2-0, along with a 3.09 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. 

Inside the Series: Tuesday’s game is the season finale between the Cyclone and Nailers, with Cincinnati posting a 4-1-0-0 record in the first five games in the season series.

Next Game Preview: The Cyclones welcome in the Ft. Wayne Komets on Friday night, 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). 

 

 NEED-TO-KNOW

Leading the Way: Forward Jesse Schultz saw his eight-game point streak snapped in Saturday’s 3-2 overtime win over the Wheeling Nailers.  Schultz had a pair of goals and nine assists on his streak, and he currently leads the Cyclones, and ranks second in the ECHL with 71 points (18g, 53a). He is the only player in the ECHL to reach the 50-assist plateau.

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.

Shouldering the Load: Cyclones forwards Alex Kile, Daniel Muzito-Bagenda, Shawn O’Donnell, Jesse Schultz, and Justin Vaive have accounted for 20 of Cincinnati’s last 23 goals, dating back to Cincinnati’s 3-2 win over the Brampton Beast on March 11. Muzito-Bagenda leads the way with goals in five of his last nine games played, while Vaive has goals in four of his last eight, including a hat trick in last Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Indy Fuel.

Power Surge: The Cyclones have at least one power play goal in 20 of their last 28 games, going 27-for-96 in that stretch (28.1%). They also have the second-ranked power play unit in the League overall with a 20.4% power play conversion rate (52/255), 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!