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ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers at Walleye Game Day Snap Shot

April 28, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


WHEELING NAILERS

(2-3)

11 GF, 14 GA

PP: 17.6% (3-for-17), 8th

PK: 79.2% (19-for-24), 13th

12-F-David Gilbert (3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points in 5 games)

21-F-Sahir Gill (3 goals, 1 assist, 4 points in 5 games)

23-F-Riley Brace (2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points in 5 games)

11-F-Adam Krause (1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points in 5 games)

9-D-David Makowski (1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points in 5 games)

15-F-Zack Torquato (3 assists, 3 points in 4 games)

30-G-Eric Hartzell (1-2 record, 2.74 GAA, .905 Sv% in 3 games)

(37-33-1-1, 76 PTS, 4th North)

210 GF, 213 GA

PP: 16.2% (44-for-272), 18th

PK: 83.4% (247-for-296), 12th

23-F-Riley Brace (18 goals, 49 assists, 67 points in 61 games)

16-F-Derek Army (29 goals, 37 assists, 66 points in 72 games)

15-F-Zack Torquato (19 goals, 40 assists, 59 points in 57 games)

12-F-David Gilbert (19 goals, 21 assists, 40 points in 64 games)

98-F-Chaz Johnson (18 goals, 11 assists, 29 points in 64 games)

21-F-Sahir Gill (9 goals, 20 assists, 29 points in 26 games)

9-D-David Makowski (8 goals, 11 assists, 19 points in 44 games)

30-G-Eric Hartzell (17-14-1 record, 2.75 GAA, .914 Sv% in 32 games)

TOLEDO WALLEYE

(3-2)

14 GF, 11 GA

PP: 20.8% (5-for-24), 4th

PK: 82.4% (14-for-17), 9th

9-F-Troy Schwab (3 goals, 5 assists, 8 points in 5 games)

10-F-Shane Berschbach (3 goals, 4 assists, 7 points in 5 games)

32-D-Cody Lampl (2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points in 5 games)

16-F-Justin Mercier (3 goals, 3 points in 5 games)

27-F-AJ Jenks (2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points in 5 games)

28-F-Kyle Bonis (1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points in 5 games)

1-G-Jeff Lerg (3-2 record, 2.21 GAA, .919 Sv% in 5 games)

(50-15-5-2, 107 PTS, 1st North)

281 GF, 182 GA

PP: 24.7% (64-for-259), 1st

PK: 87.1% (202-for-232), 2nd

7-F-Tyler Barnes (34 goals, 40 assists, 74 points in 71 games)

10-F-Shane Berschbach (15 goals, 48 assists, 63 points in 65 games)

9-F-Troy Schwab (19 goals, 41 assists, 60 points in 70 games)

28-F-Kyle Bonis (36 goals, 23 assists, 59 points in 65 games)

16-F-Justin Mercier (22 goals, 21 assists, 43 points in 46 games)

24-D-Shane Sims (7 goals, 24 assists, 31 points in 65 games)

32-D-Cody Lampl (8 goals, 22 assists, 30 points in 62 games)

1-G-Jeff Lerg (32-9-3 record, 2.37 GAA, .920 Sv% in 45 games)

Head-to-Head

Playoff Series: Walleye 3, Nailers 2

Playoff Series at Huntington Center: Nailers 1, Walleye 1

Season Series: Walleye 6, Nailers 1

Season Series at WesBanco Arena: Walleye 3, Nailers 1

All-Time Series (Regular Season + Playoff): Walleye 28, Nailers 27

All-Time Series at Huntington Center (Regular Season + Playoff): Walleye 15, Nailers 8

The True Meaning of Must-Win

The Wheeling Nailers enter Tuesday night with only one option - winning the hockey game to keep their 2014-15 season alive. The Toledo Walleye came to WesBanco Arena last week, and after falling in game three, bounced back to win games four and five, taking a 3-2 lead in the Best-of-Seven North Division Semi-Final Series. Saturday night's fifth game came down to one shot, as the two sides played to a 1-1 deadlock through the first 50-plus minutes of action. The decisive attempt occurred with 5:28 remaining in regulation, when AJ Jenks put forth an incredible individual effort on the right side of the ice, lifting a shot into the top-left corner of the goal. Jeff Lerg preserved the victory with perhaps his best game of the series, making 31 saves, including a lunging stop, when the contest was still tied. Chaz Johnson and Justin Mercier had the two earlier goals.

Timing is Everything

Through the first five games of the series, the Nailers and Walleye have combined to score eight times on the power play. Oddly enough, six of those eight tallies have been scored by the team who went on to lose that particular game. Unfortunately, all three of Wheeling's markers on the man advantage fall into that category, despite the fact that Adam Krause's goal in game two and Chaz Johnson's goal in game five both gave the Nailers 1-0 leads. Both of Toledo's last two power play tallies have made significant differences, as Troy Schwab opened the scoring in game four, while Justin Mercier's was the equalizer in the second period of game five. The Walleye have outscored the Nailers, 9-8 at even strength, with Wheeling's eight even strength goals all coming in games one and three.

How Many Out There

While hooking has far and away been the most popular penalty call of the series (10), the second most frequently called penalty may raise some eyebrows. Both squads have been guilty of having too many men on the ice on three different occasions. In game one, the minors were whistled in successive fashion, with Toledo receiving its penalty first, before Wheeling's later in the middle frame. That also happened in game three, although both scenarios led to abbreviated power plays. The Nailers fell victim to having six players on the ice once in game two, while the Walleye ran into that situation in game five, making game three the lone contest without any penalties for extra players. Luckily enough, none of the six mental mistakes have led to goals on the man advantage.

We Were Here for the Last One

In the early 1990's, the city of Toledo experienced all sorts of success in the ECHL Playoffs, including back-to-back championships in 1993 and 1994. Fast forward a decade or so, and life hasn't been so pleasant, as the Storm and Walleye haven't rewarded their fans with a series win since 2006. That series win saw the Storm erase a 2-1 deficit against the Nailers, as they went on to the five-game triumph, before bowing out in the conference final round against the Gwinnett Gladiators. Current Director of Hockey Operations Nick Vitucci (an original Carolina Thunderbird) was the head coach of Toledo at the time, and his assistant coach was former Nailers Head Coach Stan Drulia. Current Nashville Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette orchestrated the lone prior playoff series win for Wheeling over Toledo, who was led by Greg Puhalski, who later coached the Nailers.

It's Happened in This State Before

Tuesday night's clash marks the eighth time in team history that the Nailers/Thunderbirds will play the sixth game in a best-of-seven series. Five of the previous seven series have ended without the need for a game seven, including the 1993 Riley Cup Championship Series, when the Toledo Storm utilized overtime to edge the Thunderbirds, 7-6. In 2009, game six featured a more pleasant memory for Wheeling, who received a 41-save performance from Curtis Darling, in addtion to a 10-for-10 penalty killing effort to blast the Cincinnati Cyclones, 6-0 at US Bank Arena. Reid Cashman deposited two goals from the blueline, including the opening tally at the 40-second mark of the first. The Nailers have been forced to game seven once by the opposition (Greenville in 2011), although the team with the 3-2 lead after game five has yet to lose the series.

Second round playoff tickets and scheduling information will become available should the Nailers advance.

Wheeling Nailers 2015-16 season tickets, as well as flex tickets, group tickets and single-game tickets for 2014-15 are on sale now. For more information, call 304-234-GOAL or visit wheelingnailers.com.

Listen to all Nailers regular season and post-season games live on the Valley's rock station EAGLE 107.5 FM, on www.iheartradio.com or watch live on www.echl.tv. Catch every road game live on WLUTV on Comcast Cable 14.

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