2015-16 Top Ten Moments - #3
August 26, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
Cody Wydo Ends Longest Game in Wheeling History in Triple Overtime at Reading Playoff overtime. When those two words are spoken in the sport of hockey, the minds of fans begin to race with thrilling experiences of their teams winning, as well heartbreaking finishes when their teams fall short. There is nothing quite like the feeling when the puck finds the back of the net, and there is no telling whether that moment will take place seconds or hours after the puck is dropped for the start of bonus hockey. Number three on our countdown of the Top Ten Moments of 2015-16 takes us back to one of four overtime wins by the Nailers in the 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs, and we promise not to keep you waiting as long as the game did.
Prior to this past season, Wheeling had gone past regulation 23 times in its 13 playoff appearances, posting a nearly even record of 11-12. The majority of those contests were settled during the first 20 minutes of extra time, with the longest match lasting until the 3:39 mark of triple overtime, when Hampton Roads Admirals forward Dan Ceman sent a Wheeling Civic Center crowd home with a sour taste in its mouth. The run to the 2016 Kelly Cup Final was highlighted by many of the team records getting adjusted, so the first trip to overtime seemed like a perfect time to add one more mark to the list.
The night was May 5th, and one night earlier, the Reading Royals notched their second straight win, taking a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series. The Nailers were in need of a win in either game four or five to guarantee that the series would return to WesBanco Arena.
Neither team scored in the first period, and it was evident early on that goals would be difficult to come by, as the two sides brought their best defenses to the rink, complementing the play of goaltenders Franky Palazzese and Martin Ouellette.
4:20 into the second stanza, the deadlock was broken. Anton Zlobin turned out to be one of the more lethal power play weapons for the Nailers in the playoffs, and he got the play started, stickhandling around on the left side of the offensive zone. Zlobin ultimately elected to pass in this circumstance, as he dropped the puck back to Clark Seymour at the blueline. With traffic camped out in front of the crease, Seymour stepped into a wrist shot, whipping it through the maze for a 1-0 Wheeling lead.
The score stayed 1-0 through the end of a strong second period by the Nailers and into the third. Despite a sport which is beginning to search for offense, 1-0 finals are difficult to come by, and with 6:58 left in regulation, the Royals made sure that wasn't going to be the case on this particular evening. Adam Comrie floated a pass ahead to Yannick Tifu, who led Brandon Alderson down the right wing. Using his speed, Alderson got a step on the defense, cut to the middle, and slid a backhander into the left side of the cage, knotting the affair at one.
With an off day scheduled between games four and five, there was no rush to decide a winner, as the buzzer sounded to end regulation. The first two overtime periods were mirror images of each other in the sense that the team shooting opposite the zamboni tunnel seemed to have the edge. Wheeling outshot Reading 11-4 in the first extra session, but couldn't come away victorious. In overtime two, the Royals had a 15-11 advantage in shots, but once again, the game continued into the night.
In triple overtime, it was the Nailers who were hoping that end of the ice would provide them with the fortunes of seeing the red light shine. Cody Wydo had the first glorious chance of period six, when he blocked a shot, then led his team on a 2-on-1 break, before fluttering a shot just wide on the right side of the net.
A little less than three minutes later, Wydo got another chance, switched his target, and ended up making the right decision. John McCarron took a handoff from Palazzese, and immediately saucered a pass through center ice, connecting with Wydo at the offensive blueline. Wydo dashed in on a breakaway, kept the puck on his forehand, and buried a shot through Ouellette's legs, giving Wheeling the victory.
Wydo's winning tally came at the 4:22 mark of the third overtime, beating the previous mark for the longest game in team history by 43 seconds. The game currently stands as the 14th longest in the history of the ECHL. The Nailers went on to win one more overtime thriller against Reading, then provided two more heroic victories in bonus hockey against South Carolina, as they were 4-1 in the playoffs when games went beyond sixty minutes.
Franky Palazzese was between the pipes for the two longest wins of the year for Wheeling, as he turned in a 42-save effort in the triple overtime clash, while also assisting on the deciding marker. He defeated Martin Ouellette, who ended up going 0-3 in the series, with two of the losses coming in OT. Ouellette finished game four with 50 saves on 52 shots.
That was the only road win of the series for the Nailers, who saved even more dramatics for games six and seven on home ice against their 15-year rivals.
The Nailers will open the 25th season of professional hockey in Wheeling on October 15th, when they host the Brampton Beast at 7:05.
ECHL Stories from August 26, 2016
- Nailers Re-Sign Andrew Ammon - Wheeling Nailers
- Collins and Halabi Join Rush - Rapid City Rush
- Oilers Trade Carr to Alaska for Martell - Tulsa Oilers
- K-Wings Re-Sign Playmakers Eric Kattelus and Charlie Vasaturo - Kalamazoo Wings
- 2015-16 Top Ten Moments - #3 - Wheeling Nailers
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