ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Unbeaten Streak Hits Ten

Published on February 22, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


COMING UP: The Cincinnati Cyclones, the ECHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators, play three games this week--including a pair at U.S. Bank Arena. Cincinnati hosts Wheeling on a Wet Wednesday (Feb. 24) at 7:30pm. Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller High Life beers are priced at just one dollar each. Friday night (Feb. 26), Charlotte returns for a 7:30pm clash. It is Twister Goalie Bobblehead night with the first 2500 fans receiving this edition of the Cyclones mascot. The week ends with the club's next-to-last ever visit to Johnstown for a 7:05pm tilt with the Chiefs at the historic Cambria County War Memorial.

WINNERS AT HOME...: The Cyclones have won 19 games on home ice this season, the most by any team in the American Conference. The 19 wins are the second-most in the ECHL behind Victoria's 22. Cincinnati is unbeaten in regulation time (7-0-2) in the last nine contests at U.S. Bank Arena. The last time the club lost on home ice in regulation time was a 5-1 defeat to Johnstown on January 25.

WINNERS ON THE ROAD TOO...: The Cyclones won their 16th away game of the season in the triumph at Johnstown on February 14. That ties Cincinnati with South Carolina for the most in the American Conference and is also the second-most in the ECHL behind Idaho's 19 victories on the road. The Cyclones have a three game win streak away from U.S. Bank Arena and are 12-3 (.750) since Nov. 29.

CHUCK MOVES UP: While the ECHL league media guide does not keep it as an official statistic, Cyclones Head Coach Chuck Weber nearly reached another milestone with Friday night's win over Wheeling. Through the first four full seasons of coaching in their career, Weber has moved into sixth place on the wins list with 168. That puts him past Bob Ferguson on that list (166). Dave Farrish holds the ECHL record for most wins through his first four full seasons as a coach with 186. He has passed current ECHL coaches Matt Thomas (Stockton) and Greg Puhalski (Wheeling) this season. With a win Wednesday, he will tie Bob Woods (169) for fifth place on the list.

TEN WITHOUT A REGULATION LOSS: The Cyclones are unbeaten in regulation time in their last ten games (8-0-2). The last time a Cincinnati team went ten in a row without a regulation time loss was during the ECHL record 17 game winning streak from Jan. 16 through Feb. 29, 2008. After the 14th victory in that stretch (a 5-2 win vs. Johnstown)--the Cyclones secured a Kelly Cup playoff berth, their earliest ever.

EVERY MONTH SHOULD BE FEBRUARY: The Cyclones have enjoyed the month of February in recent times. The second month of the year has produced a 29-5-2 record (.811 winning percentage) since the 2008 calendar year. Cincinnati is 8-0-2 this season, went 8-5 a year ago and was 13-0 during February 2008. That 13 win stretch in 2008 was part of the ECHL record 17 game win streak.

MORE FEBRUARY NEWS: The Cyclones have played 611:43 of hockey in the month of February. Cincinnati has led 329:38 of the game time, which is 53.9 percent of the time or roughly 32 minutes and 20 seconds per game. The scores have been even 236:13, or 38.6 percent of the time (roughly 23:10 per game). The opponents have led 45:52, which works out to 7.5 percent of the time or 4:29 per game.

ABOUT SATURDAY NIGHT...: The Cyclones dropped a 2-1 shootout decision to Wheeling. All the goal scoring in regulation time came in the first period as Mark Voakes netted his eighth goal of the season. Jeremy Smith stopped 22 shots in regulation time and was victimized for three goals in the shootout to absorb the defeat.

ABOUT FRIDAY NIGHT...: Ryan Del Monte's goal with 2:33 remaining in regulation time put the Cyclones ahead to stay in a 3-1 win over Wheeling. Jimmy Kilpatrick and Brock Sheahan had the other lamplighters, while Scott Reynolds had a pair of assists. Robert Mayer stopped 22 shots in takingthe win--his 16th of the year.

ABOUT WEDNESDAY NIGHT...: The Cyclones led the contest for more than 50 minutes, but a 2-1 overtime victory for Toledo ended the club's seven game win streak. Matt Pierce's 26th goal of the season in the fifth minute stood until the Walleye scored with 1:36 to go--forcing overtime. Toledo scored on the first shot in bonus time. Robert Mayer turned away 21 shots in the overtime defeat.

IT'S MAGIC: The Cyclones have a 'magic number' of 20 to clinching a playoff berth in the Kelly Cup playoffs. The American Conference will admit eight teams and the three division winners will be seeded in the top three spots. Johnstown (72 possible points), Trenton (89), Wheeling (90), Toledo (92) and Gwinnett (93) are in danger of missing. As long as four teams have fewer potential points than the Cyclones actually have--Cincinnati will secure a spot in the postseason. The Cyclones have a 'magic number' of 31 to clinching the North Division and one of the top three spots in the American Conference playoffs.

PIERCE TIES CLUB RECORD: The first period goal by Matt Pierce on Feb. 17 marks the seventh time this season that he has scored the opening marker of the contest. Pierce ties Jimmy Kilpatrick, who equalled the record of two others last season, for the top spot in club history. Matt is tied with Thomas Beauregard (Wheeling) for second place in the ECHL. Mark Derlago (Idaho) has the most first goals this season with eight.

THE VIEW IS BETTER FROM THE TOP: The Cyclones are the leaders of the North Division of the American Conference. Cincinnati has held the top spot in the division for 47 days. The club led the North Division for 51 days a year ago in claiming its second consecutive regular season crown and led 120 days during the Kelly Cup run of 2008. In 2006-07, the Cyclones were on top for 90 days. The 308 days at the top are the most by any North Division team over the past four seasons. Cincinnati will lead the North until at least March 6 and run the stretch at least another two weeks.

EIGHTEEN OVER!: Friday night's win moved the Cyclones to eighteen games above the break even point for the first time this season (35-17-3). On the second try at eightteen over--the club made it. The last time the Cyclones have been fifteen games over the break even point was at the end of last season when the squad was 41-26-5. The last time the club was 16 over break even was at the end of 2007-08, when the squad was a gaudy 43 games above--at 55-12-5.

GUNNING FOR 36: With the win Friday night, the Cyclones hit 35 wins--second-fastest in team history. The fastest to 35 wins was during 2007-08, when the squad won on February 13. That club also had 36 came on February 15, 2008. On February 23, 2008 the Cyclones had 40 wins.

THE AHL LOVES THE CYCLONES: The Cyclones have had 15 different players promoted to the American Hockey League this season. Those players have been recalled a total of 21 times and the Cyclones have lost more than 190 man games to recalls.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Cyclones have a 2.64 goals against average, best in the ECHL. Cincinnati is allowing just 26.2 shots per game, second-best in the ECHL. The penalty kill ranks eighth in the league at 82.4 percent, while the club leads the league with thirteen shorthanded goals.

ATTENDANCE NUMBERS STRONG: The Cyclones are averaging 3607 per game through the first 29 contests at U.S. Bank Arena, which ranks 16th in the ECHL. The club has already drawn the second-largest (10,920 for Throwback Night on November 6) and fourth-largest (8944 for Education In Hockey Day on November 17) regular season crowds in team history. Saturday's crowdof 7175 was the seventh-largest in team history and third biggest of the year. The club has attracted in excess of 6000 on five dates. Attendance at Cyclones games is up 16.2 percent over last year's season average and is up 25.9 percent over the first 29 home gamesof a year ago--which is the second-biggest increase of any minor pro team in North America, Quad City is tops at an increase of 39.8 percent. The club has drawn 104,604 through the turnstiles near the three-quarter mark through the home schedule. Last season, the club did not draw that many people through the first 35 games (March 18, 2009).

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING...: The Cyclones winning percentage of.664 is second-best in the ECHL behind Idaho's.720...Cincinnati has collected 18 of a possible 20 standings points over the last ten games--most in the ECHL. Elmira is second at 17 points and Stockton is third with 16...During the month of February, Brett Motherwell is tied with Elmira's Tyler Donati among all ECHL players with a +11 rating. Jamie Coghlan is third at +10. Scott Marchesi ranks eighth at +7...Jeremy Smith leads all ECHL goaltenders with a 1.55 goals against average in February. Robert Mayer ranks second in the month with a 1.59 goals against average. Each netminder has turned in a 4-0-1 record during the second month of the calendar year.

COORS LIGHT COACHES SHOW: The Coors Light Cyclones Coaches Show is held each Monday night at Jefferson Hall at Newport on the Levee from 7-8pm. Head Coach Chuck Weber and host Nick Brunker join a pair of players for this event. This week, defenseman Scott Marchesi and forward Matt Pierce are the special guests.

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