ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers Weekly Recap

Published on December 18, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


Record for week: 1-2-0, 2 points

Record for season: 10-14-0-1, 21 points - Seventh place in Northern Division

Player Notes: Defenseman Paul Bissonnette had a goal and an assist on Saturday night and has scored 11 points (5g-6a) in his last10 games. Two players made their Nailers debut over the weekend Mark Malone signed with Wheeling on Friday and played in his first professional game that night. Richard Colwill was traded from Toledo and played against Dayton on Saturday.

Team Notes: The Nailers had scored a power-play goal in eight consecutive games before going 0 for 3 on the man advantage Saturday. Their power-play percentage is 17.9% (27 goals in 151 opportunities).

NAILERS WEEK IN REVIEW

December 11-December 18

Wednesday, December 13 Wheeling 5 @ Reading 3

The Wheeling Nailers took their third straight games from the Reading Royals with a 5-3 win on Wednesday night in Reading. In the first period it was Joe Guenther with a pair of goals that had the teams tied at two after one. Ryan Smyth recorded assists on both goals to increase his assist streak to eight games. Guenther opened the scoring 5:46 into the game converting the rebound of Smyth's turnaround shot. Just under seven minutes later, John Snowden's wrist shot avoided a traffic jam in front and snuck under the crossbar to even the game at one. Reading converted on their first power-play opportunity at the 15:45 mark of the opening period with Ned Lukacevic's first goal of the season. Guenther's second goal of the period came with just 13.8 seconds remaining on the clock. It was the fourth multi-goal game of the season for Guenther and the third time he scored twice in the same period. He now has 13 on the year. Reading and

Wheeling traded power-play goals in the second period as Chris Bala got his ninth for the Royals and Jordan Cameron recorded his 13th. Cameron upped his goal streak to three games with assists from Collins and Cody Blanshan on a 5-on-3 advantage. It was Blanshan's first point as a Nailer since being traded from Idaho two weeks ago. Foster tipped in the game winner just 2:41 into the third period as Moren unleashed a wrist shot from along the boards. Foster knocked the puck from waist level up and over the shoulder of Jeff Pietrasiak. With just over 10 minutes remaining in the game, Moren added his name to the goal column putting a pass from Smyth into the back of the net. Moren brought the puck into the Reading zone and dropped it for Collins. Collins fed it across to Smyth who found Moren just outside the crease. Andy Franck earned his 10th win of the year by stopping 36 of the 39 shots sent his way. He turned away 17 in the second and another 13 in the third. The Nailers managed just 7 shots in each of the last two periods after registering 13 in the first. Wheeling has now taken the last three games from Reading and have now won three of four this year.

Friday, December 15 Wheeling 3 @ Reading 6

Not even wearing their red alternate jersey's could get the Nailers a second consecutive win against the Reading Royals tonight at WesBanco Arena. The offense never found a groove, and it was evident that they missed leading scorer Sean Collins, who was called up to Philadelphia of the AHL before tonight's contest. The visitors opened the scoring when former Nailer Arpad Mihaly got back at his old team in his old building. He scored his fifteenth goal of the year 7:50 into the first to give Reading a 1-0 lead. It took Mihaly just six seconds into a Ryan Moren penalty to beat Andy Franck for a power-play goal. Paul Bissonnette continued his hot streak as he scored his fifth goal of the season to tie the score at one. Bissonnette beat goalie Jeff Pietrasiak with a long shot from the point with 7:26 remaining in the opening frame. Vin Hellemeyer and Jon Foster assisted on the Nailers goal. With just over five minutes remaining in the first, the Royals took a 2-1 lead. Ned Lukacevic carried the puck into the offensive zone and made a drop pass for a trailing Roman Tesyluk who one-timed a slap shot past Andy Franck. The teams entered the locker room for the first intermission with the visitors leading the Nailers 2-1. Recently acquired Nailer and former Royal, Vin Hellemeyer, tied the game at two just two minutes into the second period. Hellemeyer tipped a Paul Bissonnette shot past Pietrasiak for his first goal of the year. Jon Foster was credited with the other assist. Taylor Christie gave the Royals a 3-2 lead with 13:22 remaining in the second. Christie's soft shot got past Franck, who looked to have been interfered with, but the referee ruled that the Royals player had been pushed into the Nailers net-minder. Greg Hogeboom added a shorthanded goal with five minutes remaining in the second to give the Royals their first two goal lead of the night. The second period ended with the Royals holding a two goal advantage with the score 4-2. The Royals took a three goal lead with 13:36 left in the game. Greg Hogeboom lifted the stick of Ryan Moren, creating a Nailers defensive zone turnover. Hogeboom then found Roman Teslyuk streaking down the right wing. Teslyuk beat Franck over his glove for his second goal of the game. Joe Zappala effectively sealed the Nailers' fate when he added the Royals' sixth goal. Jon Foster got his second goal in as many games, but it did nothing more than make the score look respectable. In the end, it was the Royals six, the Nailers 3.

Saturday, December 16 Wheeling 2 vs. Dayton 3

It didn't take the Nailers long to get on the board tonight against the Bombers. In fact, it took just two minutes and 11 seconds for Justin Depretis to beat one of the league's best goalies in Adam Berkhoel to give the Nailers a 1-0 lead. Jon Foster and Vin Hellemeyer had assists on the goal. But they wouldn't find the back of the net again for another 41minutes. The Bombers tied the game at one when Yannick Tifu just forced a shot past Andy Franck 5:56 into the first period. It appeared as though a Nailers defenseman had cleared the puck off the goal line, but the referee ruled that the entire puck had crossed. The Bombers took a 2-1 lead just 26 seconds later when Matt Herneisen, who entered the zone late, received a pass from behind the net and one-timed a shot past Franck. The period ended with Dayton leading 2-1. The two teams played a scoreless second frame, but a good bit of action came when Paul Bissonnette squared off with Dayton's 6-foot-9 Lane Manson. Bissonnette more than held his own against the ECHL's biggest player, landing several shots to Manson's zero. The Nailers tied the game at two 4:37 into the final period. Joe Guenther slammed the puck home for his fourteenth goal of the season after Vin Hellemeyer circled behind the net and fed him a cross ice pass through the goal crease. Cody Blanshan earned the second assist. With overtime looming and just 39 seconds left in the game, Bombers' defenseman Ryan Reid put the proverbial dagger through the Nailers' heart when he scored the game winning goal, putting the puck past a sprawled Andy Franck.

PREVIEW OF UPCOMING NAILERS GAMES

November 18 - December 25

Saturday, December 23 Wheeling @ Cincinnati 7:30p.m.

Wheeling will return for the fifth time to US Bank Arena in Cincinnati to take on the Cyclones Friday night. The Nailers are 2-2 in their first four contests with the Cyclones.

On The Air: Catch all 72 Wheeling Nailers regular-season games on the Mix 97.3 or over the internet at www.wheelingnailers.com. "The Voice of the Nailers" Brendan Burke will get things started 15 minutes prior to game time and bring you straight through the final buzzer.

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics

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ECHL Stories from December 18, 2006


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