Nailers vs. Stingrays Game Day Snap Shot
December 5, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
Back on Track
The Wheeling Nailers made their way back into the win column on Friday night, as they rebounded from two straight setbacks, taking down the South Carolina Stingrays, 3-2 at WesBanco Arena. After surrendering the quickest goal against of 2015-16 at the 18-second mark of the first period, the Nailers battled back to tie the score, as Zack Torquato netted his ninth goal in 14 games. Adam Krause gave Wheeling the lead in the middle frame, as he has lit the lamp in three consecutive contests. Brett Stern added what appeared to be an insurance goal in the third, but that turned out to be the game winner in a 3-2 decision for the home team. Brian Foster was the victorious netminder, as he turned in a 38-save performance.
An Early Stinger
The South Carolina Stingrays wasted little time in making their mark on Friday night, as Stephan Vigier found the back of the net just 18 seconds into the contest, redirecting Bobby Shea's right point shot on goal, before following that up by potting the rebound. For the second game in a row, South Carolina opened the scoring, but couldn't turn that statistic into a winning result, as the Nailers responded with three straight goals, similar to what the Norfolk Admirals did on Wednesday night. After falling behind by two, the Stingrays attempted to make a comeback, as former Wheeling forward Colin Mulvey trimmed the gap to one with over 12 minutes left in regulation. However, that was the only one of 14 third period shots to cross the goal line, as South Carolina lost its second in a row. Mark Dekanich took the defeat, making 22 saves on 25 shots.
Similar Players Getting it Done
The three goal scorers for the Nailers in Friday's victory probably didn't come as much of a surprise to the spectators, as Zack Torquato, Adam Krause, and Brett Stern have all been making large contributions as of late. After missing the first six games due to injury, Torquato has jumped into the lineup, producing nine goals and 12 points in 14 games, including seven goals in his last eight contests. Krause's tally was his third in as many games, and was assisted by Sahir Gill, who also picked up a helper on Torquato, giving him points in six of his last seven tilts, as well as the team lead in assists with 13. Finally, Stern has now scored in back-to-back games, and is currently tied for second in the ECHL among rookie defensemen with 13 points. Wheeling has nine players with at least ten points through the first 20 games on the slate.
Giving the NHLers a Break
Brian Foster and Mark Dekanich were the starting goaltenders in Friday night's tilt, and while they both shared the creases at WesBanco Arena, they also shared a fun statistical note, as both backstops have appeared in one NHL game. Foster got his opportunity with the Florida Panthers in 2011-12, while Dekanich got called into action with the Nashville Predators in 2010-11. The two experienced netminders are both expected to get the night off on Saturday, as the teams will likely turn the duties over to Franky Palazzese for the Nailers and Vitek Vanecek for the Stingrays. Palazzese has won five of his last six starts, with the only defeat coming on Sunday, despite a 36-save effort against the Reading Royals. Vanecek, a 19-year old from the Czech Republic, is coming off of a 3-1 loss in Norfolk on Wednesday, in which he made 15 saves.
Someone Must Break 11-11
Saturday night marks the second and final head-to-head meeting between the Nailers and Stingrays this season, as well as the second of two battles at WesBanco Arena. Thanks to Wheeling's triumph on Friday night, both clubs have now picked up 11 regular season wins in the 23 years since the Stingrays joined the ECHL. Home teams have had the historical edge, as the Nailers have taken six of the nine games played in the Ohio Valley, while South Carolina has come out on top in eight of 11 clashes in the Lowcountry. Wheeling is in search of its first season series win against the Stingrays since the 2010-11 campaign, which was a two-game sweep featuring a victory in each building. Once the game concludes, this will be the third of 17 season series completed by the Nailers.
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Wheeling Nailers (11-8-1-0, 23 Pts.) vs. South Carolina Stingrays (11-8-1-1, 24 Pts.)
WHEELING NAILERS
(11-8-1-0, 23 PTS, 2nd North, 6th East)
63 GF, 59 GA
PP: 16.3% (14-for-86), 20th
PK: 79.2% (61-for-77), 22th
23-F-Riley Brace (8 goals, 12 assists, 20 points in 20 games)
20-F-Jarrett Burton (9 goals, 10 assists, 19 points in 20 games)
21-F-Sahir Gill (3 goals, 13 assists, 16 points in 19 games)
27-D-Brett Stern (5 goals, 8 assists, 13 points in 20 games)
15-F-Zack Torquato (9 goals, 3 assists, 12 points in 14 games)
25-F-John McCarron (3 goals, 9 assists, 12 points in 20 games)
29-G-Franky Palazzese (7-3-0 record, 2.51 GAA, .910 Sv% in 10 games)
SOUTH CAROLINA STINGRAYS
(11-8-1-1, 24 PTS, 2nd East, 5th East)
50 GF, 46 GA
PP: 12.2% (10-for-82), 26th
PK: 84.2% (64-for-76), 10th
8-F-Joe Devin (4 goals, 10 assists, 14 points in 21 games)
61-F-David Pacan (5 goals, 8 assists, 13 points in 19 games)
10-F-Brett Cameron (6 goals, 4 assists, 10 points in 17 games)
28-F-Stephan Vigier (4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points in 21 games)
9-F-Andrew Rowe (3 goals, 5 assists, 8 points in 12 games)
17-D-Bobby Shea (2 goals, 6 assists, 8 points in 21 games)
30-G-Vitek Vanecek (5-6-2 record, 2.08 GAA, .914 Sv% in 13 games)
Head to Head
Season Series: Nailers 1, Stingrays 0
Season Series at WesBanco Arena: Nailers 1, Stingrays 0
All-Time Series: Nailers 11, Stingrays 11
All-Time Series at WesBanco Arena: Nailers 6, Stingrays 3
ECHL Stories from December 5, 2015
- Americans Defeat Grizzlies 7-3 on Teddy Bear Night in Allen - Allen Americans
- Admirals Shut out Greenville to Mark Beginning of Five-Game Road Series - Norfolk Admirals
- Nailers Stung by South Carolina on Star Wars Night - Wheeling Nailers
- Rimmer Perfect as Swamp Rabbits Fall 3-0 in Teddy Bear Toss Game - Greenville Swamp Rabbits
- Scrappy K-Wings Fall Short in Comeback Bid - Kalamazoo Wings
- Royals Snap Road Skid with Shutout Win in Manchester, 3-0 - Reading Royals
- Stingrays Dominate Nailers in 6-1 Victory Saturday - South Carolina Stingrays
- Solar Bears Shutout Atlanta 4-0 - Atlanta Gladiators
- Game Day Preview: Allen vs. Utah - Allen Americans
- Game Day Capsule: Wichita at Missouri, December 5th - Wichita Thunder
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- ECHL Transactions - December 5 - ECHL
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- Nailers vs. Stingrays Game Day Snap Shot - Wheeling Nailers
- ECHL Today - December 5 - ECHL
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