Triple “D” Desharnais, Desjardins and defense give Cyclones a step up

LAS VEGAS , NV :   The Cincinnati Cyclones shut out the Las Vegas Wranglers in Game 5 of the Kelly Cup Playoffs by a final score of 4-0. With the win the Cyclones will go back to Cincinnati with the 3-2 game advantage of best-of-seven series.  
 
The Wranglers fans marked record attendance for a home playoff game as they ended a three-game home stand with 6,957 in attendance. Cyclones center David Desharnais was a key tonight, as he has been each time Cincinnati has scored, with an assist earned from every goal in the game. The Wranglers may have scored first in the last two home games, but they failed to find the net tonight, as Cedrick Desjardins stopped

everything that came near him.
 
The Cyclones dominated the play throughout the first two periods. Jean-Michel Daoust started the scoring at 3:57 into the period, with a wrist shot from a feed from Desharnais. This gave Daoust his fifth goal of the post-season. At 10:50 into the period Conrad Martin scored a power-play goal off another Desharnais pass, with an assist to Daoust, as well. Martin would later leave the game in the third period after a hard hit in the corner.   
 
During the second stanza a wrist shot past goalie Kevin Lalande at 3:24 into the period made it 3-0 Cincinnati. The goal was set up by a pass from Desharnais to Matt Scyroczynski who scored his seventh goal of the postseason. At that point Las Vegas coach Glen Gulutzan replaced Lalande, who made 10 saves during the game, with Daniel Manzato. Manzato managed to shut down the Cyclones scoring for the duration of the period. The Cyclones out-shot the Wranglers 21-15 during the first two periods.
 
During the third period the Wranglers began shooting more, but still weren’t able to get anything into the net. The Cyclones’ Ryan Russell, off a pass from Desharnais, slipped the puck past Manzato to put the ‘Clones up 4-0. Manzato had 9 saves, while Desjardins had a remarkable 27 saves for the game.  
 
Las Vegas took many penalties during the game and it set the tone for the evening.
 
“There was too much worry about after the whistle stuff,” said Gulutzan. “We can’t let that get to us.”  
 
“Emotions (were) getting the best of them (Wranglers),” said Las Vegas defenseman Jason Jozsa. “We just can’t let that stuff happen, or they score on the power-play.”
 
There were a total of six power play opportunities for each team and the Cyclones were able to capitalize with a goal.
 
The Wranglers hope to put this game behind them, as both teams travel back to Cincinnati for Game 6 on Thursday, June 6. For Cincinnati the future is all positive as they will have two chances at home to claim the Kelly Cup.
 
Contact Shellie.lima@prohockeynews.com.