Bad Bounces Beat Nailers
April 1, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
TOLEDO, OH - The Wheeling Nailers fell, 6-4, to the Toledo Storm Sunday afternoon as the Storm scored a pair of fluke goals. With the Storm win, both Toledo and Trenton clinched their spot in the Kelly Cup playoffs. The Nailers now stand four points out of the final playoff spot behind Johnstown with three games to play.
Scooter Smith's dump-in turned into an adventure and eventually the first goal of the game at 7:25 of the first period. As he wrapped the puck around the boards it jumped off the boards, hit the back of goaltender Andrew Penner, off the post and lay in the crease. Bruce Mulherin was the first player to find the puck and poke it into the net.
The Storm expanded their lead just 41 seconds into the second period with a shorthanded goal. Ryan Moren lost an edge in his own zone allowing Jeff Attard to walk in unguarded on Penner.
Jon Foster's first goal since Feb. 25 brought the Nailers back to within one. After Joe Guenther and Adam Edinger took shots on Logan Koopmans, Foster was able to turn a rebound around and into the goal at 4:45 of the second.
Toledo took their two-goal lead back on Matt Zultek's 24th of the season. Andrew Martin hit Zultek with a pass through the slot as he chipped the puck over the shoulder of Penner at 12:50 still in the second.
Wheeling responded with a pair of goals to tie it. The first one was a gift in the closing minutes of the second. A Storm defenseman coughed the puck up right on to the stick of Edinger in the low slot. His 9th of the year went unassisted at 15:56.
Edinger was involved on the tying goal as well just 1:08 into the third. His shot went wide of the goal but knocked the goaltender down in the process. Jon Foster quickly fired a puck from the corner and into the vacant net.
The only tie of the game was short lived as Toledo scored 2:04 later. Mike Walsh found a streaking Jason Maleyko in the slot for a one-time tap-in.
The game winning goal for the Storm was last touched by the Wheeling defense. A Smith dumped the puck in to the Nailers zone Mike Hartwick went back to play it. As he tried to clear the puck around the boards it skipped off and again banked off the leg of Penner and in.
Curtiss Patrick scored his first goal of the season on the power play at 13:41 of the third but Toledo's empty net marker with two seconds left in regulation made the final score 6-4.
It was the first time this season the Nailers have scored four or more goals and lost a game in regulation.
Penner stopped 30 of 35 shots on goal while Koopmans turned aside 38 of 42 for the win.
The Nailers now need to win their remaining three games and have Johnstown lose their final three. Wheeling's remaining regular season games are Tuesday in Dayton, Friday against Trenton and Saturday in Trenton.
The final home game of the regular season for the Nailers is Friday night against the Trenton Titans. It is "Fan Appreciation Night" with plenty of great prizes for Nailer fans. The game starts at 7:30p.m.
Call 304-234-GOAL or visit www.wheelingnailers.com to place your ticket order.
ECHL Stories from April 1, 2007
- Thunder winning streak hits 10 games as 9,567 witness Radunske's four point-effort - Stockton Thunder
- Bad Bounces Beat Nailers - Wheeling Nailers
- Ice Pilots rally falls short in 5-3 loss to Everblades - Pensacola Ice Pilots
- Wheeling Nailers Game Worn Jersey Auction Ends Saturday - Wheeling Nailers
- Berg becomes all-time Everblades scorer in 5-3 win - Florida Everblades
- Checkers clinch playoff berth with 3-2 shootout win over the Lynx - Charlotte Checkers
- Bombers overpowered by Titans, 5-4 - Dayton Bombers
- Chiefs down Cyclones in overtime - Johnstown Chiefs
- Lynx within one point of playoff berth with shootout win - Augusta Lynx
- Titans power to 5-4 win over Bombers - Trenton Devils
- Johnstown Claims 2-1 OT Win Over Cyclones - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Match-ups If Kelly Cup Playoffs Began Sunday - ECHL
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Holt reassigned to Charlotte - Charlotte Checkers
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- Nearly 10,000 fans see Checkers defeat Columbia 4-1 - Charlotte Checkers
- 7,126 see Wranglers sweep Aces, win ninth straight - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Winning streak hits nine as Ellsworth stops 43 in net - Stockton Thunder
- Stockton Outlasts Bakersfield In Shootout, 4-3 - Bakersfield Condors
- Aces come up snake eyes in Vegas, 4-2 - Alaska Aces
- RoadRunners Clip Falcons 4-2 - Phoenix RoadRunners
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
