The Cincinnati Cyclones twisted things up for the Toledo Walleye Thursday night in the quest for the Kelly Cup.
After a thrilling 2-0 shutout over the Walleye at Heritage Bank Center on April 28, the Cyclones are now 3-2 on the series, trying to win four out of seven games to advance to the next round of ECHL playoffs. Toledo took the first game of the series, followed by Cincinnati's two in a row and another Toledo win.
Games six and seven will be played in Toledo on April 30 and May 3. The winner of the Cyclones/Walleye series will advance to the Central Division finals against either the Fort Wayne Komets or the Wheeling Nailers.
In the April 28 battle, Cyclones goalie Michael Houser stopped all 42 of the shots he faced. The shutout was Houser's first since blocking 30 shots in the opening round of the playoffs on April 23, 2019, a release from the Cyclones says.
It has been three years since Cincinnati last saw Kelly Cup playoff action, plus it's the team's first campaign with head coach Jason Payne at the helm. The 'Clones have been crowned Kelly Cup champs twice.
The Cyclones hit home ice in October for the first time in about a year and a half after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the end of the 2019-2020 season and the Cyclones opted out of the 2020-2021 season. The team finished the 2021-2022 regular season on April 16 with a 36-32-3-1 record.
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