ECHL: Cincinnati Cyclones’ 2024-2025 Mid-Season Report Card

It has been a rollercoaster ride of a season so far for the Cincinnati Cyclones and their fans. Right out of the gate, the Cyclones started 0-6-3 in their first nine games, eventually winning their first game in their 10th game at home against the Bloomington Bison. Many were out on this team that early into the season, but they have seemed to turn a corner, now sitting at 15-21-5, firmly placing themselves back into the Central Division Kelly Cup Playoff race (4 points out). Now that we are officially past the midpoint of the season 41 games in, it is time to grade the Cyclones in all areas:

Offense (B-):

One area where they’ve really improved is getting shots on net. Lately, they have created more second-chance opportunities and have been doing a great job screening goalies and tipping more shots at the net. At the 41-game mark, they average 2.5 goals per game, an improvement, while getting around 27.7 shots per game. Getting a strong start in games has worked well for this team, as shown by their 11-6-2 record when scoring first, something they need to continue heading into the second half of the season.

Now, let’s take a look at the lines head coach Jason Payne has been running out on the ice lately:

First Line:

The first line is made up of a speedy group, featuring Braeden Kressler at center, Ty Voit at left/right wing, and another quick forward who rotates in and out, typically either Noah Kane or Jacob Frasca of late. Newcomer Braeden Kressler, a signee of the Toronto Maple Leafs, has made an immediate impact with his speed and puck-handling skills, scoring seven goals and six assists (for a total of 13 points) in 15 games as a Cyclone. Ty Voit, another young and skilled forward, is currently second in forward scoring with 23 points (7 goals and 16 assists) through 36 games played, trailing only veteran Lincoln Griffin. This young trio has clearly developed strong chemistry on the top line, extending to the top power play unit, with Kressler leading the charge thanks to his remarkable patience with the puck.

Second Line:

The second line brings in some veteran experience, featuring Tristan Ashbrook at center, Lincoln Griffin on the left wing, and Dante Sheriff on the right wing. Griffin leads the forward group with 25 points and has been solid defensively too, sporting a +5 plus/minus. Sheriff has been key in setting up plays, leading the team in assists with 17. When you throw Ashbrook into the mix, they’re a unit that knows how to handle themselves on the ice. Ashbrook has been up and down from the Iowa Wild of the AHL all season long, but in 26 games for Cincinnati, he’s scored nine goals and six assists (15 points), with a -6 plus/minus when on the ice.

Third Line:

The third line has arguably been the most effective lately, with Chris Dodero (left wing), Mathieu Gosselin (center), and Marko Sikic (right wing) bringing a hard-forechecking style to the game. They excel at grinding out shifts and are not shy about throwing hits into the boards. Both Dodero and Sikic have been hot lately, each racking up points in three of their last four games. This line is also great at dumping pucks in deep before changes, a sign of reliability for Head Coach Jason Payne. Moving forward, having a line like this will be huge for Payne to slot in against opposing teams’ physical/hard-checking lines.

Fourth Line:

Bringing captain Justin Vaive down to the fourth line has proven to be a wise move by Jason Payne. While he might not have the same speed or skill he once did, he still offers veteran leadership and the ability to chip in with some occasional depth scoring. Remy Parker has been a consistent linemate for Vaive, and I believe he’s an underrated asset for this team. He possesses good speed and is strong defensively, making him an effective penalty killer as well. I have a feeling that Parker could break out and make a big impact as the season progresses, even though he’s currently sitting at seven points through 37 games played.

As a whole, the offense has been clicking better between all four lines, thanks to Jason Payne tweaking the lineup to find some chemistry. Keeping up the offensive flow throughout all four lines will be huge in hopes of making a run down the stretch.

Also, it would be great to see veteran Louie Caporusso back in action soon. He hasn’t played since the beginning of December and has been a healthy scratch after appearing in just two games against Iowa.

Power Play (C+):

On the special teams front, the Cyclones’ power play has struggled so far this season, but there’s been a slight improvement lately under the helm of defenseman Chas Sharpe. Recently, the power play went 1/6 this past Friday vs Iowa and then 0/2 on Saturday vs Bloomington. Their only real offense on the power play has been through Chas Sharpe, who leads all ECHL defensemen in power play goals with eight, with his lethal shot from outside, but other than that, it has really been nonexistent lately.

Through 41 games, they sit at an 18.5% conversion rate (17th in the ECHL), a little below league average. The addition of Braeden Kressler has helped the overall cycling and passing on the power play, with his speed and skill with the puck on his tape. Going forward, I’d love to see more cycling from all players on the power play and an increase in screened shots to earn more scoring chances. If they can fine-tune that aspect, combined with their recent offensive turnaround, the Cyclones can begin to win more special teams battles for the rest of the season.

Defense (B-):

Defensively, the Cyclones’ three defensive pairings have appeared quicker to pucks and have shown more pressure recently, after a rough start to the season. This improvement has been most evident at the defensive blue line during five-on-five play, where they’ve continued to stop more opponents’ rushes than at the beginning of the season, resulting in fewer odd-man rushes and fewer defensive breakdowns. As of late, Cincinnati has been able to limit the “big play,” giving up fewer careless turnovers leading to odd-man rushes or even shorthanded goals, which haunted this team in the rough stretch to begin the season.

Looking at the stats, 41 games into the season, Cincinnati is allowing an average of 3.0 goals against per game and 25.5 shots per game. This is a positive drop from their earlier numbers, reflecting the team’s defensive strides. Additionally, players have been more physical, as we’ve seen some solid hits along the boards, especially from the bottom pairings with guys like Steven MacLean (6’7″, 216 lbs) and Ryan McCleary (6’3″, 190 lbs), both of whom are tough customers.

The transition play from defense to offense during breakouts has also seen a noticeable uptick, primarily led by the top defensive pairing of young Western Conference All-Star Chas Sharpe and Josh Burnside. Sharpe is having a standout season, currently leading the team in power play goals and overall points with 26, including 15 goals and 11 assists, despite holding a -1 plus/minus rating. He leads all defensemen with 16 goals—five ahead of Dennis Cesana from the Savannah Ghost Pirates.

Related Post: ECHL: Cyclones’ Defenseman Chas Sharpe Named ECHL Player of the Week | Inside The Rink

Penalty Kill (C):

As for the penalty kill, it started the season poorly but has made strides after the first quarter. They’ve continued to take quite a few undisciplined penalties, yet managed to kill off most of them during their recent stretch of 7-2-1 in the last 10 games. While it’s not a sustainable pace, they have been quicker to pucks, collapsing on their opponents while on the kill. They have also been great at crowding lanes, leading to a lot more blocked shots and cleared pucks.

As of now, their penalty kill success rate is at 77.3%, ranking 23rd in the ECHL. While this is not ideal, considering their rough start to the season, it is very hard to get these percentages back up. However, as of late, I have liked what I’ve seen from the PK units.

Goaltending (B+)

The improved defensive play has translated into better goaltending stats as well. With Vyacheslav Peksa up with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL and Jon Gillies dealing with a recent injury, Pavel Cajan has stepped up as the main starter. Before Saturday’s game against the Bloomington Bison, Cajan had started eight consecutive games, currently holding a 9-8-2 record, finally getting back above the .500 mark with Friday’s win over the Iowa Heartlanders. Through 19 games, Cajan’s numbers are impressive, ranking third in the ECHL in GAA (2.11) and a save percentage of .910. If the Cyclones want to maintain their recent success, he will need to stay sharp down the stretch.

Vyacheslav Peksa has been the main secondary goaltender, with a record of 3-8-2, a GAA of 3.20, and a save percentage of .875 across 15 games. It’s unclear how much longer Peksa will be with the Marlies, but Jon Gillies is expected to fill in for a game or two during his absence. Unfortunately, Gillies hasn’t found much success this season, posting a 3-5-1 record with a GAA of 4.05 and a save percentage of .862, which is definitely not what you’d hope for from an experienced netminder like Gillies.

Moving forward, solid goaltending must continue if the Cyclones want a chance at the playoffs, but the defense must also do their part to help chase down Bloomington and Indy.