Nailers Resume Play After Chirstmas
Published on December 23, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
Merry Christmas from everyone with the Wheeling Nailers and we hope all is well for you and yours this holiday season. Thanks for being a part of our hockey family and cheering on your hometown team.
The Nailers get back to action the day after Christmas following a week-long holiday break that came right after their three game stretch down south in sunny Florida.
Wheeling heads to Kalamazoo Saturday night in search of their first win against the first place Wings. The Wings are 16-7-3 and have the second best winning percentage in the American Conference.
The Nailers return home for their first WesBanco appearance in two weeks when they take on the Elmira Jackals Sunday at 6:35.
Wheeling will continue their busy slate into the week leading up to the New Year with a Wednesday night game at the Reading Royals followed by the traditional New Years' Eve home game on Thursday night against the Toledo Walleye.
Sunday is Family FunDay featuring a post-game skate with the Nailers players. Be sure to bring your skates and gloves$B!D(Band don't forget the camera!
New Years Eve is Michael Jackson Tribute Night featuring Don't Stop Til You Get Enough beats all night long and a Michael Jackson look-alike contest.
Nailers hockey is the best entertainment value in the Ohio Valley!
Get your tickets by calling the Nailers at 304-234-GOAL (304-234-4625) or toll-free at 1-877-NAIL-TIX and log on to wheelingnailers.com for more information
Last Week:
Wheeling went 1-2-0 in their three game trip to the Florida Everblades to conclude play before the holiday break.
Wheeling lost the Wednesday night opener of the series 5-2 with Cleve Kinley (2) and Casey Pierro-Zabotel (6) lighting the lamp in the set back.
Friday night was a thrilling 5-3 win at Florida led by Thomas Beauregard who took over the league lead in goals with his 17th and 18th of the year. Aaron Clarke (10), Kevin Schmidt (5) and Blair Yaworski (6) also had goals. Yaworski had a terrific block of a shot right along the goal-line as Florida was trying to tie the game. The Nailers came up with several other fine plays to preserve the lead before sealing the victory in the final minute with an empty-netter. It was the team's first ever victory over Florida in three tries.
Saturday night the Everblades closed out the series with a 5-1 defeat of the Nailers. Michael-Lee Teslak made his Nailers debut in net and took the loss. T.J. Fox scored his 6th goal of the season. Wheeling blasted 43 shots on Everblades goalie Barry Brust, their second highest total of the season, but could only light the lamp just the one time.
After the Saturday night game most of the players headed back to their respective homes to spend part of the holidays with family and friends.
Notes-
Aaron Clarke is on the injured reserve with a lower body injury. He is expected to perhaps miss the first couple weeks of January. Clarke is the team's leading scorer in the month of December at 6-6-12.
Jordan Fox has returned to the Nailers from his P.T.O. (Professional Tryout) with Rochester of the AHL. Fox played in three games with the Americans. Fox led the Nailers in scoring for the month of November at 6-7-13.
Michael-Lee Teslak has been assigned to the Nailers by the Philadelphia Flyers from the Adirondack Phantoms organization of the AHL. Teslak has played most of this year and last year with Elmira. He was the winning goalie in the ECHL's longest ever game last year when he made 71 saves in a 4 overtime marathon against Trenton.
Thomas Beauregard took over the league lead in goals last Friday night but has since been passed by Ryan Kinasewich of Utah as they again trade places. Beauregard is all alone in 2nd in the ECHL with 18 goals.
Andrew Lord is 2nd in the league in major penalties with 13 trailing only Brett Gallant of Elmira.
Casey Pierro-Zabotel had a career high 3 assists in last Friday night's 5-3 victory over Florida raising his season total to 14. He is tied for second on the team in scoring for the month of December at 5-5-10. Other Nailers with 10 points so far in December include Chris Capraro (1-9-10), Thomas Beauregard (6-4-10) and Alex Grant (3-7-10).
Ryan Schnell is 2nd among ECHL rookies in penalty minutes and major penalties with 83 and 9 respectively.
Mitch Ganzak is 2nd among ECHL defensemen in assists with 16. He's 6th among ECHL blueliners in total points with 23.
Game Breakdown
Wheeling: 13-15-2, 28 points
Kalamazoo: 16-7-3, 35 points
Kalamazoo leads season series 2 games to 0. This is the 3rd of 9 meetings in 2009-10.
The Wings are in first place in the North Division and 3rd place in the American Conference. Kalamazoo leads the league in total offense.
Head Coach: Wheeling - Greg Puhalski (3rd season with Wheeling, 16th in professional hockey)
Kalamazoo - Nick Bootland (2nd season with Kalamazoo)
Affiliation: Wheeling - Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
Kalamazoo - San Jose Sharks (NHL), Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), Worcester Sharks (AHL), Adirondack Phantoms (AHL)
Top Scorers:
Wheeling - Thomas Beauregard (18-9-27), Aaron Clarke* (10-14-24), Jordan Fox (8-13-21), Casey Pierro-Zabotel (6-14-20), T.J. Fox (6-13-19)
Kalamazoo - Rick Cleaver (12-20-32), Andrew Fournier (13-13-26), Darryl Lloyd (8-11-19), Sam Ftorek (3-15-18)
Top Goalie:
Wheeling -Brad Thiessen (4-3-0,.911, 3.18), Michael-Lee Teslak (combined ELM/WHL, 5-6-2, 3.12,.883)
Kalamazoo - Ryan Nie (7-2-1, 2.66,.918), Jeremy Duchesne (5-1-2, 3.35,.905)
Team Offense (goals per game)
Wheeling (3.3), 11th in ECHL
Kalamazoo (4.2), 1st in ECHL
Team Defense (goals allowed per game)
Wheeling (3.6), 16th
Kalamazoo (3.4), 12th
Shots Per Game
Wheeling (30.1), 15th
Kalamazoo (34.5), 4th
Shots Allowed Per Game
Wheeling (31.1), 8th
Kalamazoo (35.0), 18th
Power Play
Wheeling (28-163, 17.2%), 11th
Kalamazoo (29-143, 20.3%), 4th
Penalty Kill
Wheeling (28-161 82.6%), 9th
Kalamazoo (25-155, 83.9%), 6th
Experience Counts: Greg Puhalski is entering his 16th year at the bench and 3rd for 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 is the Ohio Valley's newest Dad! His wife Ally is doing well after giving birth to that couple's first child, a healthy baby girl. 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!!
Nailers on the Radio: All Wheeling Nailers games are broadcast on the Nailers Hockey Network presented by Amica Insurance led by flagship station The Mix 97.3 and on wheelingnailers.com and the B2 network. Bob Rotruck is in his second season with the play-by-play action while former Wheeling Thunderbirds defenseman Brock Woods enters his 10th season of providing color commentary on the home games. Catch the preview of the night's action beginning with the Subway Countdown to Faceoff beginning 20 minutes before the drop of the puck. The Riesbeck's Food Markets Post-game report features a detailed recap of the night's action, audio-replay highlights, and also interviews with coaches and players on home games.
ECHL Stories from December 23, 2009
- Nailers Resume Play After Chirstmas - Wheeling Nailers
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- "The Pow Wow" Episode 3 Is Now Online - Johnstown Chiefs
- 10th Annual Florida International Holiday Invitational At Germain Arena - Florida Everblades
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