ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers Play Midweek Matinee

Published on February 8, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


Next Game:

Tuesday, February 9th 11:05am (WesBanco Arena, Wheeling, WV) - Johnstown Chiefs at Wheeling Nailers

Later This Week:

Friday, February 12th 7:35pm (WesBanco Arena, Wheeling, WV) - Elmira Jackals at Wheeling Nailers

Saturday, February 13th 7:35pm (WesBanco Arena, Wheeling, WV) - Elmira Jackals at Wheeling Nailers

Sunday, February 14th 5:00pm (Sovereign Center, Reading, PA) - Wheeling Nailers at Reading Royals

North Division Standings

1. Cincinnati Cyclones (30-17-1) - 61

2. Wheeling Nailers (26-20-3) - 55

3. Kalamazoo Wings (24-14-6) - 54

4. Toledo Walleye (25-19-4) - 54

Preview

The Nailers play what is believed to be the first morning start in organizational history as they tangle with the Johnstown Chiefs Tuesday morning at 11:05am in the team's inaugural Field Trip Education Day with thousands of area kids and teachers getting free admission to the game via their schools. It's also a Business Person's Special game at WesBanco Arena with all upper bowl seats on sale for only $10.

Wheeling is looking to extend a 4 game home-ice win streak and strengthen their hold on 2nd place in the North Division and 4th place in the American Conference standings.

The Johnstown Chiefs are led by new head coach Neil Smith. The team's majority owner and also former GM of the New York Rangers took over the reins at the bench on January 10th after Jeff Flanagan was released. Smith also serves as a TV analyst on NHL Network and Versus national telecasts. He picked up his first ever coaching victory at Wheeling on January 16th. Smith is 4-7-1 since taking over coaching duties for the Chiefs.

The Nailers wrap up their four game homestand this weekend with a pair of games against the Elmira Jackals on Friday and Saturday. The red-hot Elmira Jackals have won 3 straight and are unbeaten in regulation in their last 8 games going 7-0-1 over that stretch to take over 1st place in the East Division. The Jackals feature two of the top scoring players in the league in twin brothers Justin and Tyler Donati. Both Donatis have 69 points to tie for 2nd in the ECHL and are only one point back of the league lead. High-flying Elmira leads the ECHL with 4 goals per game.

After this 4 game homestand, the Nailers won't return to WesBanco Arena for three weeks as they will go on a 7 game road swing after this weekend's games. So come out and cheer for your hometown team before the long road trip!

Last Week

Wheeling made an adventurous journey back from Elmira, NY and some of the players got into town just a few hours before their Saturday night matchup with the Kalamazoo Wings. The possibility for road fatigue didn't face the Nailers though as they blasted away for a 10-1 thrashing of the visitors in their biggest victory in several years. T.J. Fox tied a Nailers record with 7 points in the same game including 2 goals and 5 assists. Thomas Beauregard and Aaron Clarke also had two goals apiece. Wheeling went 5-for-7 on the power play. The Nailers scored 4 goals in the first period and never let up tacking on 2 more in the second period and then 4 more in a 3 minute stretch in the 3rd to reach double-digits.

The team's bus broke down coming back from Elmira. Early Saturday morning the team was stranded on I-79 near Pittsburgh in the heaviest snow storm seen in the region in decades. Team Presidents Rob and Jim Brooks got their SUV's and shuttled the players back to Wheeling from the bus 4 or 5 at a time and eventually got everyone into town in time for the game. It was a long day for everyone but the Nailers responded and showed their true character with the dominating win.

It was a nice rebound for the Nailers who went 0-2 in their brief two game road-swing to Cincinnati and Elmira last Wednesday and Friday. Wheeling lost to the Cyclones 3-2 and then fell to the Jackals 5-1.

Notes

This is believed to be the first morning start in the history of the Wheeling Nailers.

The Nailers are 13-5-1 in their last 19 games since Dec 26.

Wheeling has a 4 game home-ice win streak. The Nailers are 9-1-1 on home-ice since December 13.

Wheeling is 5-1-2 against Johnstown this year. 5 of the 8 games between the Nailers and Chiefs have gone to overtime.

Wheeling scored a season high 10 goals in Saturday night's 10-1 win over Kalamazoo.

The Nailers moved from 7th to 4th place in the American Conference in just one night when they won on Saturday.

T.J. Fox tied an all-time Nailers record with 7 points in a single game with 2 goals and 5 assists Saturday night. He is the 5th Nailer to register 7 points in a game. The last one to do it before him was Jordan Morrison on Dec 26, 2008.

Thomas Beauregard leads the American Conference with 30 goals after scoring 2 more on Saturday. Beauregard's career high as a pro is 31 goals with Cincinnati two seasons ago.

Mitch Ganzak leads ECHL defensemen with 28 assists and is 2nd in points with 35.

Andrew Lord is 2nd in the ECHL with 18 major penalties and 5th in penalty minutes with 140. Lord has 4 goals in his last 7 games.

Ryan Schnell is 2nd among ECHL rookies with 13 major penalties and 107 penalty minutes.

Chris Davis has 2 goals in his last 3 games.

Aaron Boogaard is the younger brother of NHL'er Derek Boogaard of the Minnesota Wild. Boogaard played for the Nailers in 2007-08 and was re-assigned to Wheeling last week from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. This is Boogaard's 3rd game back with the Nailers.

Cliff Loya is playing his 224th game with Wheeling. That is 2nd all-time in Wheeling Nailers history passing Tim Roberts(215 games, 1992-96). Next up on the all-time list is all-time leader Stephan Brannare (231 games, 1997-99, 00-01, 03-06).

Wheeling is 26-20-3 overall to move into 4th place in the American Conference.

Congratulations to former Wheeling Nailer Mark Letestu who scored his first NHL goal last Monday night against the Buffalo Sabres in the opening minute of the Penguins 5-4 win. Letestu played for the Nailers in 2007-08. Earlier this year he became one of the 42 former Nailers to make it to the NHL, most of all ECHL teams.

Tuesday- Wheeling Nailers (26-20-3)

Johnstown Chiefs (13-26-8)

Head Coach:

Wheeling - Greg Puhalski (3rd season with Wheeling, 16th in professional hockey)

Johnstown - Neil Smith (Team's majority owner who is serving as interim head coach)

Affiliation:

Wheeling - Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)

Johnstown - Minnesota Wild (NHL), Houston Aeros (AHL)

Top Nailers

Thomas Beauregard (30-20-50), T.J. Fox (19-23-42), Jordan Fox (14-22-36),

Mitch Ganzak (6-29-35), Aaron Clarke (15-19-34)

Top Chiefs

Chanse Fitzpatrick (23-18-41), Connor Shields (18-19-37), Troy Schwab (13-24-37), Bryan Marshall (14-16-30), Chris Zarb (8-19-27)

Top Goalies

Wheeling- Adam Berkhoel (7-5-1,.891, 3.22), Michael-Lee Teslak (11-10-3, 3. 31,.883 / with WHL, 6-5-1,.876, 3.67)

Johnstown - John Murray (4-13-2,.890, 3.54), Kris Mayotte (6-10-4,.887, 3. 96)

Friday and Saturday - Wheeling Nailers (26-20-3)

Elmira Jackals (25-17-5)

Head Coach:

Wheeling - Greg Puhalski

Elmira-Steve Martinson

Affiliation:

Wheeling - Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)

Elmira- Ottawa Senators (NHL), Binghamton Senators (AHL)

Season Series: The Nailers are 4-3-0 against Elmira including 2-1-0 against them at WesBanco Arena. Wheeling lost last Friday at Elmira 5-1 and prior to that had won the last three meetings including home games on Dec 27 and Jan 17. This is the 8th of 10 games in the season series between the Nailers and Jackals.

Top Jackals

Justin Donati (26-43-69), Tyler Donati (22-47-69), Yannick Tifu (13-31-44),

Olivier Proulx (18-26-42)

Goalies - Tyler Sims (0-3-1, 2.47,.908%), Julien Ellis (13-7-1, 3.35,.891%), Chris Holt (8-4-1, 2.85,.901)

Upcoming Home Games:

Friday and Saturday February 12th and 13th the Nailers host back to back games against the Elmira Jackals. Friday is another WTRF Family Four Pack night. 4 tickets, 4 sodas, 4hotdogs and a large popcorn all for $44.

Saturday is the Nailers second Boy Scout Night of the season and the first 1,000 kids will get a Mini Stick Giveaway courtesy of Tim Hortons.

Experience Counts:

Greg Puhalski is entering his 16th year at the bench and 3rdfor the Nailers. He is second among all ECHL coaches with 601 coming into this season trailing only Steve Martinson who had 650 wins entering this year. Puhalski has over 200 ECHL wins dating back to the beginning of his coaching career with the Toledo Storm from 1994-98.

Right-Hand Man:

Greg Puhalski has an assistant coach on the staff this year. Doug Doull joins the Nailers and the Penguins organization after doing some coaching in Canadian University hockey for a couple seasons following his 8 year playing career in the AHL and NHL. Doull fought some of the NHL's toughest customers in his time with the Boston Bruins in 2003-04. He played 37 games in the NHL mostly with Boston (and 2 with Washington) and racked up 151 PIM's. His AHL career included stays with Hershey, San Antonio, Utah, Providence, St. John's, Saint John and with other AAA level teams in the old IHL in the late 90's with Michigan (now Kalamazoo), Detroit Vipers and Manitoba.

It's a Girl!!

Wheeling head coach Greg Puhalski and wife Ally had their first child earlier this season. Zara Katherine Puhalski was born at 7:05 p.m. on October 29th.

Nailers broadcaster Bob Rotruck and Nailers Accountant Linda Timberlake also share that birthday and both say they heartily approve of the date chosen by the newest member of Nailers Nation!

Congratulations Greg and Ally. And welcome to Nailers Nation Zara!!

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics

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ECHL Stories from February 8, 2010


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