Cincinnati
is making a league record third Game 7 appearance while Reading is
playing in its first Game 7. The Cyclones are 0-2 in Game 7 after
losing 5-3 at Dayton in the North Division Finals in 2006 and 3-2 at
Atlantic City in the conference finals in 2003. The
home team has won nine times in Game 7 (75 percent), but the visitor
was the winner the last time as Dayton beat Florida 4-3 in overtime to
advance to the Kelly Cup Finals a year ago. Trenton won on the road at
Alaska in the conference finals en route to the Kelly Cup championship
in 2005 and the Carolina Thunderbirds won Game 7 at Johnstown to
capture the first ECHL championship in 1989. There
have been six Game 7s in the last two years, including a record four in
2006, after only having six Game 7s in the previous 17 years. The 2006
Kelly Cup Playoffs were the first time that more than one Game 7 had
been played in a single postseason. Dayton
in 2007 became the first team in ECHL history to win two Game 7s in a
single postseason, beating Cincinnati at home in the North Division
Finals and Florida on the road in the American Conference Finals. The
Bombers became only the third team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a
playoff series when they beat Cincinnati. Bakersfield
in 2006 was the first team to play two Game 7s in a single postseason,
beating Long Beach in the division semifinals before losing in the
division finals to Fresno. The Falcons then became the second team to
play two Game 7s when they lost in double overtime in the conference
finals on the road to eventual champion Alaska.
CYCLONES IN A GAME 7
Cyclones Game 5-3-08 (Game 6)
The Cincinnati Cyclones scored a pair of second period goals 59 seconds
apart, to claim a 4-2 win over the Reading Royals Saturday night. The
victory levels the best of seven series for the North Division
championship at three wins each. The seventh game is Monday night (May
5) at 7:30pm at U.S. Bank Arena.
Mathieu Aubin’s goal with 21 seconds remaining sealed the scoring and
ended a comeback bid in the final three minutes. Cedrick Desjardins stopped 27 shots in picking up his third win
of the playoffs.
The first period closed with no scoring, but Reading had three power
play chances and ten shots on goal. Cincinnati goaltender Cedrick
Desjardins delivered two big saves in the frame—including one glove
save during a four minute power play in the opening minute of the game.
The shots on goal favored the Royals, 10-4, in the first frame.
Cincinnati scored a pair of goals in the second period to open a 2-0
lead. 16:03 into the frame, rookie David Desharnais came up the right
wing side and fired a blast between the legs of goaltender Danny Taylor
for his second playoff score. Jean-Michel Daoust had the assist on the
score. Just 59 seconds later, at 17:02, Matheiu Aubin picked up his
fifth score of the Kelly Cup playoffs from the left side of the net.
Olivier Latendresse had the lone assist on the score. Play in the frame
was dominated by the Cyclones, as the 19-5 shots on goal total would
attest.
The third period saw the Cyclones extend the lead when Scott Reynolds
got his second of the playoffs from the bottom of the left circle. The
assists came from Thomas Beauregard and Barret Ehgoetz. Reading
scored back-to-back goals 41 seconds apart in the final three minutes to close
within one, at 3-2. Aubin netted his second of the night and sixth of
the playoffs at 19:39 to close the scoring with an empty net goal.
This was the sixth game of the best-of-seven North Division Finals. It
is the third time in team history that the squad has reached this stage
of the Kelly Cup playoffs and second straight year that is has
occurred. The Cyclones (55-12-5) were the North Division, American
Conference and Brabham Cup (best overall ECHL regular season record)
champions. Reading (38-26-6), which was seeded third, upended
second-seeded Elmira in a six game series that ended more than a week
ago to advance to this round. Game seven of the series will be played
at U.S. Bank Arena on Monday night (May 5) at 7:30p
Cyclones Game 4-30-08
The Cincinnati Cyclones used a pair of goals from Thomas Beauregard in
a 5-3 win over Reading on Wednesday night. The victory ties the best of
seven series at two games apiece. The fifth game of the series is
Thursday night at U.S. Bank Arena at 7:30pm.
It took just 3 seconds for the Cyclones to send a message that they will no longer take any abuse the Royals want to dish out. After some verbal ranting in the pre-game warm-ups, and many name calling exchanges and F-BOMBS, Conrad Martin dropped the gloves with Nate McMillan of Reading. The Reading tough guy should have kept his mouth shut for he was blasted with a furry of right hands by Martin before being thrown to the ice.
The Cyclones truck for a pair of first period goals to open a 2-0 edge.
Rookie Thomas Beauregard snapped off a shot from the left faceoff
circle at 9:57 for his fifth postseason goal. Matt Syroczynski and Jon
Gleed added the assists on the score. Then, on the power play, with
11.3 seconds left in the frame, Jason Deitsch netted his second tally
of the playoffs. Deitsch was standing at the right of the goal and
fired it past Danny Taylor to open the 2-0 cushion. Beauregard and T.
J. McElroy had the helpers. Cincinnati outshot the Royals, 12-10, in
the first period.
The second period saw the teams exchange goals. Cincinnati extended the
lead to 3-0, as Olivier Latendresse picked up his third goal of the
playoffs at 2:32 from David Desharnais. Reading got on the scoreboard
with a powerplay goal from Patrik Hersley at 10:56. It was Hersley’s
second goal of the series and it came from the center of the blueline
through a screen in front of Cedrick Desjardins. Cincinnati dominated
the shots, 11-5, in the frame.
Reading tied the game with goals 34 seconds apart seven minutes into
the period. Dany Roussin and Joe Zappala netted the goals. The game
winning goal came from Beauregard at 15:13, his second of the night and
sixth of the Kelly Cup playoffs. Bryan Schmidt and Cedrick Desjardins
handed out the assists on the game winner. An empty net goal from
Barret Ehgoetz with 48 seconds remaining finished off the scoring.
The series is now tied at 2 games each, with game 5 coming from U.S. Bank arena Thursday night at 7:30. Tickets are just $10, along with $1 PBR's and Miller High Life.
Welcome to Hell Frozen Over
In a city with overpaid, whiney ****, crybabies, who have no passion for the sport in which they participate, the breath of fresh air the Cincinnati Cyclones have provided to me and my family has come back just in time.