The Cincinnati Cyclones made several roster moves today ahead of their home game against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits tomorrow at 7:35 PM EST.
Vyacheslav Peksa Assigned from Toronto Marlies by Maple Leafs
Vyacheslav Peksa has stepped up as the primary backup when down with Cincinnati, with a record of 3-8-2, a goals-against average (GAA) of 3.20, and a save percentage of .875 over his 15 appearances. It’s great to have him back in Cincinnati supporting Pavel Cajan, who has been on fire lately. After winning both of his starts last week, Cajan recently earned the ECHL Goalie of the Week award, saving 23 out of 24 shots against Toledo in a narrow 2-1 win and again against the Iowa Heartlanders in a 3-1 victory.
Related Post: ECHL: Cincinnati’s Pavel Cajan Named Goaltender of the Week | Inside The Rink
Jacob Frasca Activated from Three-Day IR
The 21-year-old forward, Jacob Frasca, has returned from the IR but has been placed on the Reserve list ahead of tomorrow’s game. Fans can probably expect him back in action this upcoming weekend, probably for Friday’s matchup against Wheeling and Saturday’s awaited Teddy Bear Toss game against the Fish. His return does raise some questions about how head coach Payne will re-configure the lineup, as he usually plays on the top line with Braeden Kressler and Ty Voit. However, with Noah Kane returning from Finland, it’ll be interesting to see how the pieces fit together ahead of this busy three-game week.
Jon Gillies Placed on Three-Day IR
Unfortunately, goaltender Jon Gillies has struggled this season with a record of 3-5-1, a GAA of 4.05, and a save percentage of .862—certainly not the performance expected from an experienced netminder. Given the success of Peksa and Cajan, his opportunities to start will become limited, but there’s always a chance either could be called back up to the AHL soon. The extent of Gillies’s injury remains uncertain after a stint on the Injured Reserve earlier this month, but fingers crossed that it’s not too serious.
Current Central Division Standings:
1) Toledo Walleye (58 PTS) – 26-10-6-0 (42 GP)
2) Fort Wayne Komets (51 PTS) – 25-13-1-0 (39 GP)
3) Iowa Heartlanders (50 PTS) – 22-13-4-2 (41 GP)
4) Bloomington Bison (39 PTS) – 18-18-1-2 (39 GP)
5) Indy Fuel (39 PTS) – 17-15-3-2 (37 GP)
6) Cincinnati Cyclones (35 PTS) – 15-21-5-0 (41 GP)
7) Kalamazoo Wings (30 PTS) – 14-22-1-1 (38 GP)
Currently sitting at a record of 15-21-5 through 41 games, the Cyclones are back in the hunt for the final Central Division playoff spot, just four points out. They trail both the Indy Fuel and the Bloomington Bison by two games, with the Bison having two games in hand and the Fuel a daunting four games at hand. The upcoming matchups between the Bloomington Bison (2/15) and the Indy Fuel (2/16) will be huge for the Cyclones’ playoff hopes, but there’s still plenty of time to close the gap if Cincinnati can continue their winning ways.
Discover more from Inside The Rink
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
