Nailers drop late decision at Trenton, 3-2
Published on February 11, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
Tobias Holm and Elgin Reid both lit the lamp for the Wheeling Nailers but it wasn't enough as they dropped the opening game of an 8 game road trip by a 3-2 count at the Trenton Devils Wednesday night.
Jeff Prough's team leading 19th goal of the year with just 1:45 remaining broke the late deadlock. The goal came on the power play for the Devils one minute after Andrew Lord was tagged for a high sticking double-minor.
It is the first time the Devils have defeated the Nailers in 5 tries this year. This was Wheeling's first game at Trenton's Sovereign Bank Arena but they will be here a total of 4 times in this 8 game road swing.
Gerald Coleman turned away 21 of Wheeling's 23 shots as the league's top goalie improved to 17-3-2 for the surging Devils who moved past Dayton and into 5th place in the North Division with the victory.
Holm got the scoring started taking a hard rebound off the end-boards from a Brock Sheahan one-time slapshot from the point and stuffing it in. The play started with Aaron Clarke intercepting the clearing attempt of Trenton's goalie Gerald Coleman. Holm has scored in his last 2 games and has 11 on the year.
Trenton stormed back with back to back goals 1:21 apart in the first to take a 2-1 lead. Dan Eves lit the lamp on the power play to tie it at 1-1 and then Jeff Prough and Jeremy Akeson nicely converted on a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush with Akeson slamming home his 11th of the year on the give-and-go to give the Devils the 2-1 lead after one.
In the 2nd period the Nailers would tie it on an Elgin Reid slapshot goal from the top of the left circle. Reid's 13th of the year came on a nice drop up the left-wing by Erik Johnson after Mitch Ganzak intercepted a clearing try at the line.
The teams would battle back and forth with various scoring opportunities from there. About mid-way through the 3rd period Curtis Darling scrambled to his left to make a dazzling save on Brett Snetsinger's one-timer on a rebound that came right onto his stick from the right-wing dot. At first it appeared Snetsinger was shooting into a mostly open net and would give Trenton the lead but Darling quickly recovered for the best stop of the night.
After Andrew Lord's double-minor for high-sticking at 17:16 of the 3rd left the Nailers shorthanded Jeff Prough roofed it from the left-wing dot going short-side over Curtis Darling's blocker and in-and-out of the underside of the top of the cage on the blast to give the Devils the 3-2 win.
Because it was a double-minor penalty Lord had to continue to sit in the box on his next penalty. Wheeling pulled Darling to even the sides at 5-on-5 with an empty-net behind them but never were able to seriously threaten Coleman in the final minute.
Wheeling continues their stretch of 4 games in 5 days to begin this 8 game road trip when they return to action on Friday and Saturday nights at the Dayton Bombers with a pair of 7:30 games. Friday's game is at the Bombers' regular home at the Nutter Center in Fairborn, Ohio while the Saturday night game is at the Bombers' alternative location at Hobart Arena in Troy, Ohio. Sunday afternoon finds the Nailers at the Johnstown Chiefs for a 2:35 encounter.
Wheeling's next home games are Friday, Feb 27 and Saturday, Feb 28. The Feb 27 game against the Dayton Bombers is Friday Family Four-Pack night. Get 4 tickets, 4 sodas, 4 hot dogs and a large popcorn all for only $44. The Feb 28 game against the Elmira Jackals is City of Wheeling night at WesBanco Arena. The first 2500 fans in attendance get a Coal Miner Spike Bobblehead courtesy of Consol Energy.
For more information contact the Nailers at 304-234-GOAL (that's 234-4625) or log on at wheelingnailers.com.
ECHL Stories from February 11, 2009
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