For Immediate Release: January 21, 2018

 Game 38 (Road Game 20)

Vs. Quad City Mallards (10-23-2-1, 23 pts)

Sunday, January 21, 2018 - 5:05pm ET

TaxSlayer Center - Moline, IL

FULL GAME NOTES

Overview: The Cyclones dropped a nail-biter on Saturday to the Indy Fuel, 3-2, for their fourth straight loss. Cincinnati wraps up their three-in-three on Sunday afternoon, and are in the midst of a stretch of 12 straight against Central Division opponents.

Last Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (21-15-1-0) fell to the Indy Fuel, 3-2, on Saturday evening. Forwards Daniel Muzito-Bagenda and Justin Vaive lit the lamp for the Cyclones. Cincinnati and Indy each registered 30 shots on goal, while goaltender Jason Kasdorf stopped 27 in a losing effort.

Friday Night Recap:  The Cincinnati Cyclones (21-14-1-0) dropped a 6-2 decision to the Ft. Wayne Komets on Friday night. Forwards Rob De Fulviis and Justin Vaive scored the goals for Cincinnati. The Komets outshot Cincinnati, 39-31, with netminder Jonas Johansson stopping 33 in the loss.

Last Sunday Evening Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (21-13-1-0) fell just short Sunday night against the Toledo Walleye, 2-1, despite an action-filled game from the start. Forward Justin Danforth scored Cincinnati’s lone-goal. Toledo outshot the Cyclones, 37-25, with goaltender Jonas Johansson stopping 35 in the loss.

Previewing Quad City: The Mallards are coming off of a come-from-behind. 5-4 shootout win on Saturday night against the Kalamazoo Wings, snapping a brief two-game skid. The Mallards have earned two wins in their last four games, following a 13-game losing streak. Quad City enters Sunday as the ECHL’s least-penalized team, averaging 9.31 minutes in penalties per game, including a league-low eight majors. They are led offensively by forward Sam Warning who has accounted for 29 points (16g, 13a) through the first 37 games of the season. He is followed by a pair of 21-point scorers in forward Braden Low (8g, 13a) and defenseman Willie Raskob (1g, 20a) who round out the top three. In goal, Eric Hartzell leads active netminders with a 5.31 goals-against average and a .848 save percentage. 

Inside the Series:  Cincinnati is a perfect 5-0-0-0 against the Mallards this season, having outscored them 26-13 in those contests. The two teams will meet three more times following Sunday afternoon.

Next Game Preview: Cincinnati will welcome in the Indy Fuel on Friday evening in the fifth of 10 matchups on the season, and the first at U.S. Bank Arena. Cincinnati looking for their first win over Indy, having dropped the first four. 

NEED-TO-KNOW

Packed Schedule: Cincinnati will have their hands full in the second half of the season, playing their final 35 games over a stretch of 78 days, which averages out to a game every 2.22 days. Additionally, Cincinnati has nine stretches of three games in three days, two stretches of four games in five days, and one stretch of seven games in nine days. 

Familiar Foes: Cincinnati is in the midst of a stretch of 12 straight against divisional opponents. Cincinnati is 12-9-1-0 against the Central Division this season, and will play 25 of their final 35 games within the division. 

All-Star Success: Cyclones forward Justin Danforth left his mark on this year’s CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic in Indianapolis this past Monday. He scored a goal in Team Central’s 5-2 loss Team Mountain, and set a new ECHL All-Star Skills Competition record in the Fastest Skater event with 12.75 seconds. The Oshawa, ON, native leads all ECHL rookies and is third in overall League scoring with 41 points (21g, 20a) through the first 36 games of the season. 

Cyclones Duo Called Up: The Cincinnati Cyclones, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Buffalo Sabres and American Hockey League’s (AHL) Rochester Americans, have announced that defenseman and team captain Eric Knodel has been recalled by the Americans, while forward Shawn O’Donnell has been signed to a Professional Tryout Agreement (PTO) by the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. This is the second call up of the season for Knodel, who is tied for sixth amongst League defenseman with nine goals and 17 assists. He appeared in a pair of games for the Americans earlier this season, however did not record a point. O’Donnell currently ranks third on the Cyclones, and is tied for eighth in League scoring with 36 points (13g, 23a) through 28 games. He is currently riding a four-game point streak, accounting for three goals and two assists in that time, and recently saw an 11-game point streak come to an end where he totaled four goals and 17 assists in that time.

Home Power Surge: The Cyclones have the League’s top power play at home, converting on 21.9% of their man advantage opportunities (15/70) at U.S. Bank Arena. Cincinnati has power play tallies in three of their last five home games, lighting the lamp seven times on 22 chances. 

Early and Often: The Cyclones are outscoring the opposition 37-29 in the first period this season, and are 12-5-0-0 when leading after 20 minutes. Additionally, Cincinnati is 15-4-0-0 when scoring first, and 11-1-0-0 when scoring the first two goals of the game. 

Limited Opportunity: Cincinnati is sixth in the ECHL, averaging 2.78 goals against per game, and have allowed three or fewer goals in 15 of their last 20 games. Additionally, they have given up more than four goals on just seven occasions. 

Finishing What They Started: The Cyclones have a 16-1-0-0 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!