TOLEDO, Ohio – David Pacan had a hat trick and Mike Embach contributed with three assists as the Cincinnati Cyclones (2-0 playoffs) cruised past the Toledo Walleye (0-2 playoffs) by a 5-2 final score in front of 4,191 at Huntington Center on Saturday night. It was the first time since the 2008 playoffs that the Cyclones have won the first two games of a playoff year.

Very similar to last night, the opening period was a defensive stalemate as neither team could light the lamp. However, in the second period, the Cyclones struck first as David Pacan sent a shoulder high wrist shot over Kent Simpson (L, 23 saves 0-2 playoffs) just 1:31 in to give his team the edge. Then, during a power play in the final seconds of the stanza, Taylor Ellington caught a pass from Pacan just inside the Toledo blue line let loose a high snap shot that beat Simpson at 19:46 to extend Cincinnati’s cushion to 2-0 after 40 minutes.

The Cyclones exploded offensively in the final period, as Pacan notched his second of the night just 1:12 – extending the edge to three. Matt Smyth then followed shortly thereafter with a power play goal of his own at 7:40 to make it 4-0 Cincinnati. Not even two minute after that strike, Pacan camped out in front of Simpson and, after a rebound came in front of the net, tucked home his third of the night at the 9:16 mark to put his team comfortably in the driver’s seat at 5-0. Toledo potted a couple of late goals by Joey Martin and Byron Froese to cap off the scoring; the Cyclones earned the 5-2 win. Michael Houser (W, 26 saves, 2-0 playoffs) earned his second victory in as many nights in net.

The Cyclones Radio Network Stars of the Game are as follows:

First Star: David Pacan (3 goals, 1 assists for Cincinnati)
Second Star: Mike Embach (3 assists for Cincinnati)
Third Star: Taylor Ellington (1 goal for Cincinnati)

The Cyclones will return to U.S. Bank Arena for Game 3 of the series on Wednesday, April 10 at 7:30pm! The game will feature $1 PBR and Miller High Life! Call 513.421.PUCK or visit CyclonesHockey.com to reserve your seats! On-air coverage of the action can be heard on the Cyclones Radio Network (FM 100 The FAN, America One, CyclonesHockey.com) starting at 7:15pm. Fans can also get the latest team updates throughout the season on Facebook and Twitter (@CincyCyclones).

Click here to view tonight's box score