Monday, April 19, 1999
No rest for weary Cyclones, Ducks
Playoffs start this week
BY DAVE HELLER
Enquirer contributor
The playoff scenarios for the Cincinnati Cyclones and Cincinnati Mighty Ducks are similar. While both teams could have used a week off to help heal injured players for the playoffs, neither got such a luxury, and each must win on the road to advance in the postseason.
The Cyclones had an opportunity for a week's rest but lost out on a first-round bye to Orlando. Instead the team will begin IHL postseason play Tuesday — without goalie Jim Carey and center Jan Bulis.
Carey has an inner ear concussion and has been failing balance tests. Carey most likely is out for the playoffs, although he feels he's doing better than doctors indicate and is holding out hope he could return for later rounds.
Bulis is still suffering from headaches after a hit he took in Washington two months ago. Coach Ron Smith isn't anticipating Bulis will be available for the playoffs.
While the Cyclones will have home ice advantage in their best-of-three series against Indianapolis, losing out on the first-round bye means they would play host to only two games in a best-of-five second-round series against Orlando. The Cyclones are 2-6 versus the Solar Bears this season, 0-4 in Orlando.
The Ducks can't have home ice advantage in either of the first two rounds of the AHL playoffs. Of course, to make it to the second round they'll have to do something they haven't done in two years — win in Philadelphia. The Ducks open their best-of-five series in Philadelphia on Thursday.
The Ducks are 3-18-1-2 all-time against the Phantoms.
Neither defenseman Terran Sandwith (knee) nor leading scorer center Bob Wren (concussion) is assured of playing.
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