2015-16 Top Ten Moments - #2
September 2, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
#2 Nailers Win Eastern Conference Championship With Second Straight Victory in South Carolina The magic, thrills, and drama that make up playoff hockey are difficult to replicate, as series begin with a multitude of questions. Will it be quick, finishing in four or five games, or will it be epic, going the full seven games? When the series gets through the first four games deadlocked 2-2, the excitement of a possible game seven starts to come into focus. The 2015-16 Wheeling Nailers got the chance to play in game seven twice - once in round two, and then again in the Eastern Conference Final. As everyone knows by now, they won both of those contests. Number two on our countdown of the Top Ten Moments of 2015-16 takes us back to the night that the Nailers took home the E.A. "Bud" Gingher Memorial Trophy.
2016 marked the third time in team history that Wheeling reached the Eastern Conference Final, and the fourth time it was playing for the chance to advance to the championship round. The series between the Nailers and South Carolina Stingrays swung back-and-forth in the first six games. South Carolina jumped ahead 1-0, Wheeling rallied from behind to take a 2-1 lead, then the Stingrays stole back-to-back road wins to go up 3-2, before the Nailers forced the decisive seventh game by winning in overtime one night earlier.
In a series where defense and goaltending stole the show for the most part (neither team had scored more than four goals in one game), offense showed up in a big way during the first period of game seven. Wheeling was the first side to turn on the red light, needing just 2:21 to do so. Paul Cianfrini rimmed the puck down the right wall to Cody Wydo, who set up John McCarron for a one-timer from the top of the right circle. South Carolina answered back in a matter of 68 seconds, when David Pacan tipped in Wade Epp's shot from the left point.
The goal scoring continued at the 8:03 mark, when the Nailers went back on top. This time, it was McCarron setting up Wydo, as he bombed a pass from deep in his own zone, leading Wydo in with speed. Wydo's initial shot from the right circle was stopped, but the rebound popped loose, and he deposited it into the cage. Once again, the Stingrays responded, netting the equalizer with under two minutes to play. Bobby Shea kept the puck alive at the blueline, then teed up a one-timer for Austin Fyten, sending the contest into intermission with a 2-2 score.
The clubs strengthened their defenses in the second period, and between Wheeling's Brian Foster and South Carolina's Vitek Vanecek, none of the 19 shots on goal found their way home. The Eastern Conference Final was to be decided in the third period or later.
Unlike their previous four trips to game seven in their history, the Nailers were happy to settle matters during regulation time, and they came out flying in the third period, stunning 3,017 fans at North Charleston Coliseum. Jarrett Burton was the first to strike, as Wheeling went ahead at the 24-second mark of the stanza. Clark Seymour's long distance try was denied, but Burton was in perfect position to pot the rebound. 45 seconds later, the lead doubled. Ty Loney waltzed his way through the slot, ultimately trickling a pass through the crease. The recipient was Jordan Kwas, who tapped in his first goal against his former teammates. Less than four minutes after that, Loney added another marker for the visitors, when he scored on the rebound of Wydo's attempt, making the score 5-2 in favor of Wheeling.
The Nailers had to kill off one minor penalty between their fourth and fifth goals, then another at the 6:08 mark of the frame. They did so successfully with a defense which limited the Stingrays to just seven shots on goal in the third period. At that point, it was just a matter of time, and when the clock hit zero, the Wheeling Nailers were the 2016 Eastern Conference Champions.
Brian Foster won his third consecutive clinching game in goal for Wheeling, and improved his 2016 Kelly Cup Playoff record to 5-0 when a team could be eliminated, as he made 28 saves on 30 shots. Vitek Vanecek ran out of gas, making 27 saves on 32 shots in his seventh straight start for South Carolina.
In addition to capturing the Eastern Conference Championship for the first time in team history, the Nailers took the opportunity to make an adjustment to the league's record book. Wheeling became the first team in ECHL history to win games six and seven of a playoff series on the road. In an interesting twist, the road teams won five of seven games in the Eastern Conference Final, after the home teams won five of seven games in Wheeling's second round series. The Nailers won multiple game sevens in the same season for the first time in their history, improving to 3-2 all-time in that contest, and 4-4 in winner-take-all matches.
Here are the highlights from moment number two on our countdown of the Top Ten Moments of 2015-16. 2015-16 Top Ten Moments - #2 ) . Next week, we unveil moment number one, which was viewed as some as the most exciting moment in 24 years of home games.
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- 2015-16 Top Ten Moments - #2 - Wheeling Nailers
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