The Cincinnati Cyclones finished off their three-game weekend on a high note, picking up another two points in the standings with a 3-2 win over the Adirondack Thunder on Sunday. The Cyclones picked up five/six possible points this weekend, losing in OT Saturday night in Toledo, continuing their march toward the playoffs. `
With their victory on Sunday, the Cyclones now find themselves in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Central Division alongside the Bison and Fuel. Now, Kalamazoo Wings are just one point behind with 50, having silently crept back up the standings. With that, the four-team battle for the final Central division spot remains wide open since no team has yet to take control and close the gap with the Komets in third place.
First Period:
Kicking off the first period, Cincinnati’s Justin Portillo, loaned last month from the FPHL, dropped the gloves with Adirondack’s Sean Gulka at mid-ice.
Chris Dodero got Cincinnati on the board first, sniping a wrist shot past Thunder goaltender Colby Muise right after the Clones’ power play expired, making it 1-0.
Forward Lincoln Griffin extended the Cyclones’ lead with a power play goal just under two minutes left in the first period. After a shot from Justin Vaive rebounded his way, Griffin was quick to capitalize and bury it in the net.
Griffin’s impressive performance has him riding a decent point streak, contributing in five consecutive games for Cincinnati. Braeden Kressler also assisted on that first goal, helping the Cyclones take a 2-0 lead into the second period.
Second Period:
The Thunder later answered back with a goal from defenseman Darian Skeoch, who scored with just over eleven minutes remaining in the second period. Savva Smirnov set him up perfectly near the net, allowing Skeoch to take advantage of a backdoor opportunity.
The Cyclones carried the one-goal lead into the third and final period.
Third Period:
Griffin wasn’t done yet, netting his second goal at the 12:56 mark of the third period. After collecting the puck near the blue line in the offensive zone, his wrist shot eluded goaltender Colby Muise. That marked Griffin’s team-leading 39th point of the season, giving the Cyclones a crucial insurance goal for a 3-1 lead.
The Thunder fought back, with Ryan Francis splitting two-defensemen and finishing to cut Cincinnati’s lead to 3-2 with just under seven minutes left. His goal, the tenth of the season, was assisted by Gustav Muller and Adrien Bisson.
Despite a late surge from the Thunder, including two shots that hit the post, Cyclones goalie Vyacheslav Peksa weathered the storm, securing the hard-fought 3-2 win, improving the team’s record to 21-25-9-0 on the season.
The Cyclones really dominated the first twenty, outshooting the Thunder 10-6 and controlling the offensive zone/blue line. However, Adirondack made a comeback in the second, notching their first goal with Skeoch’s score. Peksa’s stellar glove saves in those closing moments of the second period were critical in maintaining Cincinnati’s 2-1 lead heading into the final frame.
In the end, the Cyclones weathered the storm from a struggling Adirondack team, pulling off a gritty victory to keep up in the playoff race.
Three Stars of the Game:
3) Chris Dodero – 1 G
2) Vyacheslav Peksa – 27/29 SVS
1) Lincoln Griffin – 2 G
Looking ahead, the Cyclones will transform into the Zinzinnati Steins this upcoming Friday as they face off against the Wichita Thunder at Heritage Bank Center, with the puck dropping at 7:35 PM.
ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again – Inside The Rink
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