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 Wheeling Nailers

Nailers vs. Royals Game Day Snap Shot

February 6, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


That's Called a Winning Streak

The Wheeling Nailers matched a pair of season highs on Friday night, as they won their third consecutive contest, while earning at least a point in five straight games. For the second time during the streak, the victory didn't come easy, as Wheeling had to rally from a 2-0 deficit at the start of the third period. Cody Wydo began the comeback with a power play goal at the 3:46 mark, as he batted in Mathew Maione's shot from the blueline. With 7:35 remaining, Matt Tabrum scored his second shorthanded goal in as many games, finishing off a 2-on-1 rush with Chris Ciotti, who now leads the team with three shorthanded points, despite playing in just five games. 3:22 later, Ciotti gave the Nailers their lone lead of the evening, tipping in Danny Fick's shot for a 3-2 score, which turned out to be the final. Casey DeSmith collected the triumph between the pipes, making 24 saves on 26 shots.

A Reversal of Roles

The Reading Royals have been involved in three straight games which have all been decided during the final five minutes of regulation. The first two went their way, as Mike Pereira snapped a 2-2 deadlock with 1:55 left at Adirondack on Saturday, and Yannick Tifu broke a 4-4 tie with 4:20 remaining against Manchester on Wednesday. Reading put itself in good position during the first 40 minutes of Friday's tilt, building a 2-0 lead. Robbie Czarnik netted his team-leading 19th goal of the season during the first period, and Scott Tanski added to the lead with his eighth of the year, since being acquired in a trade with the Orlando Solar Bears. However, the Royals were unable to carry that success into a victory, as the Nailers scored three times in the third period, including the winning goal with 4:13 left. Connor Knapp received the loss in goal, despite turning away 25 of 28 shots in his first appearance since December 18th.

An Entire Forward Lineup in the A

Transactions have been incredibly common for the Nailers, particularly in the last month or so, as players are constantly earning promotions to the American Hockey League. On Friday, Shane Bakker was signed to a PTO by the St. John's IceCaps, while Derek Army received the same deal from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Patrick McGrath and Anton Zlobin were also given the call by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and Zlobin wasted little time fitting in, posting a goal and an assist in Friday's overtime win at Springfield. On Saturday, another player made the trip east, as Jarrett Burton could make his AHL debut in the Penguins' home game against Bridgeport. Those five join Riley Brace, Brian Foster, Sahir Gill, Ty Loney, Matia Marcantuoni, John McCarron, Harrison Ruopp, Clark Seymour, Zack Torquato as 2015-16 Nailers currently in the AHL, bringing the active number up to 11 forwards, two defensemen, and one goalie. ECHL teams typically dress ten forwards per game.

Look Who's in the Top Ten

It took until their sixth and final man advantage of the evening, but with 16:14 remaining in Friday's third period, the Nailers were able to light the lamp on the power play for the fourth game in a row. The tally came from Cody Wydo, who was set up by Mathew Maione's shot from the point. Maione has been a major contributor on the power play since coming to Wheeling, as he has racked up 12 points (all assists) in 25 games, giving him overall totals of 1-21-22 with the club and 5-27-32 on the year, placing him third in the ECHL in points by defensemen. Due to the recent success, the Nailers have seen their power play go from 25th in the league at 14.7% to their current ranking of ninth in the ECHL at 17.9%. With David Gove serving as head coach, Wheeling is 14-for-57 with an opposing player in the sin bin, clicking at a 24.6% clip. The Nailers have also had success with the other special team, as the penalty kill has shut down 85.5% of opposition power plays since Gove took over, while scoring three shorthanded goals.

The Streak Hits Ten

Saturday night marks the sixth of 11 head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Royals this season, as well as the fourth of six battles at WesBanco Arena. The story of the last two years continues to be the dominance of the home teams, as Friday's win by Wheeling was the 17th in the last 18 games between the clubs, with the lone exception being a 2-1 win by the Nailers in Reading on April 8th. Wheeling has been victorious against the Royals in ten straight games in the Ohio Valley, with Reading's last road win taking place on March 1, 2014. The ten-game home winning streak is the Nailers' second longest against a single opponent, as they previously posted 11 consecutive home wins against the Dayton Bombers. Interestingly enough, it is the second time that a ten-game streak has occured between the Nailers and Royals in Wheeling, as Reading once had a ten-game road winning streak against the Nailers. The two rivals will do battle twice in March at Santander Arena, before playing two of three games in West Virginia in April.

Wheeling Nailers (20-19-2-3, 45 Pts.) vs. Reading Royals (21-18-4-3, 49 Pts.)

WHEELING NAILERS

(20-19-2-3, 45 PTS, 2nd North, 10th East)

129 GF, 136 GA

PP: 17.9% (31-for-173), 9th

PK: 83.7% (149-for-178), 16th

18-D-Mathew Maione (5 goals, 27 assists, 32 points in 42 games)

11-F-Cody Wydo (12 goals, 6 assists, 18 points in 31 games)

27-D-Brett Stern (5 goals, 10 assists, 15 points in 44 games)

4-D-Paul Cianfrini (2 goals, 13 assists, 15 points in 43 games)

10-F-Chris Ciotti (5 goals, 8 assists, 13 points in 32 games)

22-F-Jordan Kwas (3 goals, 10 assists, 13 points in 32 games)

29-G-Franky Palazzese (12-11-2 record, 2.89 GAA, .903 Sv% in 25 games)

READING ROYALS

(21-18-4-3, 49 PTS, 3rd East, 8th East)

136 GF, 123 GA

PP: 18.8% (33-for-176), 5th

PK: 82.7% (134-for-162), 18th

19-F-Justin Crandall (12 goals, 34 assists, 46 points in 40 games)

7-F-Robbie Czarnik (19 goals, 17 assists, 36 points in 38 games)

14-F-Mike Pereira (17 goals, 16 assists, 33 points in 33 games)

28-F-Cam Reid (11 goals, 20 assists, 31 points in 39 games)

10-F-Yannick Tifu (11 goals, 15 assists, 26 points in 43 games)

43-D-Kevin Young (2 goals, 11 assists, 13 points in 32 games)

31-G-Connor Knapp (7-7-1 record, 2.87 GAA, .900 Sv% in 16 games)

Head to Head

Season Series: Nailers 3, Royals 2

Season Series at WesBanco Arena: Nailers 3, Royals 0

All-Time Series: Royals 82, Nailers 66

All-Time Series at WesBanco Arena: Nailers 38, Royals 35


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