ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers Fall 4-1 in First Game After Coaching Change

December 26, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


TOLEDO, OH- The end result for the Wheeling Nailers' game against the Toledo Walleye on Saturday night leads to a simple message - don't judge a book by its cover. David Gove made his debut as Wheeling's head coach, but didn't get the decision he was looking for, as the Walleye picked up their fifth straight win - 4-1 at Huntington Center.

Following a three-goal output on the power play in their last game, the Walleye picked up where they left off, opening the scoring with a marker on the man advantage. Shane Berschbach slipped a pass to the front of the crease for AJ Jenks, who made a gorgeous play, feeding the puck to Scott Czarnowczan, cruising into the left circle. Czarnowczan caught the pass in stride, and slammed it into the left side of the cage, putting the home team ahead.

The second period followed a similar script to the first, as Toledo extended the lead with an early tally. Tyler Sikura led the forwards' rush, slipping a pass to Alden Hirschfeld in neutral ice. Hirschfeld curled in on the left side of the offensive zone, before dishing the puck over to Josh Shalla, who picked the top-left corner of the cage from the right circle. The Nailers got lots of chances during the middle frame, as they peppered the Walleye net with 15 shots, but came up empty.

The home team padded its advantage in the third period, netting a third goal at the 5:56 mark. Derek Docken's left point shot was stopped by Franky Palazzese, but the rebound got punched in by Tyler Maxwell, who was playing in his first game with Toledo. Dominic Zombo tacked on one more tally for the Walleye with 6:50 left to go, finding just enough room for the puck in the top-right corner of the goal. Wheeling was successful in breaking up the shutout bid, as Jarrett Burton buried a one-timer with less than one second remaining in the clash for a 4-1 final score.

Jeff Lerg was nearly perfect for Toledo, earning his fifth straight victory with 34 saves on 35 shots. Franky Palazzese took the loss for Wheeling, stopping 26 of the 30 shots he faced.

The Nailers will begin a seven-game homestand on Sunday, when they take on the Kalamazoo Wings at 4:05 as part of Regifting Night. Fans can donate a new toy and receive a "Buy One, Get One Free" ticket offer. In addition, McDonald's $5 kids tickets will be available, and there will be a post game skate with the team. Wheeling will also be home on New Year's Eve at 6:05 against Brampton, which will feature a Cowbell Giveaway, thanks to OVMC/EORH. On January 2nd, the Nailers and Beast will battle again on Throwback Night. All tickets will be $7, and the Nailers will wear Wheeling Thunderbirds jerseys.

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics



ECHL Stories from December 26, 2015


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