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ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

CYCLONES GAME NOTES: vs. Ft. Wayne

December 29, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


Game 28 (Road Game 11)

Vs. Ft. Wayne Komets (17-8-3-0, 37pts)

Thursday - 7:30pm ET

War Memorial Coliseum - Ft. Wayne, IN

Full Game Notes

Overview: The Cyclones kick off a three-in-three on Thursday night when they travel to Ft. Wayne to take on the Komets. Cincinnati is coming off a 4-1 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Tuesday night, marking their third win in the last four games. The Cyclones now have point in seven of their last nine games.

Tuesday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (12-11-4-0) earned a 4-1 win over the Kalamazoo Wings on Tuesday night. Forward Brandon McNally potted a pair of goals, while forwards Dominic Zombo, and Andrew Yogan added lone tallies for Cincinnati. Goaltender Michael Houser put together another impeccable performance, turning aside 35 of the 36 shots he faced in the win.

Thursday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (11-11-4-0) fell to the Wheeling Nailers, 2-1, on Thursday night. Forward Nick Huard tallied the lone goal for Cincinnati, while goaltender Mark Visentin turned aside 31 in the loss.

Last Friday Night Recap: The Cincinnati Cyclones (11-10-4-0) climbed back above .500 with a 4-1 win over the Indy Fuel on Friday night. Forwards Jordan Sims, Peter LeBlanc, Shane Walsh, and Dominic Zombo tallied the goals for the Cyclones, who complete the two-game sweep of the Fuel. The Cyclones were outshot, 32-25 on the night, with goaltender Michael Houser putting together another stellar performance, stopping 31 in the win.

Previewing Ft. Wayne: The Komets enter Thursday's contest winners of four of their last five, having outscored their opposition 23-14 in their four wins. They are coming off of an 8-6 win over the Indy Fuel on Tuesday night, in a game that saw forward Shawn Szydlowski record four goals and an assist, and six others put together multi-point efforts. The Komets are one of the top teams in the ECHL on home ice as well, posting an 11-3-0-0 record and outscoring their opponents, 68-30, at War Memorial Coliseum. They are led by Szydlowski who is second in League scoring with 42 points (18g, 24a) through 27 games. He is followed by forward Kyle Thomas who has accounted for 14 goals and 21 assists, including seven assets in his last five games. In goal, Eric Hartzell leads all active Komet backstops with a 7-7-2-0 record, however Garrett Bartus has come on strong as of late with a 6-1-1-0 record along with a 2.78 goals-against average and an .894 save percentage.

Inside the Series: Thursday marks the third of eight meetings on the season, and the first of the year in Ft. Wayne. The sides have split the first two matchups of the season, while the Komets had a slight edge in last season's series, 5-4-1-0.

Next Game Preview: The Cyclones begin a home-and-home series with the Indy Fuel on Friday in Indianapolis.

News and Notes:

He's a Brick...HOUSE!: Goaltender Michael Houser has been stellar over his last six starts, allowing one goal and making 25 or more saves in five of those contests. He is currently fourth amongst ECHL goaltenders with a 2.28 goals-against average, and fifth with a .928 save percentage.

The Road Ahead: The Cyclones will be spending a lot of time on the road in the coming weeks, with 13 of the next 15 games coming away from U.S. Bank Arena, including 11-of-12 in the month of January. Cincinnati is 4-6-0-0 on the road this season.

Slump Buster: Forward Nick Huard snapped a career-long nine-game point drought with the lone goal in last Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Wheeling Nailers, before dishing out an assist in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Kalamazoo Wings. He is coming off of a stellar rookie season 2015-16 where he ranked sixth in League rookie scoring with 52 points (21g, 31a), and first in power play goals with 15. He is currently fourth on the team in scoring with 13 points (5g, 8a).

Scoresheet Staple: Forward Andrew Yogan has been a near-constant on the score sheet this season, leading the team with 27 points and scoring in all but seven games played this season. He scored a goal in Tuesday's 4-1 win over Wheeling, and has been responsible for five goals and eight assists in his last 13 games overall.

You're Cut Off!: Teams have had a tough time taking shots over the last seven games, as the Cyclones have limited teams to seven or fewer shots in 11 of their last 21 periods, and five or fewer in five of their last 16. Cincinnati allowed four shots in the second period to both the Missouri Mavericks on December 7 and Ft. Wayne last Wednesday, before holding the Komets to just three in the third that evening, as well. Cincinnati then limited the Quad City Mallards to just five shots in the third period of last Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss, and Indy to four in the first on Friday night.

Special Play: The Cyclones' special teams have played a crucial role in recent games. Cincinnati's power play has converted on five of their last 22 chances (23.8%), while the penalty kill has held the opposition scoreless on their last 31 of their last 32 power plays, including an perfect 7-for-7 in Tuesday's 4-1 win over Kalamazoo.

"O" from the "D": The Cyclones have been getting major offensive contributions from the blue line in recent games, as Cyclones defensemen have accounted for 26 points (6g, 20a) in the last 11 games. Arvin Atwal (1g, 8a) and Eric Knodel (2g, 7a) are tied with nine points over that span.

Megan Debuts in The Show: Former Cincinnati Cyclones forward Wade Megan made his National Hockey League (NHL) debut last Thursday night with the St. Louis Blues in a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 26-year-old wasted little time making an impact with his new team, tallying his first NHL goal in the opening period of the game, and finishing with a plus-2 on-ice rating and a 56% face-off percentage in 9:40 of ice-time. Megan spent parts of the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons with the Cyclones, accounting for 27 points (17g, 10a) in 21 regular season games played. In 2013-14, he was named ECHL Player of the Week for the week of October 28-November 3 after netting six goals and dishing out three assists over a three-game span. A native of Canton, NY, Megan made his presence felt in the postseason for the Cyclones as well, leading Cincinnati to Game 6 of the 2014 Kelly Cup Finals where they ultimately fell to the Alaska Aces, 4 games to 2. In 22 playoff games that postseason, Megan ranked second in the League with 10 playoff goals, and added three assists for 13 total points.

Upcoming Promotions: Cincinnati closes out the 2016 calendar year on December 31 when the Indy Fuel come town. The Cyclones will be hosting a New Year's Eve Fireworks spectacular on following that night's contest, and that night will also be a $1 hot dog night, sponsored by John Morrell. Call (513) 421-PUCK (7825), visit us online at www.cycloneshockey.com, or stop by the U.S. Bank Arena box office for tickets and more information.

Stay Connected!: Follow the latest news on Twitter (@CincyCyclones), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and more! Also, for all of the latest news and notes, head over to www.cycloneshockey.com.

The 2016-17 season is underway, and the Cincinnati Cyclones want you along for the ride as they march towards another Kelly Cup Championship! 2016-17 single game tickets and packages along with group and Season Ticket Packages are available NOW! Call (513) 421-PUCK to reserve your seats. Fans can also get the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!

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