MOLINE, Ill. – Mark Visentin made 25 saves and Brandon McNally scored two goals and added an assist as the Cincinnati Cyclones (15-13-4) shut out the host Quad City Mallards (18-12-2) 4-0 Friday night.
McNally cut across the Mallard goalmouth to give Cincinnati a 1-0 lead at 10:22 of the first period.
Shane Walsh- who also had two assists- fired home the second Cyclone goal from the right wing circle with just 27 seconds left in the second period. Visentin was at his busiest in setting the stage for Walsh to double the Cincinnati advantage by stopping all 11 second period Mallard shots.
The Cyclones put the game away with a pair of third period goals. McNally stretched the gap to 3-0 by burying Walsh’s centering feed at 8:08 of the third. The Cyclones were on the power play when Nick Huard capped off the victory from close range at 16:20.
The Mallards return to action on the road tomorrow night against the Komets in Fort Wayne. The Mallards next play at home next Friday night, January 13 at 7:05 p.m. against the Indy Fuel and next Saturday night, January 14 at 7:05 p.m. against the Komets. January 13 and January 14 will also see former Mallards return to the iWireless Center for alumni weekend, featuring a tribute to former team president Howard Cornfield next Friday and an alumni game and a twentieth season Genesis jersey auction next Saturday.
Cornfield, who led the Mallards to unprecedented success between 1996 and 2005, will be honored before the current Mallards play the Fuel next Friday at 7:05 p.m. Returning Mallards will be introduced before next Friday’s game, meet fans and sign autographs during the contest before joining fans for a postgame event at the iWireless Center. Mallards legends will hit the ice themselves for the alumni game next Saturday afternoon at 4:30. The 2017 Mallards will wear special edition twentieth season mash-up jerseys when they face the Fort Wayne Komets Saturday evening at 7:05 p.m. Those jerseys will go up for bid in a live auction to benefit the Genesis Health Services Foundation immediately following that game. Tickets for next Saturday’s Mallards-Komets clash will also be good for the alumni game.
With Quad City Mallards release
Contact the photographer: Rich.Guill@prohockeynews.com (Sean Flynn Photography)
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