ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Nailers Win Fifth Straight, Defeat Wings 6-3

December 16, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


KALAMAZOO, MI -- The Wheeling Nailers pick up their fifth consecutive win with a 6-3 victory over the Kalamazoo Wings at Wings Stadium Wednesday night.

Nailers got on the board first, as Kyle Bushee brought the puck into the zone and directed it toward the net of Wings goaltender Riley Gill. Gill bobbled the loose puck, and forward Mickael Bedard picked up the rebound and flipped over Gill to give Wheeling the 1-0 lead 2:44 into the contest.

The Wings came out flying in the second, as Andrew Fournier swung the puck around Wheeling goaltender Mattais Modig to tie the game at one. Moments later Kalamazoo took the lead, when Patrick Asselin received a feed in the slot and flipped the puck into the net. Wheeling tied the game at two at 16:25 into the second, as Alexander Smigelski hurled the puck from the boards, and it slipped past a distracted Riley Gill. Smigelski's goal extends his point scoring streak to five games, posting five goals and an assist during that stretch.

In the third, it was the Nailers who came out flying. After an offensive zone faceoff win, Peter Merth fired the puck from the point and snapped it past Gill to give the Nailers a 3-2 lead. The goal was he first of Merth's professional career. Two minutes later, Casey Pierro-Zabotel in the middle of a scramble in front, found the puck and tapped in across the goaline to give Wheeling a 4-2 lead. The Wings pulled within one less than a minute later on Patrick Asselin's power play goal.

However, Wheeling continued to press, a Mike Gershon ripped a slapshot past Gill at 5:41 of the period to extend the lead to two. Alexander Smigelski added an empty netter to seal it late in the game. Mattais Modig earned his third win of the season, stopping 30 shots.

The Nailers travel to Cincinnati to take on the Cyclones for a pair of game on Friday and Saturday at 7:35 p.m. The next Nailers home game is set for this Sunday December 19, against the Reading Royals. To purchase tickets call 304-234-GOAL.

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ECHL Stories from December 16, 2010


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