Sports stats



ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers vs. Wings Game Day Snap Shot

March 12, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


Tight Like a Playoff Game

The Wheeling Nailers were involved in a game with plenty of intensity on Friday night, as they went to battle with their North Divsion rivals, the Toledo Walleye. After a scoreless opening period, Wheeling delivered the first blow at the 3:07 mark of the second, when Cody Wydo batted in a loose puck from the right side of the slot. That was the lone tally until less than six minutes remained, when the Walleye got the tying goal off of Dominic Zombo's backhand from just to the right of the crease. Those were the only two goals during regulation, as the two sides went to overtime, which settled nothing, despite nine total shots on goal. The Nailers got off to a great start in the shootout, as Anton Zlobin and Riley Brace scored in the first two rounds. However, Toledo didn't go away, responding with three goals on its final three shots for the comeback win. Brian Foster and Jake Paterson combined to make 53 saves, with Paterson ending up on the positive side of the decision.

Too Shocked to Recover

The Kalamazoo Wings were also involved in an important game on Friday night, as they and the Nailers are two of seven teams separated by nine points for the final three playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. But before they could blink an eye, the Wings found themselves trailing the Norfolk Admirals, 3-0 on home ice, as Norfolk scored three times in the first 8:32 of the contest. The game settled drastically from there, as neither team could find the back of the net again until the 2:22 mark of the third period, when Kalamazoo pulled within two on a marker by Adam Phillips. The Admirals responded by netting two of the final three goals, putting the finishing touches on a 5-2 victory at Wings Event Center. Nic Riopel made 25 saves in the win, defeating Joel Martin, who came up with 24 stops for the Wings.

The Goal That Snapped the Streaks

During the 2015-16 season, the Nailers have done a tremendous job of protecting leads and finishing games off when given the chance. Friday night was a rare occurrence in which they saw a win slip out of their hands, as Toledo battled back to tie the score in the third period, then won with a comeback in a shootout as well. The defeat was Wheeling's first in 20 games this season when leading after two periods, as the Nailers now have a 19-0-1 record in that scenario. The tying goal by Dominic Zombo also ended Wheeling's longest shutout streak of the year, as the Nailers had held the Reading Royals, Brampton Beast, and Toledo Walleye scoreless for 114:59. Unfortunately, the one trend that continued for Wheeling was its struggles in shootouts, as the Nailers dropped to 0-4, despite scoring two goals for the first time this season.

One Big Change on the Roster

With all of the transactions that occur over the course of a season, one could argue that the ECHL should be referred to as the Ever Changing Hockey League. For the most part, Kalamazoo has steered away from that reputation in 2015-16, as they have needed just 24 skaters and two goaltenders to get through their first 58 games of the campaign. However, the Wings received quite the hit earlier this week, when Dane Fox was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the Carolina Hurricanes, ending his two-year tenure in Kalamazoo. Prior to the deal, Fox was the leading scorer for the Wings, racking up 26 goals, 24 assists, and 50 points in 53 games. In his final contest, Dane netted four goals, including the game winner, as Kalamazoo defeated the Utah Grizzlies, 5-4 in overtime. By comparison, the Nailers have utilized 39 skaters and three goaltenders in game action this season.

We Still Haven't Gone There Yet

Saturday night marks the fifth of eight head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Wings this season, as well as the fifth and final battle at WesBanco Arena. The scheduling between the two North Division clubs is unique in the sense that Wheeling doesn't make its first appearance in Michigan until next Saturday for the first of three games there in eight days. Despite being three games under .500 on the road, Kalamazoo has had great success in the Ohio Valley this season, earning seven out of eight possible points with a 3-0-1 clip. The lone triumph by the Nailers came on January 22nd, when Andrew Cerretani broke a 1-1 tie at 2:17 of overtime. Joel Martin has made nine consecutive starts in the all-time series for the Wings, and will likely see the bulk of the remaining action, as he has appeared in 52 of the team's 58 games thus far. Dane Fox was the leading scorer in the season series with eight points, but that title now goes to Tanner Sorenson's five points. Cody Wydo has three goals and four points for Wheeling.

Wheeling Nailers (29-23-2-4, 64 Pts.) vs. Kalamazoo Wings (27-26-4-1, 59 Pts.)

WHEELING NAILERS

(29-23-2-4, 64 PTS, 2nd North, 9th East)

177 GF, 178 GA

PP: 16.4% (36-for-219), 15th

PK: 84.0% (189-for-225), 15th

23-F-Riley Brace (21 goals, 31 assists, 52 points in 42 games)

18-D-Mathew Maione (8 goals, 37 assists, 45 points in 56 games)

11-F-Cody Wydo (18 goals, 20 assists, 38 points in 45 games)

25-F-John McCarron (8 goals, 13 assists, 21 points in 37 games)

17-F-Jordan Kwas (6 goals, 15 assists, 21 points in 46 games)

27-D-Brett Stern (6 goals, 14 assists, 20 points in 58 games)

31-G-Brian Foster (7-7-2 record, 2.82 GAA, .906 Sv% in 16 games)

KALAMAZOO WINGS

(27-26-4-1, 59 PTS, 3rd North, 12th East)

180 GF, 197 GA

PP: 13.9% (32-for-231), 24th

PK: 84.3% (182-for-216), 13th

23-F-Ludwig Blomstrand (21 goals, 27 assists, 48 points in 57 games)

19-F-Alex Mallet (18 goals, 29 assists, 47 points in 58 games)

21-F-Lane Scheidl (7 goals, 23 assists, 30 points in 58 games)

93-F-Justin Taylor (18 goals, 10 assists, 28 points in 56 games)

10-F-David Gilbert (14 goals, 14 assists, 28 points in 48 games)

7-D-Cory Pritz (3 goals, 21 assists, 24 points in 43 games)

49-G-Joel Martin (27-19-5 record, 3.09 GAA, .914 Sv% in 52 games)

Head to Head

Season Series: Wings 3, Nailers 1

Season Series at WesBanco Arena: Wings 3, Nailers 1

All-Time Series: Wings 19, Nailers 17

All-Time Series at WesBanco Arena: Wings 11, Nailers 9

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics



ECHL Stories from March 12, 2016


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.

Other Recent Wheeling Nailers Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central