Nailers to Clash with Royals in Round Two
April 26, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers, proud ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, have announced their opponent and schedule for the Eastern Conference Semifinal Round of the 2016 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Nailers will face the Reading Royals in a best-of-seven series, beginning on Friday night at WesBanco Arena.
During the 2015-16 regular season, there was little separation between the Nailers and Royals, who were separated by just one point, with Wheeling getting the edge, 83-82. Entering the last week of the season, Reading looked like it would finish ahead of the Nailers, as the Royals entered a home-and-home series leading Wheeling by three points. However, the Nailers rallied from a 3-0 deficit for a 4-3 triumph on April 8th to clinch a playoff spot, then erased a 2-1 deficit in Pennsylvania the following night for a 4-2 victory, securing a fifth place position in the Eastern Conference Standings. That led to a first round meeting with the Florida Everblades. Wheeling opened the series with a 6-3 win in Estero, but dropped 4-1 and 6-3 decisions in the next two games, falling behind 2-1. However, the Nailers staged another dramatic comeback, stunning Florida with five of the last six markers in a 5-4 victory in game four, which helped lead to two more one-goal wins, 4-3 in game five, and 2-1 in game six. Eight seeded Reading was involved in a back-and-forth series against the top ranked Toledo Walleye. The Royals came away victorious in games one, three, and five, while the Walleye took games two, four, and six, leading to a decisive seventh match at Huntington Center. Kevin Goumas played the role of hero in that contest, netting a hat trick in a 4-1 win.
The Nailers and Royals are far from strangers, as they faced each other 11 times during the regular season. After splitting the first six matches, Wheeling took care of business in the final five, winning four times, including all three of its visits to Santander Arena, for a 7-4 tally in the season series. Six of the 11 meetings were decided by one goal, although not a single one of them required extra hockey to be played. Oddly enough, the Nailers most decisive win of the year and most decisive loss of the year both came against Reading, as they were on the right side of a 6-1 score on November 13th, but the ugly end of a 6-0 result on February 6th. Riley Brace led the way with 14 points in nine games for Wheeling, while Cody Wydo scored five goals, including the team's lone hat trick of 2015-16. Cam Reid and Mike Pereira each had eight points for the Royals. Franky Palazzese saw the majority of the action between the pipes, going 4-3-0 in eight appearances for the Nailers, while Connor Knapp was 2-2-0 in five outings for Reading.
This will be the third postseason series played between the two rivals in their histories, as the two sides locked up in the opening round of both the 2004 and 2006 playoffs. In 2004, the Royals escaped with a five-game series win, thanks to a 30-save shutout by Cody Rudkowsky at WesBanco Arena in the decisive fifth clash. Wheeling got its revenge in 2006, needing only four of the five games to dispose of Reading, completing the set with a 5-4 win at then Sovereign Center. Jordan Cameron snapped a 4-4 deadlock with 7:39 remaining in regulation. Between the regular season and playoffs, the Nailers have gone to battle against the Royals on 163 different occasions.
The tickets that will be utilized during this series will be Game D (April 29th), Game E (May 2nd), Game F (May 9th), and Game G (May 11th). Fans can purchase playoff packages, starting as low as $12 per ticket by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Nailers office will be open from 9-7 on Wednesday and Thursday. Season ticket holders must contact the Nailers office to reserve their tickets for round two. Similar to the opening round, all kids tickets will be free for the four home games. Season tickets and mini plans for the 2016-17 campaign, the 25th season of professional hockey in Wheeling, are also available.
The 2016 Eastern Conference Semifinal Series between the Wheeling Nailers and Reading Royals will begin at WesBanco Arena on Friday at 7:35, followed by game two on Monday at 7:05. The series will then shift to Santander Arena for games three, four, and five (if necessary) on May 4th, 5th, and 7th (if necessary). If they are needed, games six and seven would return to Downtown Wheeling on May 9th at 7:05 and May 11th at 7:05.
Eastern Conference Semifinal
Wheeling Nailers vs. Reading Royals
Game 1 - Fri. Apr. 29th AT WHEELING, 7:35
Game 2 - Mon. May 2nd AT WHEELING, 7:05
Game 3 - Wed. May 4th at Reading, 7:00
Game 4 - Thu. May 5th at Reading, 7:00
Game 5 - Sat. May 7th at Reading, 7:00 (if necessary)
Game 6 - Mon. May 9th AT WHEELING, 7:05 (if necessary)
Game 7 - Wed. May 11th AT WHEELING, 7:05 (if necessary)
ECHL Stories from April 26, 2016
- Reading Wins First Road Game Seven in Team History, 4-1, at Toledo - Reading Royals
- Americans Force Game Seven on Wednesday - Allen Americans
- Walleye Season Comes to a Close with a 4-1 Loss - Toledo Walleye
- Nailers to Clash with Royals in Round Two - Wheeling Nailers
- ECHL Transactions - April 26 - ECHL
- Thunder to Host Equipment Sale Thursday and Friday - Wichita Thunder
- Thunder Announce 2017 CCM/ECHL All-Star Classic Details - Adirondack Thunder
- ECHL Today - April 26 - ECHL
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
