ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones

Cyclones Weekly

April 2, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Cincinnati Cyclones News Release


COMING UP: The Cincinnati Cyclones (36-27-4-2) finish off the 2006-07 regular season this week. Tuesday night (April 3), the Cyclones travel to Columbia, SC for a 7:05 pm game against the Inferno. Thursday (April 5), the squad returns to U.S. Bank Arena to battle Dayton at 7:30pm. Friday (April 6), the Charlotte Checkers in a 7:30pm contest. The playoff schedule will be set after the weekend.

PLAYOFFS HERE WE COME!: The Cyclones claimed a 4-2 win at Wheeling on Saturday night (March 31), which clinched a berth in the ECHL's Kelly Cup playoffs. It is the fourth time in the history of the Cyclones organization that the club has advanced to the league's postseason. The club last played in the Kelly Cup playoffs in the spring of 2003 and advanced to the American Conference Finals against Atlantic City.

MAGIC NUMBER: The Cyclones, the second place team in the North Division, have secured a berth in the Kelly Cup playoffs. Cincinnati has a 'magic number' of four to clinching a first round bye versus Toledo or Trenton. Any points gained by the Cyclones or lost by the Storm or Titans will reduce that number--when the number against one of the teams reaches zero--Cincinnati will have secured a first round bye.

THE PLAYOFF SKINNY: The top five teams in the North Division will qualify for the Kelly Cup playoffs. The top three teams will receive first round byes, while the fourth and fifth seeds will play a best-of-three series starting no earlier than April 9. The winner of that series will meet the number one seed, while the second and third seeds battles in a best-of-five series beginning no earlier than April 13. The winner of those two series collide in the Divisional Finals in a best-of-seven series. The Division champion advances to the American Conference finals and meets the South Division winner in a best-of-seven. The winner of that runs into the National Conference champion in a best-of-seven for the Kelly Cup.

EDUCATION IN HOCKEY DAY: Last Tuesday's game (March 27) was the first-ever Education In Hockey Day. A total of 4393, a season-best, attended the game, which was filled with information on understanding the operation of an ice rink, the math in statistics, geography of where the players come from and physical education with regard to the burning of calories and fat.

ATTENDANCE FUN: The 4393 that witnessed Tuesday's game, were the most fans to see a pro hockey game in Cincinnati since Feb. 18, 2004 when 6811 saw the Cyclones beat Idaho, 2-1. It was the largest Tuesday crowd at U.S. Bank Arena in the club's ECHL history and was the club's biggest home or away Tuesday crowd since Feb. 18, 2002, when 6880 stopped in at Greenville for a 3-2 shootout win by the Grrrowl.

ABOUT LAST WEEK: Tuesday (March 27), the Cyclones dropped a 3-1 decision to Johnstown at U.S. Bank Arena. Friday (March 30), Sean Collins scored a shorthanded goal with 23 seconds remaining to lift Wheeling to a 5-4 win. Saturday (March 31), Jean-Michel Daoust scored twice to give Cincinnati a 4-2 win at Wheeling. Sunday (April 1), rookie Scott Tomes (in his pro debut) stopped 24 shots and Daoust had the lone goal in a 2-1 overtime loss at Johnstown.

WEBER ASSEMBLING SOLID ROOKIE SEASON: Cyclones Head Coach Chuck Weber has assembled the best winning percentage of any rookie coach in the ECHL. Weber has directed Cincinnati to a 36-27-4-2 record (.551 winning percentage). That is .008 percent and one win more than Rick Kowalsky, the Trenton coach.

QUICK STRIKE CAPABILITY: The Cincinnati Cyclones have scored the opening goal of the game in eight of the 13 contests since returning from their California trip (March 5). In those eight games, an elapsed time of 48:06 has occurred on the scores. That means it has taken the Cyclones an average time of 6:01 to get the first goal of the game. This season, Cincinnati has scored in the first six minutes in 20 of the 68 games played.

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES...: The Cincinnati Cyclones have had nine players recalled to the American Hockey League (AHL) during the course of this season. Cincinnati has lost a total of 210 man-games due to recall, the equivalent of losing nearly three players for the entire season. At this moment, three players are in the AHL, Jimmy Bonneau and Cory Urquhart are with Hamilton and Dov Grumet-Morris is with Manitoba.

MORE CH-CH-CH-CHANGES...: Due to the call-ups and injuries that have occurred this season, Cyclones Head Coach Chuck Weber has used 42 different lineups over the 68 games thus far. The most popular of these lineups has only played together a total of six times.

SHORT-CIRCUITED: The Cyclones have allowed 21 power play and seven shorthanded goals in the last 17 games. The 28 goals allowed by special teams is double the number (13 power play goals) of special teams goals permitted in the 17 games prior to that. From game number 20 (Dec. 9) through game number 53 (Feb. 17), it took 34 games for Cincinnati to surrender 28 special teams goals.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRAVIS: Cyclones forward Travis Lisabeth celebrated his 27th birthday Sunday (April 1).

WE WERE THERE A WHILE...: The Cyclones began the week as the leaders of the North Division. Until Friday night (March 23), the club had led the division every day since Dec. 23 (that's 90 days in a row, for those of you following along), a total of more than twelve weeks. It is the longest stretch a Cincinnati pro sports team has been in first place since the Cincinnati Reds (MLB) 1990 wire-to-wire run in winning the World Series. The Cyclones have been in first place 91 of the past 100 days.

DICKMANN'S MONDAY NIGHTS: Every Monday during the season, Cyclones Head Coach Chuck Weber and selected players will be at Dickmann's Sports Cafe (879 Orphanage Rd.--Ft. Wright, KY) from 7-8pm. There will not be a show on Monday, April 1 as the team will be in Columbia, SC.

WWW.CYCLONESHOCKEY.COM: The most up-to-date information and broadcast of the games can be found on our website www.cycloneshockey.com.

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ECHL Stories from April 2, 2007


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