ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers vs. Walleye Game Day Snap Shot, January 25

January 25, 2017 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


Nailers vs. Walleye Game Day Snap Shot

Wheeling Nailers (20-14-3-0, 43 Pts.) vs. Toledo Walleye (30-8-0-1, 61 Pts.)

WHEELING NAILERS

(20-14-3-0, 43 PTS, 5th North, 9th East)

128 GF, 110 GA

PP: 19.2% (32-for-167), 9th

PK: 75.8% (119-for-157), 27th

8-F-Nick Sorkin (10 goals, 19 assists, 29 points in 32 games)

26-D-Kevin Schulze (6 goals, 23 assists, 29 points in 33 games)

17-F-Jordan Kwas (14 goals, 14 assists, 28 points in 37 games)

11-F-Cody Wydo (12 goals, 14 assists, 26 points in 36 games)

9-F-Christian Hilbrich (10 goals, 16 assists, 26 points in 37 games)

23-F-Garrett Meurs (13 goals, 12 assists, 25 points in 36 games)

31-G-Doug Carr (9-8-1 record, 3.35 GAA, .890 Sv% in 19 games)

TOLEDO WALLEYE

(30-8-0-1, 61 PTS, 1st Central, 1st West)

160 GF, 108 GA

PP: 22.9% (39-for-170), 2nd

PK: 84.3% (102-for-121), 10th

12-F-Tyson Spink (18 goals, 22 assists, 40 points in 39 games)

24-F-Tylor Spink (14 goals, 25 assists, 39 points in 35 games)

10-F-Shane Berschbach (8 goals, 31 assists, 39 points in 38 games)

27-F-AJ Jenks (13 goals, 20 assists, 33 points in 32 games)

86-F-Evan Rankin (17 goals, 14 assists, 31 points in 37 games)

9-D-Simon Denis (3 goals, 16 assists, 19 points in 37 games)

35-G-Jake Paterson (20-6-1 record, 2.48 GAA, .911 Sv% in 27 games)

Head to Head

Season Series: Nailers 3, Walleye 3

Season Series at WesBanco Arena: Nailers 2, Walleye 1

All-Time Series: Walleye 33, Nailers 30

All-Time Series at WesBanco Arena: Nailers 22, Walleye 13

A Perfect Road Trip

The Wheeling Nailers played three road games over the course of seven days, and were victorious in all three, as they reached the 20-win mark in 2016-17. On Saturday night, the Nailers captured two points in their final trip of the regular season to Santander Arena in Reading. It took a while for the game's first goal to be scored, which finally occurred with 3:12 remaining in the second period. Cody Wydo batted in a loose puck at the top of the crease to put Wheeling ahead. With 6.5 seconds to go in the middle frame, Wydo found the back of the net again, sliding in a power play goal. The Royals closed the gap to one with 3:59 left in regulation on a Matt Willows marker, but Doug Carr and the Nailers defense shut the door the rest of the way. Carr turned away 34 of the 35 shots he faced, as he got the better of Martin Ouellette, who made 32 saves on 34 shots for Reading. The three-game road winning streak is tied for Wheeling's longest of the campaign.

Almost a Mighty Comeback

The Toledo Walleye nearly stunned the Kalamazoo Wings on Sunday afternoon, as they came one goal away from erasing a 5-0 deficit at Wings Event Center. Needless to say, the first two periods didn't go Toledo's way, as Kalamazoo appeared to be in control with the five straight tallies. Tanner Sorenson, Justin Taylor, and Lane Scheidl scored in the opening stanza, while Taylor and Justin Breton lit the lamp in the second. The Walleye came alive in the third period, and Zach Nastasiuk put the visitors on the scoreboard just 36 seconds into the stanza. Toledo's special teams got into the act as the frame went along, as Nolan Zajac converted on a power play at 8:33 for a 5-2 score. Next up was a shorthanded goal from JP LaFontaine at 11:44, followed by Tylor Spink on the man advantage with 2:44 left. Despite a 46-shot attack, Toledo wasn't able to get a tying goal past Joel Martin, who defeated Jake Paterson in net.

Every Day is Somebody New

The 2016-17 schedule features plenty of variety for the Nailers, who face 16 of 26 possible opponents in the ECHL. A lot of that variety takes place in the current stretch, as Wheeling is in the midst of playing seven consecutive games against seven different teams. This week alone, the Nailers will take the ice four times, clashing with the Toledo Walleye, Quad City Mallards, Brampton Beast, and Kalamazoo Wings. All four of those season series are partially completed, and will be finished off later in the year. Last Friday, Wheeling finished the fifth of its 16 season sets, when it won the lone match of the campaign against the Norfolk Admirals, 9-2 at Norfolk Scope Arena. The Nailers are 3-2-0 in completed series thus far, and have started all but two sets - one against the Adirondack Thunder, and the other against the Idaho Steelheads. The next series that will come to a conclusion will be a four-game block against the Cincinnati Cyclones, with the last contest occurring on February 2nd at US Bank Arena.

One Point From a Career Year

With one game in the books to start the second half of the regular season, Wheeling has a new leader in the goal column, as Jordan Kwas has captured the top spot with 14 goals in 37 games. Kwas was the only player to light the lamp multiple times in the blowout victory at Norfolk on Friday, and he is also the leading goal scorer in the season series against Toledo, having found the twine four times. The Cochrane, Alberta native has already set his career high in goals, beating his previous mark of nine, which was done last season. Jordan currently sits one point away from his career high in points, as he enters play on Wednesday with 28, which is one behind team leaders Kevin Schulze and Nick Sorkin. Schulze has missed each of the last four games, while Sorkin was out for five games earlier this season, due to time in the AHL. The Walleye have had one player eclipse the 40-point mark (Tyson Spink), while Tylor Spink and Shane Berschbach are knocking on the door with 39 each. Tyson Spink's 18 goals are the most on their squad.

Finally Getting a Break From These Guys

Wednesday night marks the seventh of ten head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Walleye this season, as well as the fourth of five battles at WesBanco Arena. This particular game will end a busy month of clashes between the two rival clubs, as five games will have been played over the course of 30 days. The home teams have had a decided edge during that span, as Wheeling has won twice in West Virginia and Toledo has won twice in Ohio. Both of the games at Huntington Center finished with one-goal margins, while the two triumphs for the Nailers have had a bit more separation, with 6-0 and 5-2 scores respectively. Three different Wheeling players have posted seven points against the Walleye - Nick Sorkin, Christian Hilbrich, and Jordan Kwas. Tyson Spink's six points are the most for Toledo. The next set of matches will take place on February 24th and 25th in T-Town, before the season series concludes in the Friendly City on March 12th.

-Nailers-

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics



ECHL Stories from January 25, 2017


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