Click here for tonight's game note packet

DATE: Sunday, January 29, 2012
TIME: 5:00pm ET
SITE: Sears Centre - Hoffman Estates, IL
RADIO: Cyclones Radio Network (1160-AM)
WEBCAST: CyclonesHockey.com (America One)

NHL AFFILIATES
Cincinnati Cyclones: Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators
Chicago Express: Columbus Blue Jackets

NEXT HOME GAME
Wednesday, February 1 - 7:30pm vs. Toledo Walleyes
WET WEDNESDAY / PUCKS N PINOT - Fans ages 21+ can enjoy $1 PBR and Miller High Life / Pregame Wine Tasting also available for purchase.

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP: The Cyclones will look to seal a winning road trip today as they wrap up their four-game sojourn at Sears Center against the Chicago. Last night the Express blanked the Cyclones 3-0 to one again pull ahead in the North Division standings. On the year, the Cyclones have posted a 4-4-0-2 record against their Windy City rivals.

SCOUTING THE EXPRESS: Steve Martinson’s club snapped its three-game losing skid with the shutout victory last night, and have earned an 18-17-5-2 record - in spite of being the most penalized team in the Eastern Conference (892 PIM) this season. Tyler Donati and Chad Painchaud remain atop Chicago’s scoring leaderboard, with 41 points and 37 points respectively. Together, they have combined for 9 goals and 11 assists against the Cyclones this season. Donati posted three points in last night’s win. Peter Mannino remains the go-to-guy in net for the Express. This year, he is 2-3-1-1 with a 2.68 goals-against average with a 2-1-1 mark against the Clones with a 2.48 GAA. He earned his first shutout of the season, posting a 24 save blanking last night.

About Last Night in Chicago: Behind a pair of power play goals and a 24-save performance by Peter Mannino, the Express blanked the Cyclones by a 3-0 final score in front of 3,771 at Sears Centre. It was the first time this season that the Cyclones had been shutout and also snapped Cincinnati’s three-game winning streak.

Keep On Keepin’ On: Cyclones forward Matt Sisca has continued his tremendous rookie season since being acquired from Bakersfield. With another multipoint game last night, he is second on the Cincinnati scoring leader board. His 34 points rank fourth among all active ECHL rookies, while ranking third in assists (23) and third in shots (123).

Eerily Similar: The Cyclones and Express have played extremely evenly in many statistical categories this year. In the eight meetings thus far, the Cyclones have been outscored by Chicago by the slimmest of margins, 26-27. In addition, the Clones have had 49 power plays against the Express while Chicago has enjoyed 51 man-advantages. The only stat category that is somewhat lopsided is shots on goal; the Clones have outshot the Express by a total of 304-247.

Early Bird Catches the “W”: Scoring first has been critical for success this season. The Clones are 13-4-0-2 when tallying the first goal of the game, eight of those wins coming away from U.S. Bank Arena. Not surprisingly, their record is equally as solid when leading after one period - they’re 8-3-0-2 in such situations.

SEASON SERIES (16 Meetings - 6 Remaining)
Nov. 4 Cincinnati 3 at Chicago 4 Final SO
Nov. 5 Chicago 2 at Cincinnati 3 Final SO
Nov. 11 Cincinnati 3 at Chicago 5 Final
Nov. 19 Cincinnati 1 at Chicago 2 Final
Dec. 17 Chicago 0 at Cincinnati 3 Final
Dec. 22 Chicago 3 at Cincinnati 4 Final
Jan. 20 Chicago 4 at Cincinnati 3 Final
Jan. 21 Chicago 1 at Cincinnati 4 Final
Jan. 25 Cincinnati 3 at Chicago 2 Final OT
Jan. 28 Cincinnati 0 at Chicago 3 Final
Jan. 29 Cincinnati at Chicago 4:00 pm CST
Feb. 18 Cincinnati at Chicago 7:30 pm CST
Mar. 1 Chicago at Cincinnati 7:35 pm EST
Mar. 21 Chicago at Cincinnati 7:35 pm EDT
Mar. 28 Cincinnati at Chicago 7:00 pm CDT
Mar. 31 Chicago at Cincinnati 7:35 pm EDT