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ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers at Walleye Game Day Snap Shot

April 3, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


Took Down a Division Leader

The Wheeling Nailers needed a full team effort in order to defeat the East Division leading Manchester Monarchs on Saturday night, and that's exactly what they got, receiving stellar performances from their offense, defense, and goaltending. The first unit to arrive on the scene was the offense, as the Nailers grabbed the lead just 2:47 into the contest. Mathew Maione's shot went wide, but the rebound deflected out to Riley Brace, who potted his team-leading 26th goal of the season. Later in the opening stanza, John McCarron made the score 2-0, roofing a shot just under the crossbar. After that, goaltending began to shine, as Franky Palazzese was tested with 27 shots over the first 40 minutes of play. He stopped all but one, keeping his club in the lead. Finally, the defense took control in the third period, holding Manchester to just three shots to preserve the 2-1 victory in front of 3,310 at WesBanco Arena.

Five for All, Then Five for One

The Toledo Walleye have had no problem finding the back of the net this weekend, as they scored 12 times in two victories, knocking off the Manchester Monarchs 5-4 on Friday and the Cincinnati Cyclones 7-3 on Saturday. Toledo has yet to trail this weekend, but did get some pushback from the Monarchs on Friday, as Manchester erased 3-1 and 4-3 deficits, forcing the Walleye to create some late magic. That magic came from Tyson Spink, who netted his first professional goal with 4:04 left in the third period, lifting the home team into the win column. On Saturday, Toledo came out firing at US Bank Arena, and the Cyclones didn't have an answer until the third period, after five straight goals by their guests. Evan Rankin had the performance of a lifetime for the Walleye, becoming the first ECHL player in 2015-16 to light the lamp five times in a single game. Rankin also found the back of the net once on Friday, giving him six goals in two nights. Both goalies started once, with Jeff Lerg beating the Monarchs and Jake Paterson taking down the Cyclones.

One Step Up the Ladder

There are now seven days remaining in the 2015-16 regular season, and thanks to their triumph on Saturday night, the Nailers find themselves in better position than they were, as they hopped over the Elmira Jackals into seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Wheeling and Elmira are now tied in the games played department, along with Reading, Kalamazoo, and Atlanta. That creates another crucial game for the Nailers on Sunday afternoon, as both the Jackals and Wings have the day off, before taking the ice for their 70th games during the week. The two teams directly ahead of Wheeling in the standings are both in action on Sunday, as Adirondack hosts Brampton after a 3-1 win on Saturday, and Reading will clash with Norfolk after a 3-2 victory on Saturday. The Nailers begin the day with their magic number sitting at five, and that can drop as low as three by the time the night is over.

We'll be Seeing Double

Towards the end of the season, teams will frequently fill their roster with players finishing up their amateur careers, in hopes of finding some late gems to assist in their postseason runs. Toledo appears to have hit the jackpot twice, dipping into the same family for a pair of players. Tylor Spink made his debut in mid-March, registering one goal, two assists, and three points in two games. Prior to Tylor's return this weekend, Toledo did simple math, figuring that two would be better than one, so they brought in Tylor's twin brother Tyson. The Spink brothers have combined for six points in two games, including a game winning goal by Tyson in his debut on Friday. The Walleye have also added defensemen Matt Caito and Vili Saarijarvi, who have collected seven points in their first seven contests. Wheeling's new addition, Kevin Schulze, played in his first two professional games this weekend, and was one the ice for the game winning goal on Saturday.

We Need One in Their House

Sunday afternoon marks the seventh and final head-to-head meeting between the Nailers and Walleye this season, as well as the third battle at Huntington Center. Home teams have had a decided edge in the season series, as the two clubs have combined to win five of six games in their own back yards. The lone road victory went to Toledo on March 11th, when it came from behind to defeat Wheeling, 2-1 in a shootout. The Nailers got their revenge 11 days later in the most recent clash, when they blanked the Walleye 4-0 at WesBanco Arena. Northwest Ohio has been an unfriendly place during the regular season for Wheeling, as it is 0-2-1 there this season, and 0-5-1 dating back to 2014-15, not counting the playoffs. However, the Nailers showed during the postseason that winning in Toledo is an achievable task, as they picked up a pair of victories, while their two setbacks both came in overtime. Wheeling and Toledo could see each other in the playoffs for a second straight spring, depending on results in the next seven days.

Wheeling Nailers (35-26-4-4, 78 Pts.) at Toledo Walleye (45-19-2-3, 95 Pts.)

WHEELING NAILERS

(35-26-4-4, 78 PTS, 2nd North, 7th East)

205 GF, 204 GA

PP: 17.0% (44-for-259), 13th

PK: 83.8% (217-for-259), 16th

23-F-Riley Brace (26 goals, 37 assists, 63 points in 53 games)

18-D-Mathew Maione (9 goals, 41 assists, 50 points in 67 games)

11-F-Cody Wydo (22 goals, 27 assists, 49 points in 56 games)

25-F-John McCarron (12 goals, 16 assists, 28 points in 48 games)

17-F-Jordan Kwas (8 goals, 20 assists, 28 points in 57 games)

27-D-Brett Stern (7 goals, 17 assists, 24 points in 69 games)

29-G-Franky Palazzese (20-15-2 record, 2.84 GAA, .906 Sv% in 37 games)

TOLEDO WALLEYE

(45-19-2-3, 95 PTS, 1st North, 1st East)

220 GF, 167 GA

PP: 20.2% (47-for-233), 3rd

PK: 82.5% (175-for-212), 18th

10-F-Shane Berschbach (24 goals, 43 assists, 67 points in 59 games)

16-F-Tyler Sikura (16 goals, 32 assists, 48 points in 65 games)

27-F-AJ Jenks (22 goals, 23 assists, 45 points in 54 games)

25-F-Josh Shalla (20 goals, 19 assists, 39 points in 64 games)

86-F-Evan Rankin (18 goals, 11 assists, 29 points in 27 games)

22-D-Scott Czarnowczan (5 goals, 20 assists, 25 points in 38 games)

1-G-Jeff Lerg (27-10-3 record, 2.16 GAA, .926 Sv% in 40 games)

Head to Head

Season Series: Walleye 4, Nailers 2

Season Series at Huntington Center: Walleye 3, Nailers 0

All-Time Series: Walleye 29, Nailers 27

All-Time Series at Huntington Center: Walleye 17, Nailers 7

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics

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