ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers at Walleye Game Day Snap Shot

October 26, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


Wheeling Nailers (1-1-0-0, 2 PTS) at Toledo Walleye (1-0-1-0, 3 PTS)

WHEELING NAILERS

(1-1-0-0, 2 PTS, 2nd Atlantic, T-7th East)

5 GF, 6 GA

PP: 14.3% (1-for-7), T-9th

PK: 100.0% (10-for-10), T-1st

11-F-Christiaan Minella (2 goals, 2 points in 2 games)

15-F-Zack Torquato (1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points in 2 games)

17-F-Carter Rowney (2 assists, 2 points in 2 games)

20-F-Ryan Flanigan (1 goal, 1 point in 2 games)

22-F-Jack MacLellan (1 goal, 1 point in 2 games)

1-G-Mike Condon (1-1-0 record, 2.52 GAA, .926 Sv% in 2 games)

TOLEDO WALLEYE

(1-0-1-0, 3 PTS, 2nd North, 6th East)

6 GF, 6 GA

PP: 11.1% (1-for-9), T-12th

PK: 90.9% (10-for-11), 8th

NHL/AHL Affiliated Players:

7-D-Max Nicastro (Detroit/Grand Rapids)

8-D-Bobby Shea (Chicago/Rockford)

10-F-David Gilbert (Chicago/Rockford)

14-F-Kevin Lynch (Detroit/Grand Rapids)

27-F-Trevor Parkes (Detroit/Grand Rapids)

31-G-Mac Carruth (Chicago/Rockford)

33-G-Jared Coreau (Detroit/Grand Rapids)

Head-to-Head

2012-13 Season Series: Walleye 8, Nailers 2

2012-13 Season Series at Huntington Center: Walleye 5, Nailers 1

All-Time Series: Nailers 17, Walleye 16

All-Time Series at Huntington Center: Walleye 9, Nailers 5

Third Straight Home Opener

On Saturday night, the Nailers will be involved with a home opening game for the third contest in a row, as the Toledo Walleye play their first game of the year at Huntington Center. Wheeling began the season with its own home opener last Friday, which it won, 3-2 against Elmira, before falling 4-2 in Cincinnati's home opener last Saturday. The Walleye opened the season with a 4-3 shootout win in Fort Wayne, before also coming up short in Cincinnati, as the Cyclones erased a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 overtime triumph. This will be the second time that the Nailers will play in a home opener at Huntington Center, after blanking Toledo 6-0 on October 16th, 2010, thanks to three power play goals and a 33-save shutout by Patrick Killeen.

Two Different Seasons

Wheeling and Toledo have taken the ice againt each other on 19 separate occasions over the last two seasons, with the Walleye winning eleven, compared to eight wins for the Nailers. As close as that might sound, the two season series have been drastically one-sided. In 2011-12, Wheeling won six of its nine games against Toledo, only dropping one decision in regulation, while going 4-0-1 on home ice. However, in 2012-13, the Walleye gained the upper hand, winning eight of ten games, while also losing just once in regulation. In four seasons since Toledo returned to the ECHL, the two teams have met 33 times, and Wheeling holds the slight edge with 17 victories.

Double Digit Kills

Power play goals have been few and far between in the early going for teams around the Eastern Conference, thanks to strong work by the penalty kills. With three successful kills on Saturday, the Nailers have now fended off ten consecutive man advantages for the opposition to start the season. Wheeling is one of five teams in the ECHL (all Eastern Conference) who have yet to surrender a power play goal, while five teams (four from the Eastern Conference) have yet to light the lamp while playing with an extra body on the ice. Greenville, Reading, and South Carolina are the only Eastern Conference teams with more than one power play goal.

October Flies By

Despite only playing in their third game of the 2013-14 regular season, Saturday night will be the Nailers' final game during the month of October. That sets a team record for the fewest games in October in one season, beating out the 2005-06 and 2007-08 campaigns, which both featured four games. The schedule will heat up quickly in November, when Wheeling will play a season-high 15 times. The end of the year will also set a team record, as the final game of the regular season will take place on April 12th - the latest date for a regular season tilt in team history.

Toledo Working Extra Time

Both of Toledo's first two games this season have been tied after sixty minutes of play, leading the Walleye into one overtime decision, as well as one shootout. Toledo got the upper hand in the first of those games, it defeated Fort Wayne in a shootout, but wasn't as fortunate the second time around, as Cincinnati came away with the extra point in overtime. Last season, the Nailers became very familiar with bonus hockey, needing overtime in 22 of 72 games, setting a team record. However, only one of the ten games against the Walleye went beyond regulation, with Wheeling grabbing a 3-2 shootout win on November 1st.




ECHL Stories from October 26, 2013


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