Nailers defeat Reading Royals for 4th win in last 5 games.
December 13, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
Matt Grennier and Jordan Morrison led the Nailers attack with a pair of goals apiece as the Wheeling Nailers defeated the Reading Royals 5-2 Saturday night at WesBanco Arena in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 2935.
The Nailers jumped out to a quick start for the 2nd game in a row and led 3-0 after 1 period and then 5-0 after 2 periods.
Rob Sirianni started the scoring at 8:33 of the 1st period with his 11th goal of the year and 3rd of the weekend since returning from his 6 game loan to Binghamton of the AHL. Elgin Reid nicely fed Sirianni who fired it over Reading goalie Danny Taylor's left shoulder.
Less than a minute later Jordan Morrison lit the lamp after Bryan Ewing was cross-checked in the left-wing but scrambled to his skates while the delayed penalty was signaled. Ewing worked his way to the left dot and found Morrison on the door-step to make it 2-0 before the Nailers could even pull their goalie for the extra attacker.
Matt Grennier raced up the left wing and stopped on the dot and paused before roofing his 4th goal of the season to give the Nailers a 3-0 lead at 12:48.
In the 2nd period Andrew Lord stole the puck away from Reading goalie Danny Taylor and found a wide open Grennier in front of the open net to make it 4-0 just 15 seconds into the middle frame. It was Grennier's second multi-goal game of the season. Reading pulled goalie Danny Taylor at that point and replaced him with James Reimer who performed much better for the Royals.
At 9:08 of the 2nd period Mitch Ganzak carried the puck deep into the Royals zone and nicely dropped it for Morrison between the circles who blasted it top shelf to build the Nailers lead to 5-0. The puck went in and out of the net so quickly it was hard to see whether it had gone in except for the net that it knocked the water bottle high in the air.
David Brown was solid in net in improving to 5-0-2 as he turned away 23 of Reading's 25 shots. Max Taylor blasted a top-shelf goal at 2:43 of the 3rd to break up the shutout bid for his 5th of the year in just 3 games with the team and Dinos Stamoulis added another at 10:11 to close the gap to 5-2 but the Royals could get no closer.
Wheeling limited Reading to 0 for 8 on the power play as their penalty kill continued their success. Wheeling's penalty kill has held the opposition to 7/74 (90.5%) in the last 15 games including 1/27 (96.2%) in the last 4 games.
Wheeling went 0/2 on the man advantage. The Nailers outshot the Royals 30-25. This was the first matchup between the Nailers and the Royals this year who will meet a total of 10 times this season. Reading was the last team in the North Division for the Nailers to face as they have played multiple games against every other team.
The Nailers are 2-0 when wearing their Baby Blue jerseys which are replicas of the New Year's Day special jerseys of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Wheeling wear the Baby Blues for the last time in the Sunday night weekend finale.
Wheeling will host Reading again on Sunday, December 14 at 6:05 with a post-game skate with the team and Santa after the game for those who bring their skates and gloves.
Saturday, December 19 vs. the Johnstown Chiefs at 8:05 is a Kids Free night. All kids 14 and under get in free when accompanied by an adult. 2 kids per adult for this offer.
The Nailers have a pair of great holiday packages. Package 1 for $50 includes 4 game vouchers good for any night, an autographed stick blade all in a game-worn decorative hockey sock for $50. Package 2 includes 2 tickets for Moon Dog night on December 27, a guaranteed Moon Dog Bobblehead doll at the game, a Christmas ornament and in a decorative hockey sock for $30.
Wheeling Nailers Baby Blue jerseys from opening night are on sale now via an Ebay auction. Bid on the jerseys the players wore in the first game of the year at wheelingnailers.com and Ebay. The auctions on all the jerseys will close around 10 a.m. Monday so get your bids in now!
For more information contact the Nailers at 304-234-GOAL or log on at wheelingnailers.com.
ECHL Stories from December 13, 2008
- Falcons fall 5-1 - Fresno Falcons
- Utah rallies for four goals in final 21 minutes - Stockton Thunder
- Grizzlies Win Second-Straight Over Stockton - Utah Grizzlies
- Royals Fall in Wheeling - Reading Royals
- Morin's Four Goals Pace Stingrays Past Florida, 7-3 - South Carolina Stingrays
- 'Blades drop second straight to Stingrays, 7-3 - Florida Everblades
- Nailers defeat Reading Royals for 4th win in last 5 games. - Wheeling Nailers
- Sea Wolves stop Gladiators 4-2 - Mississippi Sea Wolves
- Gladiators Fall 4-2 to Sea Wolves - Atlanta Gladiators
- Checkers stun Cyclones, win 3-2 - Charlotte Checkers
- Late Goal Costs Cincinnati Cyclones In 3-2 Defeat - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Wranglers storm back on Condors, 5-2 - Bakersfield Condors
- Blades get Leggio back from AHL - Florida Everblades
- Wranglers Late Surge Downs Condors 5-2 - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Game Preview: Ontario Reign Vs Fresno Falcons - Ontario Reign
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- Game Preview: Stockton Thunder At Utah Grizzlies - Stockton Thunder
- Goepfert Called up to Hershey Bears - South Carolina Stingrays
- Bakersfield Condors vs. Las Vegas Wranglers - Bakersfield Condors
- Dupuis, Rodney Increase ECHL Players In NHL To 382 - ECHL
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Lamoureux Silences Steelheads, Aces Win 3-0 - Alaska Aces
- Steelheads blanked by Aces, despite thirty-three shot effort - Idaho Steelheads
- Falcons top Condors in overtime, 6-5 - Bakersfield Condors
- Falcons Win in Overtime - Fresno Falcons
- Salmon Kings Shutout Roadrunners - Victoria Salmon Kings
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