TOLEDO
Yushiroh Hirano scored the game-winning goal just 21 seconds after Toledo tied the game, giving the Cincinnati Cyclones a 4-2 win over the Walleye on Sunday.
With time running out and trailing 2-1, Toledo would gamble by pulling goalie Sebastian Cossa for an extra skater.
The gamble would pay off as Brandon Hawkins would fire a shot from the point, the puck would be knocked down in front and Trenton Bliss would put the loose puck past Beck Warm to knot the game up at 2 with 1:38 remaining.
But the lead wouldn't last long as Cossa would misplay the puck dumped behind the net and Hirano would come up with the loose puck and shovel home for what proved to be the game-winning score.
The Walleye got one more chance with a man-advantage as Patrick Polino got sent to the penalty box for the final 30 seconds.
Toledo also emptied their net for the extra skater, but the Cyclones penalty kill fended off the last push by the Walleye as Phil Lagunov flung the puck the length of the ice and into the net for the 4-2 final.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Cincinnati and put them back to second place in the Central Division with 50 points (22-11-4-2). Zack Andrusiak scored his 13th and 14th goals of the season for the Cyclones. The first came in the second period, as he and teammate Matt Berry took advantage of a two-on-one breakaway to tie the game. Then in the third period, Andrusiak scorched a shot past Cossa to give Cincinnati a 2-1 lead.
(13) tied the game at one a piece 9:32 into the middle period, taking advantage of a Walleye turnover to break out for a two-on-one with Matt Berry. The forward duo cashed in when Berry slid a pass to Andrusiak in the left-wing circle, where the winger blasted a puck by Sebastian Cossa.
Warm picked up his 16th win of the season while turning aside 33 shots. Cossa has 27 saves as Toledo had its six-game win streak snapped.
The Cyclones will be back at home on Wednesday night at Heritage Bank Center as they face the Kansas City Mavericks.
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