Former Nailers Contributing In Wilkes-Barre
Published on May 24, 2013 under ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
On Wednesday night, the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins completed a nearly impossible feat, and they did so while utilizing players who called Wheeling "home" at one point in their career. The Baby Pens trailed the Providence Bruins 3-0 in their best-of-seven series, before rattling off four straight victories, including a 5-0 blanking of the P-Bruins at Dunkin' Donuts Center in game seven. The shining star of the series was goaltender Brad Thiessen (a former Nailer), who surrendered just two total goals in the four wins.
The start of the series looked grim for the Baby Pens, who watched the Bruins explode for 12 goals during the first four periods of the eventual seven-game marathon. Jamie Tardif netted four of the goals, raising his playoff total to seven, after tallying a team-high 30 during the regular season. 8-5 and 4-2 losses in Rhode Island sent the series down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where the Penguins ended up with their backs against the wall, thanks to a 2-1 overtime win by Providence in game three. Carter Camper scored the game winner at the 31-second mark of the extra session.
Despite the game three setback, Wheeling's AHL affiliate was beginning to turn a corner, and ultimately landed in the win column in game four, extending the series. Warren Peters, Riley Holzapfel, and Chad Kolarik all registered second period goals in a 3-1 win for WBS, while 2012-13 Nailers Adam Payerl and Peter Merth both chipped in with one assist. The Penguins carried the game four momentum into game five the next night, thumping the Peebs, 4-0. Rookie defenseman Brian Dumoulin had one of his best games in his young career, snagging one goal and two assists. Thiessen put up a 30-save shutout between the pipes, sending the series back to New England, while also setting the stage for one of the best performances in the 14-year history of the club.
Game six followed a similar script to game three, as both teams lit the lamp just once during regulation. However, the story of that crucial game was the play of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's netminder. The P-Bruins outshot the Baby Pens 33-5 over the course of the final two periods of regulation and 47-18 overall, but somehow, the visitors were still alive. At 3:26 of overtime, Trevor Smith forced the decisive game seven with the winning goal, while Thiessen's 46 saves earned him quite a few pats on the back.
Alas came game seven, which looked like it was on pace to be a classic through 20 minutes, as neither side could break the scoreless deadlock. That changed drastically in the second period, as the Penguins simply took it to Providence, scoring four times, courtesy of Kolarik, Peters, Payerl, and Zach Sill. One more goal by Smith in the third, as well as 34 saves by Thiessen, and the party was on in Northeastern Pennsylvania, as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final, completing the miraculous comeback.
Along with the brilliance in goal by Thiessen, the Wheeling Nailers were represented well in round two by their AHL affiliate. 12 former Nailers appeared in at least one game during the series, with eight of the eleven skaters picking up at least one point.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will battle the Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay) in the Eastern Conference Final, beginning on Saturday night. The Western Conference Final features the Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit) and Oklahoma City Barons (Edmonton), starting on Friday. Oklahoma City boasts former Nailer defenseman Andrew Hotham.
ECHL Stories from May 24, 2013
- Thunder vs. Royals - Game 4 Preview - Stockton Thunder
- Former Nailers Contributing In Wilkes-Barre - Wheeling Nailers
- ECHL Notes - May 24, 2013 - ECHL
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