Cyclones coach Ron Smith accused his team of starting their all-star break early during a 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Lumberjacks last Sunday.
But Smith could make a good argument that his team remained on hiatus for their first game back Friday, as Quebec Rafales handed the Cyclones a 6-3 defeat before 7,054 at the Gardens.
The loss dropped Cincinnati to fourth-place in the Northeast Division, two points behind the Rafales and 19 behind league-leading Detroit, which comes to the Gardens at 3 p.m. Sunday.
''We had some rust on us, and we just got discouraged,'' Smith said. ''It doesn't take much to knock us off our enthusiasm right now.''
Jason Ruff, Steve LaRouche and Jesse Belanger each scored two goals for Quebec, which has one of the best records (7-2-1) of any team in the International Hockey League during the past 10 games.
''We don't expect Detroit or Orlando to fall off their horse, but we definitely think those teams can be caught,'' Cyclones defenseman Dave Marcinyshyn said. ''The
problem we need to fix is to stop beating ourselves every other night.''
Cincinnati, meanwhile, is struggling. It has won only three of its past 10 games, including just one of its previous five games at the Gardens.
And since winning their home-opener Oct. 9 against the Rafales, the Cyclones have lost four straight to Quebec while being outscored 19-10.
''There's no question Quebec is shaping into one of the better teams in the league,'' Smith said. ''I'd like us to play a better game against this team sometime.''
Ruff found the Cincinnati defense sleeping midway through the first period, scoring an unassisted goal at the 8:14 mark.
Ruff, who seconds earlier was rejected on a breakaway by Cyclones' goaltender Geoff Sarjeant, stole the puck again in the Cincinnati zone and put his own rebound in on another breakaway.
The Rafales netted a second first-period goal, this one on a deflection from leading scorer LaRouche on an assist from Marc Rodgers on the power-play.
Cincinnati got on the board 10:06 into the second period on Scott Thomas's 26th goal of the season to cut the lead to 2-1.
But Quebec came back 42 seconds later on a Belanger goal to make it a two-goal game again. Belanger added his second goal at 17:43 of the second to give the Rafales a 4-1 lead.
Smith pulled Sarjeant in favor of Todd MacDonald to start the third period, and the Cincinnati showed some life when Todd Hawkins put his sixth goal of the year into the net 2:08 into the period.
Ruff made it 5-2 when he added his second goal of the night with 16:58 left. Pat MacLeod scored for Cincinnati and LaRouche added his second to finish the scoring.
Quebec 2 2 2 - 6
Cincinnati 0 1 2 - 3
First period: 1. Que., Ruff 27 8:14; 2. Que., LaRouche 32 (Rodgers, Belanger) 11:12. Penalties: Que., Melanson (holding) 6:09; Cin., Wells (roughing) 9:42; Cin., Dandenault (cross-checking, fighting) 10:48; Que., Ruff (roughing, fighting) 10:48; Que., Sweeney (slashing) 15:16; Cin., O'Connor (slashing) 18:42.
Second period: 3. Cin., Thomas 26 (Wells, Marcinyshyn) 10:06; 4. Que., Belanger 21 (Richard, M. Roberge) 10:48; 5. Que., Belanger 22 (M. Roberge, Melanson) 17:43. Penalties: Cin., Bergeron (slashing) 7:12; Que., Prpic (tripping) 14:57.
Third period: 6. Cin., Hawkins 6 (Bergeron, Stevens) 2:08; 7. Que., Ruff 28 (Rodgers) 3:02; 8. Cin., MacLeod 2 (Bergeron) 15:19; 9. Que., LaRouche 33 19:48. Penalties: Que., Sweeney (slashing, roughing, misconduct) 10:35; Cin., Hawkins (double roughing) 10:35; Que., M. Roberge (slashing, roughing) 12:25; Cin., O'Connor (roughing) 12:25.
