ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers vs. Road Warriors Game Day Snap Shot

Published on November 26, 2014 under ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


Wheeling Nailers (7-6-0-0, 14 PTS) vs. Greenville Road Warriors (10-7-0-0, 20 PTS)

WHEELING NAILERS

(7-6-0-0, 14 PTS, T-3rd North, T-8th East)

39 GF, 43 GA

PP: 16.3% (7-for-43), 16th

PK: 82.8% (53-for-64), 15th

23-F-Riley Brace (6 goals, 12 assists, 18 points in 13 games)

18-F-Matia Marcantuoni (4 goals, 6 assists, 10 points in 8 games)

21-F-Sahir Gill (2 goals, 8 assists, 10 points in 11 games)

15-F-Zack Torquato (4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points in 8 games)

12-F-David Gilbert (4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points in 13 games)

16-F-Derek Army (4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points in 13 games)

8-D-Zach Yuen (2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points in 9 games)

29-G-Franky Palazzese (5-5-0 record, 3.73 GAA, .877 Sv% in 10 games)

GREENVILLE ROAD WARRIORS

(10-7-0-0, 20 PTS, 4th East, 6th East)

47 GF, 47 GA

PP: 12.9% (8-for-62), 22nd

PK: 85.9% (55-for-64), 7th

18-F-Michael St. Croix (2 goals, 11 assists, 13 points in 15 games)

23-F-Chad Nehring (5 goals, 7 assists, 12 points in 16 games)

27-F-Vinny Saponari (6 goals, 2 assists, 8 points in 16 games)

7-D-Ryan Hegarty (3 goals, 4 assists, 7 points in 15 games)

13-F-Emerson Clark (4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points in 11 games)

16-F-Chris McCarthy (2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points in 8 games)

19-F-Trevor Parkes (1 goal, 5 assists, 6 points in 12 games)

33-G-Jeff Malcolm (8-3-0 record, 2.08 GAA, .927 Sv% in 11 games)

Head-to-Head

2013-14 Season Series: Nailers 2, Road Warriors 1

2013-14 Season Series at WesBanco Arena: Nailers 1, Road Warriors 0

All-Time Series: Road Warriors 9, Nailers 8

All-Time Series at WesBanco Arena: Nailers 4, Road Warriors 3

Hartzell Held Them Off the Board

The Wheeling Nailers will begin a five-game homestand on Wednesday night, after winning two of three clashes with the Elmira Jackals last week. Sunday afternoon turned out to be the rubber match of the three, with Wheeling having won the opener 3-2 on Wednesday, before Elmira snapped back with a 6-3 decision on Saturday. Derek Army opened the scoring for the Nailers at the 11:28 mark of the first period, then scored into an empty net with 1:32 remaining in the contest for a 2-0 final score. Eric Hartzell was perfect between the pipes, stopping all 38 shots he faced, improving his career record to 7-0-0 against the Jackals.

They Really Are "Road" Warriors

Once the two teams take the ice on Wednesday, the Greenville Road Warriors will have played the fewest home games in the Eastern Conference, as they enter play having skated just five times at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, compared to 12 times on opposition ice in 2014-15. This will serve as the sixth of eight straight road games for the Road Warriors, who have compiled a 2-3-0 record thus far on the trip. After getting blanked 3-0 at Evansville on Wednesday, Greenville won two of three tilts over the weekend, defeating Toledo 6-3 and Fort Wayne 3-1, before returning to Evansville for a 6-2 loss on Sunday. Jeff Malcolm was the netminder in the two wins, while Jason Missiaen suffered both defeats.

Assist From the Affiliates

Through the first 13 games of the regular season, the Nailers have dressed 28 players, with Alex Boak anticipated to become the 29th on Wednesday night. Boak is currently in the midst of his first full season of pro hockey, after playing eight games with Wheeling at the conclusion of the 2013-14 campaign. The blueliner has an AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, which will make him the 12th affiliated player to appear in a game with the Nailers this season. Eight of the 12 players have come from Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, while the other four have come from Montreal and Hamilton. Last season, 21 affiliated players suited up for Wheeling.

Penalty Killing Ups and Downs

In addition to the shutout on Sunday afternoon, the Nailers were thrilled to see another streak come to an end, as prior to that contest, they had allowed at least one power play goal in six consecutive games. As rough as that might appear, the penalty kill had been nearly perfect in the five games before that saw only one goal scored on the man advantage by the opposition. Wednesday's opponent, Greenville, ranks 22nd in the ECHL with a 12.9% success rate on the power play, and has won all six games in which it has scored a goal on the PP. Wheeling's power play has lit the lamp seven times, ranking 16th, while the Road Warriors' penalty kill is seventh in the league at 85.9%.

Long Distance, but a Heated Rivalry

Wednesday night marks the first of five head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Road Warriors this season, with all five battles between the teams scheduled to take place at WesBanco Arena. Although Greenville won last year's playoff series in six games, Wheeling has enjoyed lots of success in recent regular seasons, winning eight of the last 11 historical contests. Of the five teams from the former South Division (FLA, GRN, GWT, ORL, SC), the Nailers have faced the Road Warriors the most from 2010-2014, duking it out 17 times during the regular season and on 13 occasions in the playoffs. Greenville is one of three Eastern Conference cities that Wheeling will not visit this season, joining Orlando and Estero (FLA).

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics

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