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ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers Ready for First Place Show Down Friday

December 18, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


It's a Showdown For First Place this weekend when the Wheeling Nailers play a home and home series vs. the Johnstown Chiefs with an opportunity to take over the top spot in the ECHL North Division. Friday night's game at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling is at 8:05. The Saturday night rematch is at the War Memorial Coliseum in Johnstown at 7:05. The Nailers will wrap up the weekend with a Sunday home game vs. the rapidly improving Trenton Devils at 6:05.

Just a week ago the Nailers were 8 points back of the first place Johnstown Chiefs. But the Chiefs have had a few days off giving the Nailers a chance to make up some of those 'games in hand' they have on the division leaders. And the Nailers have made the most of their opportunity winning 3 games in a row last weekend by a combined score of 15-4 and closing the gap to 2 points. And with all that the Nailers still have 3 games in hand on Johnstown.

Wheeling has won 6 of their last 7 games and has lost only 3 games in regulation all year (out of 23 games) which is the lowest total in the ECHL. Wheeling is 15-3-5 for 35 points while Johnstown is 18-7-1 for 37 points.

The Nailers are scoring 4.1 goals per game which is 2nd in the league while the Chiefs defense is tops in the North division and 6th in the league allowing just 2.6 goals per game.

Wheeling is 1-1-1 against the Chiefs this year and the home team has yet to win in this series. The Nailers won at Johnstown 4-2 on October 18 in just their 2nd game of the season. Johnstown defeated the Nailers 3-2 in a shootout on November 1 at WesBanco Arena and also won 3-1 on November 26.

These will be the 4th and 5th out of 12 meetings this season but it will be another month before they play each other again. The Nailers will travel to Johnstown again on January 23rd and then again on February 15. Johnstown does not return to WesBanco Arena until March 6 and 7.

The last time the two teams faced each other was the day before Thanksgiving and the Chiefs came into WesBanco Arena and delivered a 3-1 setback to the Nailers. Andrew Sarauer scored all 3 goals for the Johnstown win. Sarauer has since received a call-up to Lake Erie of the AHL as have other Chiefs standouts like Kyle Wharton and Codey Burki. Johnstown still has Peter Pohl and Randy Rowe though and they provide a solid one-two punch up front with 27 and 24 points respectively including a combined 20 goals scored. They also feature Kris Mayotte in net who has gone 12-3-1, 2.24, .924 as one of the top goalies in the league.

But the Chiefs have been slowing down some from their red-hot early season pace that featured a stretch where they won 11 out of 12 games from November 1-26 as well as a 7 game win streak from November 1-15. Johnstown has lost 2 of their last 3 and have gone 4-3-1- in their last 8 games.

A couple top Wheeling scorers have received call-ups to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL including Nick Johnson (14 goals) and Tommy Goebel (27 points) but others have stepped in to pick up the scoring slack. Rob Sirianni had a 6 goal weekend including a Sunday hat trick vs. Reading and is now tied with Johnson for the team lead with 14 goals. Aaron Clarke has taken over the scoring lead from Tommy Goebel with a 4 assist weekend giving Clarke 28 points this year. And several other Nailers have stepped up their game and scoring as well including Tobias Holm who recorded a first period hat trick last Friday at Cincinnati, Jordan Morrison and Matt Grennier who each had multi-goal games on Saturday, and Erik Johnson who has scored 3 goals in his last 5 games.

The Nailers aren't just getting it done with offense though. They have been much improved on the blue-line and in net including solid performances by both David Brown and Curtis Darling last weekend. Brown is still unbeaten in regulation with the Nailers at 5-0-2 and also features a GAA of 2.24 and saves percentage of .927. Darling leads the team in wins with a record of 10-3-3 and has a solid 3.01 GAA and saves percentage of .909. Mitch Ganzak leads the league in plus-minus rating at +19 and is tied with teammate Rob Sirianni in that category. Elgin Reid is tied with Johnstown's Jon Landry for the top scoring spot among rookie defensemen with 15 points apiece.

The Nailers penalty kill has turned away 26 of 27 opportunities over the past 5 games and has allowed just 7 of 76 in the past 15 games.

The Nailers are featuring some great and fun promotions for their pair of weekend games on Friday and Sunday. Friday night at 8:05 is Kids Night and all kids 14 and under get in for free when accompanied by an adult. Two kids per adult for the Kids Free offer. The Nailers are also having an Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest in the stands. The fan with the brightest and ugliest of the holiday sweaters will win tickets to a Penguins game!

Sunday night wear Pittsburgh Steelers colors and get $2 off any ticket when the Nailers take on the Trenton Devils at 6:05. It's also a Sunday Family Fun Day featuring a post-game skate with the players and Santa. Bring your skates and gloves.

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ECHL Stories from December 18, 2008


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