ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Game Preview - Cincinnati at Wheeling

January 9, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


CINCINNATI CYCLONES (20-9-1-1)

vs.

WHEELING NAILERS (15-11-1-5)

DATE: Thursday, January 9, 2014

TIME: 7:00pm ET

SITE: WesBanco Arena - Wheeling, WV

BROADCAST: CyclonesHockey.com (America One), Cyclones Mobile App

NHL AFFILIATES

Cincinnati Cyclones: Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators

Wheeling Nailers: Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins

NEXT HOME GAME

Friday, January 10 - 7:30pm vs. Kalamazoo

CYCLONES WINTER HAT NIGHT PRESENTED BY SPORT CLIPS

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP: Having won eight out of their last ten games, the Cyclones find themselves tied for second place in the Eastern Conference. Tonight, they'll set their sights on another road win as they visit the Wheeling Nailers for the first time in 2014. Cincy has played very evenly against their Atlantic Division foes, going 2-2-1 in the season series. All but one of those meetings have been decided by two goals or less.

SCOUTING THE NAILERS: After dropping a 6-2 road decision last night against the Reading Royals, Clark Donatelli's club sits six points behind Cincinnati in the East. With Zack Torquato still in the AHL, Sahir Gill remains the active leader for the Nailers in scoring; he's posted 24 points (7 goals, 17 assists) in 27 games this season - including four points against the Cyclones. Mike Ratchuk leads team defenseman and ranks tied for third in the ECHL with 19 tallies (7 goals, 12 assists) in 21 tilts this year. The Nailers have had a goaltending carousel in 2013-14, with five different names tending the pipes. Mike Condon has returned from a three-week stint with the Hamilton Bulldogs and will likely get the start tonight. This season, he's amassed a 10-4-4 mark with the Nailers and an ECHL seventh-best 2.33 goals-against average. He is 3-1-0-1 against Cincy this year with a stingy 1.55 GAA. After another loss last night, former Cyclone Brooks Ostergard is 0-3-1 with a 4.47 goals-against average.

LAST HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETING: Sahir Gill's second round shootout goal proved to be the game-winner as the Nailers snuck past the Cyclones by a 2-1 final score in front of 2,206 at WesBanco Arena on December 7. It was the first time this season that the Cyclones suffered a defeat in the extra session.

Combing Through the Competition: Cincy forward Jack Combs has scored goals in each of his last six games - the league's longest active streak. His two-goal performance on Saturday was the third time he had multiple lamplighters. He was nominated for the ECHL Player of the Week.

Milestone Achieved: With their victory last Saturday over Reading, the Cyclones eclipsed the 20-win plateau. Only three other teams in club history reached the milestone earlier. The 2007-08 team was the fastest to earn their 20th victory, accomplishing it on December 22.

Leading the Pack: The Cyclones have remained one of the top offensive teams in the ECHL. Having notched five goals or more in five of their last seven games, Cincinnati now paces the league with an overall average of 3.48 goals-per-game.

REGULAR SEASON SERIES (6 HOME, 6 AWAY - 7 REMAINING)

Oct. 19 Wheeling 2 at Cincinnati 4 Final

Nov. 24 Wheeling 4 at Cincinnati 2 Final

Nov. 27 Wheeling 3 at Cincinnati 0 Final

Dec. 1 Cincinnati 3 at Wheeling 2 Final SO

Dec. 7 Cincinnati 1 at Wheeling 2 Final SO

Jan. 9 Cincinnati at Wheeling 7:00 pm EST

Jan. 25 Wheeling at Cincinnati 7:35 pm EST

Jan. 26 Cincinnati at Wheeling 3:00 pm EST

Mar. 2 Cincinnati at Wheeling 3:00 pm EST

Mar. 15 Cincinnati at Wheeling 7:00 pm EDT

Apr. 11 Wheeling at Cincinnati 7:35 pm EDT

Apr. 12 Wheeling at Cincinnati 7:35 pm EDT

Check out the Cincinnati Cyclones Statistics



ECHL Stories from January 9, 2014


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