ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers at Royals Game Day Snap Shot

Published on February 19, 2014 under ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


WHEELING NAILERS

(24-20-1-5, 54 PTS, 2nd Atlantic, T-9th East)

132 GF, 144 GA

PP: 14.5% (26-for-179), 13th

PK: 84.2% (176-for-209), 12th

21-F-Sahir Gill (10 goals, 27 assists, 37 points in 45 games)

15-F-Zack Torquato (10 goals, 26 assists, 36 points in 28 games)

2-D-Mike Ratchuk (11 goals, 19 assists, 30 points in 47 games)

7-F-Max MacKay (12 goals, 15 assists, 27 points in 38 games)

17-F-Carter Rowney (8 goals, 15 assists, 23 points in 25 games)

27-F-Denver Manderson (6 goals, 12 assists, 18 points in 17 games)

1-G-Mike Condon (15-11-4 record, 2.57 GAA, .919 Sv% in 30 games)

READING ROYALS

(28-17-1-1, 58 PTS, 1st Atlantic, T-4th East)

144 GF, 123 GA

PP: 15.7% (29-for-185), 11th

PK: 86.7% (143-for-165), 5th

16-F-Ryan Cruthers (11 goals, 22 assists, 33 points in 29 games)

14-F-TJ Syner (13 goals, 17 assists, 30 points in 36 games)

15-F-Sean Wiles (13 goals, 16 assists, 29 points in 32 games)

18-F-Domenic Monardo (15 goals, 12 assists, 27 points in 46 games)

11-D-Michal Cajkovsky (9 goals, 15 assists, 24 points in 42 games)

4-D-Marvin Degon (5 goals, 19 assists, 24 points in 43 games)

33-G-Brandon Anderson (14-7-1 record, 2.48 GAA, .904 Sv% in 23 games)

Head-to-Head

Season Series: Royals 7, Nailers 3

Season Series at Santander Arena: Royals 4, Nailers 1

All-Time Series: Royals 73, Nailers 53

All-Time Series at Santander Arena: Royals 39, Nailers 25

Two Buildings Becoming Second Homes

The Wheeling Nailers will play the second game of their six-game road trip on Wednesday night, when they visit the Reading Royals at Santander Arena. Wheeling dropped the first tilt of the trip, when it fell 4-3 to the Fort Wayne Komets on Sunday. Max MacKay, Mike Ratchuk, and Zack Torquato were the goal scorers, while Peter Mannino made 32 saves. Starting on Wednesday, the Nailers will play each of their next eight road games in either Reading or Elmira, where they have combined to go 3-3-2 in 2013-14. Overall, Wheeling has compiled a 10-11-3 record on enemy ice this season, matching last year's win total on the road, while playing in 12 fewer games to this point.

Dropping the Gloves and the IceMen

After their 4-2 loss in Wheeling on Friday, the Reading Royals returned to Santander Arena, where they took on the Evansville IceMen for a two-game series. Reading earned three of four possible points, defeating Evansville 4-1 on Saturday, before the IceMen escaped with a 2-1 shootout win on Sunday, as the Royals are 3-0-1 against them this season. Aside from the victory, one of the headlines of Reading's win on Saturday was a late game fight involving goaltenders Brandon Anderson and Mike Clemente. Anderson ultimately had the final say with the score, winning his third straight game, and 10th in his last 11 decisions.

Torquato Topped Himself

In Sunday afternoon's game, Zack Torquato found his way onto the scoresheet once again, registering one goal and one assist, giving him 36 points in 28 games with the Nailers this season. That performance assured Torquato of a seven-game point streak - the longest streak by a Wheeling player this season, as he topped six-game streaks from earlier in the season by both he and Mike Ratchuk. When Zack is able to earn a point, his night typically doesn't end there, as he also has 14 multiple point games to his credit. Denver Manderson also enters Wednesday with a point streak, having picked up either a goal or an assist in six straight contests.

Jekyll & Hyde in Front of Gill & Anderson

For all but two games this season, Reading's goaltender of record has been either Riley Gill or Brandon Anderson. While both netminders enter Wednesday with winning records, the two have seen significantly different Royals teams in front of them over the course of the last eight games. Starting on January 31st, Reading has outshot its opposition in each of Anderson's last three start, allowing shot totals of 27, 20, and 23. However, the story has been the complete opposite for Gill, who has faced at least 30 shots in each of his last five starts, as the Royals have surrendered 40, 32, 39, 40, and 37, being outshot by the opposition on all five occasions. The team with the greater shot total has won each of Wheeling's last seven games.

Winning is the Only Option

Wednesday night's game marks the 11th of 15 meetings this season between the Nailers and Royals, as well as the sixth of eight at Santander Arena. Despite the fact that Wheeling has won two of the last three clashes, Reading is on the verge of clinching the season series, thanks to seven wins in the first ten tilts. The Royals have had the edge historically against the Nailers, 73-53, and have not dropped a season series since 2006-07, when Wheeling picked up six wins in 11 games. The Nailers have been responsible for Reading's only two blemishes on the road against Atlantic Division foes, thanks to an overtime win on December 6th and a regulation victory on February 14th.

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics

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