After a much-needed ten-day break, the Cincinnati Cyclones (1-8-3) will host the Kalamazoo Wings (6-7-1) on Wednesday night. The puck drops at 7:35 PM EST at Heritage Bank Center. The Cyclones have only won once in ten games and have lost in overtime three times. Their last game was on November 17th, where they lost 6-1 to the Fort Wayne Komets. However, the Wings were swept by the defending Kelly Cup Champion Florida Everblades this past weekend in a three-game series, dropping their record to 6-7-1.
Both teams are desperate for a win, as they are looking to snap their losing streaks, with the Cyclones in an even deeper hole. The ten-day break could benefit the Cyclones by allowing them time to analyze their games and improve during practices. One of the only aspects that has been solid for the Cyclones is their penalty kill, which sits at 85% this season. However, their power play struggles significantly, with a success rate of only 9%. Additionally, they have scored a total of 22 goals in 12 games, while the Wings have managed to score 38. The Cyclones have also allowed 44 goals against them, compared to the Wings’ 38. Cincinnati has also taken way too many penalties, taking a whopping 208 total penalty minutes so far this season.
For the Cyclones to turn their season around, they need to stay defensively sound and bring more energy to the game. They cannot afford to continue slipping in the standings, so a turnaround must happen soon, with 60 games remaining in the season. On Wednesday night, they will need to take more shots on goal, deliver more checks, and limit odd-man rushes to earn their second win.
Goaltending has also been a concern, with Pavel Cajan recording the only win for the Cyclones so far this season. While not all the blame can be placed on the goaltenders due to numerous defensive lapses leading to goals, improvement is still needed. Below are the statistics for the three goalies after 12 games:
Pavel Cajan: 1-3-1 record, 2.61 GAA, 0.910 save %
Vyacheslav Peksa: 0-3-1 record, 3.86 GAA, 0.857 save %
Jon Gillies: 0-2-1 record, 4.01 GAA, 0.874 save %
Current Central Division Standings (as of 11/26):
Where to Watch/Listen:
Flo Sports
Cyclones Mixlr: Cincinnati Cyclones
WKZO (Wings): WKZO
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Keep trying cyclones, you haven’t lost a lot of games by much. Build off the great penalty kill.