A Sigh of Relief

If you didn’t have the chance to watch or listen, let us tell you it was quite the game. You can read all the details here. The Cyclones rode rookie Cory Conacher all the way to the win, but the play of the game was made by referee Curtis Marouelli.

Late in the game and down by a goal head Fisherman Nick Vitucci pulled his goal with over 2 minutes to play. It lead to a scrum in the low slot with the puck finding the back of the net. Marouelli instantly held both hands in the air indicating the play had been blown dead. The replay from AmericaOne clearly showed the puck loose in front and going into the net. Fortunately for the Cyclones, the replay also clearly showed Marouelli bringing his whistle up with the intent to blow the play dead before the puck crossed the goal line. The key phrase here is “the intent to blow the whistle.” While players are always taught to play to the whistle, the rule book says the play ends when the referee decides to blow the whistle, not when it actually blows. It was the one break the Cyclones would get from the referee who whistled the Boys for 6 minor penalties (several of which were questionable calls to say the least) throughout the game compared to Toledo’s two. It was a rough game for the ref who spent most of the afternoon out of position and chasing the play. Ironically, if Marouelli had been out of position on the play the goal probably would have been good. Luckily for the ‘Clones, Marouelli was in position behind, and slightly to the right of Foster’s net and when he lost sight of the puck he blew the whistle as he’s supposed to.

It’s tough call to lose on if you’re a Fish fan but ultimately it was by the book. And when the referee gives you 6 chances to capitalize on the man advantage and you don’t, it you little to complain about.

***

Looking forward here’s what the standings look like:

The Cyclones now find themselves legitimately in the 8th and final playoff position and more or less control their own destiny. If the Boys can earn 3 points in their final 2 games with Kalamazoo They’re in regardless of what Toledo does in their final 3 games. All the pressure is on the Fish at this point.

The magic numbers are:

Greenville – Clinched 3/19

Reading – Clinched 3/19

Kalamazoo – Clinched 3/20

Florida – Clinched 3/27 with Cyclones’ win over Toledo

Wheeling – Clinched 3/27 with Cyclones’ win over Toledo

South Carolina – Clinched 3/27 with Cyclones’ win over Toledo and OT loss to Greenville

Elmira – 3

Cincinnati – 3

The tragic:

Trenton – Eliminated 3/20, We like it better when you were the Titans anyhow.

Gwinnett – Eliminated by the Cyclones’ win and their loss to reading. It was a good fight but Caesar gave them a “thumbs down”

Toledo – 3

It a 3 horse race for the final 2 playoff spots and Toledo is the long shot right now. The crazy part is, outside of the top 3 places the rest of the Eastern Conference is separated by just 2 points. It’s still possible for the Cyclones to finish as high as 4th in the Conference believe it or not.

Until the next big game which is Wednesday morning….

-Mike-

Living on the Edge

Have you ever woken up in the morning and thought to yourself, “Wow, did that really just happen?” Well that’s what we did this morning after the watching the Cyclones take a 7-0 beating from the Toledo Walleye. It was a tail of 2 teams, one which looked like it wanted to continue playing into late April while the other was just content to call it season. There really isn’t much to talk about as it was all pretty much awful. The defense was porous, the offense anemic and very few showings of emotion. It wasn’t what you’d expect from any team battling for a playoff position, let alone from a team wearing a crest that has won 2 Championships in 3 years. Despite the lackluster performance from the Boys, we will give a half star to Dustin Sproat who apologized via Twitter to those that were in attendance.

That’s enough of the doom and gloom of yesterday, on to today’s tilt. It wasn’t that long ago that we where talking about how the game down in Gwinnett was the biggest of the season. Well, when you’re battling for the last playoff spot and you’ve had trouble stringing wins together for much of the season, the games tend to get more and more important this time of year and today’s game is by far the biggest game on the schedule right now, at least until the next one.

Here’s how it breaks down, Toledo trails the Cyclones by 2 points but has a game in hand. If the Fish and Cyclones finish the season tied on points and the Fish have more wins in regulation/OT (shoot out wins don’t count), which is currently the case, then the Fish will be playing extra hockey while the Cylones make arrangements to play Saturday night softball. So a regulation win by the Cyclones today, will just about put Their post season destiny back into their own hands since a single win against Kalamazoo in the last 2 games will force the Fish to win all 3 of their remaining games (2 at Wheeling and Elmira at home) in order to get in. A loss however, will force the ‘Clones to win Their remaining 2 games with Kalamazoo AND get some help from of a couple of Toledo loses. If the Fish win today all they will have to do is match the Cyclones regulation win total and they’re in. Again, this is not a “win and we’re in, lose and we’re out” scenario, but life becomes much more difficult for the team that loses today. There is a chance the Cyclones will be scoreboard watching Saturday night to learn their fate.

***

We haven’t updated the magic/tragic numbers in a while so here they are. Remember, Toledo is technically in 8^th place based on possible points and tire breakers so the Cyclones are back to the tragic list despite the what the standings say.

The Magic:

Greenville – Clinched 3/19

Reading – Clinched 3/19

Kalamazoo – Clinched 3/20

Florida – 2

Wheeling – 2

South Carolina – 3

Elmira – 5

Toledo – 6

The Tragic:

Trenton – Dead in the water, eliminated 3/20

Gwinnett – 4

Cincinnati – 6

-Mike-

Southern Swing Update

The Cyclones,who have played well against the Southern Division all season, kept things rolling on the 1st leg of Their swing down South. The Boys won all 3 games against the South Carolina Stingrays. Cail MacLean’s squad was a bit depleted but that didn’t stop them from putting a fight in game 3 of the series. If not for some late game heroics from Brock Sheahan to tie the score with the goalie pulled and force OT, the Boys could have found Themselves losing ground to the field in the playoff race. When overtime didn’t decide anything, it was on to a shootout where Mathieu Aubin netted the game winner in round 5. Cyclones net minder Brian Foster didn’t play his best game of the season but he came up big when the game was on the line stopping all 5 South Carolina attempts.

***

The sweep against South Carolina allowed the ‘Clones to keep pace with the playoff pack and sets up a huge game against Gwinnett. Currently the Gladiators and Cyclones are tied with 65 points. Despite what the article on the ECHL’s website reports, according to rule changes for the approved over the summer, the Gladiators hold the first tie break with ‘Clones with a greater number of regulation/OT wins. While Tuesday’s match up with Gwinnett won’t put the Cyclones in the playoffs, moving ahead of the Gladiator’s on points will make the battle a bit easier. A loss on the other hand won’t put the ‘Clones out, but it will make capturing a playoff position much more difficult. In our eyes, Tuesday’s game is a MUST win for the Cyclones.

***

If you’re keeping track at home, here are the magic numbers:

Reading Royals – 5

Greenville Road Warriors – 6

Kalamazoo Wings – 11

South Carolina Stingrays – 15

Florida Everblades – 18

Elmira Jackals – 19

Wheeling Nailers – 19

Gwinnett Gladiators – 21

Cincinnati Cyclones – 21

***

Looking at the way things are shaping up, if South Carolina doesn’t get some help from above with their roster, there is a good chance Florida could overtake them.

Wheeling has received some help in the form or Patrick Killeen. If Killeen and Delmas can play the way they’re capable, then the Nailers might just hang on. We wouldn’t expect them to do much in the post season if they do however.

-Mike-

Eastern Conference Playoff Predictions

There is less than a month left in the regular season and the Eastern Conference Playoff picture is starting to shape up. There is still a lot to be determined so we thought we’d get out our prognosticating hats and make some Eastern Conference Playoff predictions. As of 3/4/11 the standings look like this:

 

Reading Royals – The Royals are in. The question will be it they can hang onto the top seed in the Conference. They will no doubt win the Atlantic Division which will assure them of a top 3 seeding. The Challenge for the top honours will come from Dean Stork’s Greenville squad.

Greenville Road Warriors – The Road Warriors have been one of the most consistent teams all season and will make the post season. Despite their lackluster performance for Dean Stork’s return to USBA, they will be the team to beat come playoff time. Greenville plays the right kind of game when it comes to play off hockey; defensively sound with solid goaltending.

Kalamazoo Wings – The Wings have been on a tear lately. They’re probably the hottest team in the Conference right now. They will most likely win the North Division and the 3^rd playoff seed. The question that will determine the Wings success will be goaltending. Ryan Nie should be back stopping the Wings in the playoffs. We’re thinking their current use of Riley Gill is simply to get Nie some rest since he’s carried the load for the Wings all season. The issue with Nie is in his head. If the Wings can get him a lead, he gets confident and can play lights out. However, if the opposition can get to him early, the game can get out of hand before they realize it. The Wings play a tight checking game in both zones and have enough skill to take advantage of the opportunities they get.

South Carolina Stingrays – Cail MacLean’s team is in and could still possible contend for the South Division Title. The ‘Rays will have their work cut out for them if they want to catch the Road Warriors but once in the playoffs everyone starts from scratch with the same goal, 15 wins. The ‘Rays have a head coach in MacLean, who as an assistant to Jared Bednar, hoisted the Kelly Cup in 2009. Should it happen, a potential meeting between the Stingrays and the Road Warriors would be one to watch.

Florida Everblades – The ‘Blades fast start should have been enough to get them in. They’ve been struggling as of late due to lack of goaltending. They play a run and gun style of game which can put up goals in bunches but from what we’ve observed in their game, doesn’t yield much in the way in puck possession. In fact, in the games we’ve watched, whether it be in person of on AmericaOne, Florida doesn’t seem to interested in playing 5 on 5 possession type hockey, regardless of whether is offensively or defensively. It’s a game that’s fun to watch but puts a lot pressure on the net minders. We can’t see the ‘Blades sticking around too long if they don’t get the services of Goepfert or Janus back, especially since as the probable 5^th seed they will get a 1^st round match up with either South Carolina or Greenville.

***

The top 5 seeds are pretty safe. There could be a little shuffling to happen but the real discussion will take place over the 6^th, 7^th and 8^th slots.

Wheeling Nailers – The Wheeling Nailers are in a complete free fall since losing the majority of the team to AHL call up. The Nailers’ success this season has been a direct result of the players assigned to them by their affiliates and now due to injuries throughout the food chain, they find themselves with a line up depleted of skilled players and despite their best efforts have gone winless in their last 10 games. The future doesn’t look bright for the Nailers either. There are 3 players on IR for the Pens that the Wilkesbarre/Scranton Baby Pens were hoping to have on their Clear Day rosters, unfortunately there is no loop hole, if a player is on a NHL roster at the trade deadline he is not eligible to be on the Clear Day Roster and therefore not eligible to play the reainder of the AHL season, including the Calder Cup Playoff. That all translates to 3 more players Wheeling won’t be getting back as well. In fact, the Nailers were lucky to get Schnell and Haddad back. Taking a look at the Nailers’ remaining schedule, we feel their going to have a hard time hanging on. If they do, it will be for 8^th.

Elmira Jackals – The Jackals are a bit of a surprise right now. They’ve gone from being a struggling team to being on a roll; all since firing Malcolm Cameron. Elmira currently holds the tiebreaker with Cincinnati having one more win than the ‘Clones. The question for Elmira will be if they can keep up the current run or if their recent success is just a boost from the coaching change.

Cincinnati Cyclones – We haven’t always agreed with coach Skalde’s philosophies here on CycWords but one thing is clear, he’s going to do what he feels is best to get the Team playing the way he wants. This season that has meant changing the roster. Those decisions haven’t always been popular with fans but there is no doubt the team is better now than they were at the beginning. There are still some questions remaining, especially around the defensive core and goaltending but overall Skalde and Co have done enough to get in provided they keep it going.

Gwinnett Gladiators – The Gladiators are on the outside looking in right now. They will have to overtake both Cincinnati and Toledo to get in. Even with a game left against the Cyclones, the 2 extra games played by the Gladiators will probably haunt. The Gladiators best chance lies in going on a run over their last 6-8 games and get help from Toledo in the form of wins over the Cyclones.

Toledo Walleye – Of the teams on the outside, Toledo probably has the best chance of sneaking in. They have 3 games left with Wheeling which could prove to be pivotal for the 8^th spot, not to mention the 3 games remaining against the Cyclones. It’s been a common theme in this post, but Toledo’s success will be tied into their goaltending. The Fish have struggled defensively all year allowing the 2^nd most goals in the Conference. If they don’t tighten up in their own zone it will be an early tee time.

Trenton Devils – We just checked in with the country club and their tee times are already booked. Let’s face it, while not mathematically eliminated, the Devils have been awful all season and there’s no reason to think that is going to change.

***

Back in January we guessed it would take roughly 75 points to get in. It still looks like that is going to be the number. That being said here’s our guess at the final standing:

1. Reading Royals
2. Greenville Road Warriors
3. Kalamazoo Wings
4. South Carolina Sting Rays
5. Florida Everblades
6. Elmira Jackals
7. Cincinnati Cyclones
8. Wheeling Nailers

There could be some shuffling in the top 5 but we think they’re pretty well set. The question is going to be Wheeling’s free fall; if Killeen and Delmas can stay healthy they should be able to hang on. However, even if they do to hang onto 8^th, they would get a 1^st round match up with Reading which will not likely end well for them. There is a chance the ‘Clones could overtake Elmira for the 5^th spot but given that it sets up a 1^st round date with Kalamazoo, we would rather them stick in 7^th.

The top the 3 teams get to select the 1^st round format which will be best of 5, they can choose between hosting games 1 and 2 or games 3-5. We guess that unless there are other issues (building usage etc) teams will have learned from last season and start on the road.

In the Quarter final match ups we’ve got…

Reading over Wheeling 3-1 – Killeen will be able to steal a game but not much more.

Greenville over Cincinnati 3-2 – We really hope the Boys can carry the success they’ve had against the South Division into the playoffs, but we can’t see the Boys pulling off an upset. Especially  Dean Stork has his full roster back, Greenville is just scary if that’s the case.

Kalamazoo over Elmira 3-1 – Kalamazoo is playing their best hockey of the year right now and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue. We doubt the Jackals ability to keep their current momentum going.

South Carolina over Florida 3-1 – South Carolina is the real dark house and Florida’s play is too one dimensional. The ‘Rays should handle the ‘Blades without too much of and issue.

In the Semifinals…

South Carolina beats Reading 4-2 – Reading will put up a fight but Cail MacLean’s defense will get the job done.

Greenville beats Kalamazoo 4-2 – Despite how well they’re playing now, we can’t see the Wings upsetting Greenville. The Road Warriors are the team to beat.

That will set up South Carolina and Greenville in the Conference Finals. We’re going to give to Greenville 4-3. That will send Dean Stork to the Kelly Cup Final where he’ll probably face either Las Vegas or Alaska. If it’s Las Vegas, anyone want to go?

-Mike-

Scoreboard Watching

In Friday night ECHL action, the Cyclones got some help from Kalamazoo. The Wings battled back to take a 4-3 regulation win over the Toledo Storm. Unfortunately the Cyclones were unable to help their own cause and dropped the decision with the Wheeling Nailers. The magic number now stands at 28 for the Cyclones.

Heading into tonights action, there will again be 4 points on the line. The Boys no doubt need to rebound and take 2 points from Toledo but the Fish’s loss to Kalamazoo last night makes Gwinnett the team to watch. The Gladiators will take on Trenton tonight at 7:05pm. Let’s hope the Devils feel up to the role of playing spoiler and can hand Gwinnett a regulation loss.

Inching Closer

If you’re keeping score at home, last nights win over Reading has put the Cyclones’ magic number to 30. Unfortunately Reading decided not to do the Boys any favors and lost 4-1 to Toledo tonight.

Looking at the weekends games, the Cyclones will need to take advantage of a depleted Wheeling squad and keep it rolling when Toledo comes to town on Saturday. If you don’t mind scoreboard watching, with any luck the juggernaut that is the Kalamazoo Wings will do some damage when they visit Toledo on Friday.

In other new…

- The Cyclones have released Chase Watson. Watson was one of the first mid season acquisitions Skalde made. He’s seen limited ice time in the last few games and was inactive for last weekends tilt @ Kalamazoo. We not sure what he did to get put in Skalde’s doghouse but it was obviously enough to earn a bus ticket home.

- The Cyclones have added another defenseman to the mix by signing Garrett Suter. Hopefully Suter can be more than just a famous name when he skates with the Club tomorrow evening.

 

David Desharnais: the Little Centre Who Could

Hey, remember this guy?

Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images

Maybe this will refresh your memory…

(Photo courtesy of Kara Stabler)

Remember how he wouldn’t play in the NHL? Or probably even be effective at the AHL level? He’s too small. Has that stopped David Desharnais once?

He was undrafted, likely for that reason, but would go 126-248-374 in 199 games with Chicoutimi of the QMJHL.

And then he came to Cincinnati. Remember that? 29-77-106 in 68 games, 33 points in 22 playoff games, and I’m pretty sure a lot of hardware has his name on it from that year.

Then he  left us for the greener pastures of the American Hockey League, just as we expected any guy who’d throw up 106 points in the ECHL would, and in his first two years with the Bulldogs, the Little Engine Who Could had 136 points in 137 games. He broke the Bulldogs’ single-season point record in 2010. He was called up from Hamilton to play his first game with the Montreal Canadiens, rode in a limo from Hamilton to Pittsburgh for that game, and while he didn’t do much in his short stint with the Habs, it was proof of what we already knew: this kid was good.

This year started with another reassignment to Hamilton, and in his 35 games with the baby Habs, he put up 45 points. So long, Desharnais, the NHL has called for real this time. In eighteen games with the Canadiens this season, Desharnais has 5 goals and 6 assists. Last night against the Maple Leafs he showed poise, patience, and the experience of a man with more than 24 games of NHL experience.

Montreal can’t get enough of him. And honestly, we can’t blame them. We couldn’t either.

“Davey’s awesome,” confirmed Pouliot, who has played left wing alongside Desharnais since the speedy pivot was called up from Hamilton on New Year’s Eve. “When he first got called up he was so happy. He kept talking about how excited he was to be in the NHL and to be a Montreal Canadien and now he’s doing more than ever.”

“He’s a small player, but he never hesitates to go into high traffic areas. For sure he’s not going to play like [Milan] Lucic or a big guy like that, but he plays with no fear out there,” added [Habs head coach Jacques Martin]. “I have complete confidence that that’s the type of game David is going to bring for us.”

“It’s amazing. Sometimes I don’t even realize what’s happening,” explained the diminutive center with a grin. “At the same time, I have to keep performing well and I think I’m starting to hit my stride. I have confidence in myself. It’s a psychological thing I guess, but after I scored that first goal [on January 12] everything has gone well and I’ve just kept working and now here I am,” he marveled. “But the toughest part isn’t getting here; it’s staying here. I want to stay here and I’m going to work my [butt] off to make sure I do.”

– “Rave Reviews“

He was told a few weeks ago to find a permanent place of residence. David Desharnais has, through blue collar hard work, through battling all night every night, earned his place in the NHL.

But he’ll never play in the NHL.

Playoffs! We’re talking about Playoffs!?

Yes, it’s about time for us to take a close look at the Cyclones playoff chances. Granted, there are still 26 games for the Cyclones to play and if They can keep it close there is a good chance they can be in control of Their own destiny over Their last 6 games which will be against Kalamazoo and Toledo; two of the teams They will be battling for a playoff slot down the stretch. That being said, it will be an uphill battle for the Cyclones.

The Cyclones sit in the 8th and final playoff position. However, a quick look at the numbers show that They are really on the outside looking in right now. Based on winning percentage the Cyclones sit in 9th position.

The Cyclones have struggled to find the consistency to keep them above .500 all season. If that continues the Cyclones will finish with around 72 points on the year and will be hitting the links early. The Kalamazoo Wings are winning sit at .523 which projects out to 76 points at the end of the year. The Elmira Jackals and Toledo Walleye come in at .511 which will bring them home with 73+ points. The battle will be tight and for the Cyclones, it has to start now. By our estimation the Cyclones will need to earn 30 points over Their last 26 games to have a shot at the post season. Is it impossible, of course not. In fact, it would require the Boys to post a win percentage of about .577 over Their last 26. That’s a record of 15-11 which is very obtainable.

Breaking those last 26 games down it looks like this; 14 games within the North Division, 11 against the South and 1 against the Atlantic. The games within the Division break down to 7 against Kzoo, 6 against Toledo and 1 with Wheeling. The games with the South start with 3 with Florida, 1 against Greenville (all at USBA) before the southern swing which includes 3 games each with South Carolina and Greenville and a single tilt with Gwinnett.

The games against the South Division will be key, of the 8 teams They have left on the schedule, the 4 South Division teams are the only ones the Cyclones have winning records against (3-2 vs FLA, 2-0-1 vs SC, and 1-0 vs GWT).

The games within the North Division are more of an open book, with the exception of Wheeling the Cyclones hold .500 records against both Toledo and Kzoo. Given there are 13 games remaining against those 2 teams it’s imperative the Cyclones swing those season series in Their favor. There is one more game against Wheeling and while every game is important in regards to making the playoffs, a win with Wheeling would be big for the Boys simply due to the recent results They’ve had against the Nailers.

When it’s all said and done, all of the above is just math and numbers, the games still have to be played. If Coach Skalde and the Cyclones can find the consistent play we feel they are capable of, They Cyclones should play at least a few more games into April.

We’ll have more regarding Coach Skalde and consistency in an upcoming post. I asked him what it would take for the Cyclones to find consistent efforts at a recent Cyclones’ Coach’s Show. Once the podcast is posted at Cycloneshockey.com we’ll weigh in with our thoughts on his response.

***

Other news and notes…

When Florida comes to town for a 3 game set starting Wednesday night, they will no doubt bring along their uptempo transition game. The Cyclones frustrated the Everblades during their trip to Florida and if They’re to do it again they’ll have to do it without Bryan O’Hanely who is still on assignment with Portland.

The Cyclones will have the services of Mathieu Aubin who has returned after a brief call up to the Lake Erie Monsters.

Marc Cheverie has been recalled to Rochester. It’s being reported that Amerks’ net minder Jacob Markstrom is out with a knee issue that isn’t serious but will require surgery but there is no time table set yet on when it will occur. Barring a move by the Panthers or Rochester odds are that Cheverie will be gone for at least while. This will give Chet Pickard the opportunity to prove what a 1st round net minder can do.

The Cyclones received permission from Florida/Rochester to deal Chris Clackson to Greenville for Forward Paul McIlveen. McIlveen will bring more experience into the locker room, but it’s hard to say if he can provide an instant jump start to the offense. Cyclones’ fans may remember McIlveen from the 07-08 South Carolina Stingrays and the 08-09 Elmira Jackals. His best season as a pro was 08-09 when he put up 55pts in 64 games.

-Mike-

Post All Star Break Update

About a month ago I suggested the Cyclones would need to win about 60% of Their games from here on out and getting to .500 by the All Star break would be a good start. Well, the All Star break has come and gone, the Cyclones sit at .500 (17-17-7, 41pts) which is good enough for 8th in the Conference. The downside is that They are in a playoff position technically but are really on the outside looking in. The 2 teams chasing the Cyclones are the Kalamazoo Wings (40pts) and the Toledo Walleye (39pts), both of which have 2 games in hand on the Cyclones.

To make matters worse, it wasn’t that long ago when the Cyclones had 3 game series with Division leading Wheeling which could have flipped the standings. Instead the Cyclones won just 1 of the 3 games getting out scored 15 to 7 in the process.

The Cyclones have 31 games remaining, in order to reach the 75+ points which will probably be required to make the playoffs They will have to earn roughly 40pts. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for error.

***

It wouldn’t be a season…if the Cyclones didn’t play the South Carolina Stingrays at some point. That’s exactly what the Cyclones will get this weekend as the ‘Rays come to town for a 3 game series. The rivalry, which dates back to the 07-08 season, usually takes place in the post season but with the post season in question for the Cyclones, the series will be a good test for the Cyclones moxie. The Sting Rays currently sit in 5th place in the Conference, 11 points clear of the Cyclones.

Lip Service…If you attend the Cyclones Coach’s Show or listen to Nick Brunker’s pregame segments you’ve heard things like “we’re built to win close games,” and “when we come out strong and make things difficult…” come from the Coach’s and players’ mouths. The problem is, all to often the Cyclones give up early goals and play soft in Their own zone and the game is out of reach. Until there is a hard effort on a consistent basis for 60 minutes They will continue to struggle.

Roster Changes…Over the past few games the Cyclones have seen a few new faces join the line up. First, Chase Watson came over in a trade from Trenton. Then David Sloane finally rejoined the team after spending the bulk of the season on IR. Also, in the midst of call ups and suspensions Jon Higgins and Tyler Fletcher joined the squad.

Watson, who was acquired from Trenton for the dreaded future consideration has performed admirably in his 1st 3 games with the Club posting 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points.

Sloane, who spent most of the season on IR was a guy that CycWords had high hopes for. Unfortunately, he failed to live up to expectations and has since been released.

Higgins and Fletcher where both called up from Knoxville of the SPHL mostly to fill ins. Both were serviceable but have since been released.

Speaking of call ups…Dylan Hunter has been up in Milwaukee for some time and I don’t think he’ll be back anytime soon. With Jamie Lundmark leaving the Nashville organization for Europe there should be a semi permanent spot in the Admirals line up for Hunter.

Cyclones All Star Brian O’Hanley spent some time in Rochester prior to the ECHL All Star break where he notched his first AHL goal.

Former Cyclone Chris Mueller made his NHL debut shortly after we put him on out Christmas list. He tallied his 1st NHL point January 16th against the Chicago Blackhawks. He notched 2 more on the 18th in helping JP Dumont log a hat trick.

Catching up the success of current and former Cyclones wouldn’t be complete with mentioning David Desharnais and Cedrick Desjardins. Desharnais tallied his 1st NHL goal on January 12th against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Desjardins was called up to Tampa Bay over Christmas, mostly to get some NHL level practice in. When Tampa’s back up goalie was injured it opened the door for Cedrick to dress for the Lightning. Ceddy would ultimately play in back to back games, winning them both. His 1st NHL win came against the Montreal Canadiens.

2 Return…When the Cyclones take the ice tonight against the Sting Rays They will have the services of Ryan Del Monte and Adam Comrie. Del Monte returns after playing 15 games with Worchester. His grittiness is something the Cyclones could really use right now. Adam Comrie, returns from a brief call up to Rochester.

There could be more help on the way…Nashville has reassigned Chris Muller and Matt Halischuk to Milwaukee. The Preds are inactive until after the NHL All Star break so this is most likely a short term assignment. However, if it is long term it could send someone out way. We’ll keep and eye on it and report if we hear anything further.

 

-Mike-

Moving Month

It’s moving month, or month and a half as the case may be for the Cyclones. The next 6 weeks will see them play the bulk of Their remaining home games, all but wrap up Their season series with current North Division leading Wheeling and see South Division opponents South Carolina, Florida and Greenville come through USBA. While the Cyclones will have a very busy March, it will be the next 6 weeks that will see the Cyclones either solidify Their playoff hopes or slip to find themselves on the outside looking in.

Here are my thoughts and some other tidbits to chew on:

On Pace…Last update I suggested that the Cyclones would need to win roughly 60% of Their games the rest of the way in order to make the playoffs and getting above .500 before the All Star break would be a good start. The ‘Clones have won 5 of 7 since the start of 2011 which puts them at 16-14-7 for 39pts and .527 win percentage. It’s a good start but with 4 Divisional games left before the break anything can happen, but I like the trend.

Home Cooking…If that trend is going to continue after the break the Cyclones are going to have to improve at home. They are currently just 6-9-2 at home. That’s not good and with 11 of the next 14 games taking place at USBA over the next 6 weeks, if the Boys can’t improve at home they’ll have quite an uphill battle ahead of them in March.

Raising the Bar…When the Cyclones headed to Florida for the 3 game set I would have been happy had the Boys just managed 3 or 4 points from one of the League’s more potent offenses. Instead, the ‘Clones came away with 6 points and more impressively, held the Everblade offense to just 2.3 goals per game, which is almost a full point less than their season average. Had the Cyclones not allowed 5 goals against in the 3rd game of the series, that average would have been much better. While Florida isn’t the most difficult team to game plan for, their roster is loaded with some of the most skilled guys in the league, the 3 wins against that kind of lineup show what the Cyclones are capable of when the coaching staff gets it right and the players execute for 60 minutes.

Best of 3…Coming off a 3 game sweep of the Everblades, the Cyclones returned home for a date with Kalamazoo before entering into a big 3 game set with the Nailers. The Cyclones kept Their momentum rolling with a scrappy OT win against the K-wings setting things up for the Nailers. Unfortunately, for the nearly 6000 in attendance, after playing nearly 12 consecutive periods of solid hockey, the Cyclones got nailed. Before the game was even 8 minutes old, the Cyclones found Themselves in a 3-0 hole. After a goalie swap the Cyclones battled back thanks to a 2 goal effort from Brady Calla but the 3-0 hole was too much to overcome.

I didn’t get a chance to watch game 2 of the series at Wheeling but it sounded like a rather balanced match, once again showing that when the Boys play the way They need to They can play with and beat just about anyone.

With only a handful of games left against the Division leaders, it makes Tuesday’s rubber match a must win for the Cyclones. The ‘Clones and Nailers are even on games played. A win for the Cyclones will make the Division race a near dead heat with the Cyclones trailing by a mere point, while a loss will put the Boys 5 pts behind.

Olson continues to impress…I’ll admit I wasn’t an early supporter of Olson, mostly because I’ve never been a proponent of having an enforcer playing a roll which sees him play a regular shift, aka defense. Benn was more than effective as an enforcer but his skating and defensive showings in those early games made him look like a liability. As the season as wore on Benn has proven to be more than capable on the blue line. In fact, he currently leads all Cyclone defensemen with a +7 rating. While Olson has become a fan favorite for pugilistic reasons, he’s become a CycWords favorite for his play.

Balanced Scoring…It probably doesn’t come as a surprise but the Cyclones don’t have a player in the top 10, top 20 or even top 30 in the League when it comes to scoring. The Cyclones leading scorer is Mathieu Aubin who currently ranks 32nd in the League. While the Cyclones lack a superstar scorer, Their scoring is spread very evenly through the line up which makes them difficult to match up against.

Scotty doesn’t know…Scott Reynolds has, for several seasons been a stand out defensive forward for the Cyclones. After spending the 2008-2009 season in Europe, he returned to the Cyclones in 09-10. Last season Scott put up 56pts in 70 games and finished the season +19. Reynolds was one of Coach Weber’s go to forwards, along with Barret Ehgoetz, for defensive situations and penalty kills. Scott excelled in these scenarios and the points he put up were a pleasant added bonus. Scott started the season overseas this season and since returning to the Cyclones has 19 pts and is -4. If the Cyclones are going to make a serious run They will need Scott to regain the form that made him one of the Leagues top 2-way forwards last season.