ECHL Idaho Steelheads

STEELHEADS: Nailers Shut Down Steelheads

Published on February 10, 2017 under ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Nailers Shut Down Steelheads
Nailers Shut Down Steelheads
(Idaho Steelheads, Credit: Nate McIntyre Photography)

Boise, ID (2/10/17)- Garrett Meurs scored two of Wheeling's three goals in the first period and Doug Carr stopped all 26 shots he faced, as the Nailers (25-16-5) shutout the Idaho Steelheads (25-17-7), 3-0 in front of 4,855 fans on Friday night at CenturyLink Arena.

It was Carr's first shutout of the season, the third suffered by Idaho this year and the first on home ice.

At 8:15 of the first period, a casual dump-in turned into Meurs' 16th goal of the season. The puck was flipped high into the Idaho zone with Meurs skating after it. Idaho defenseman David Glen turned to retrieve it, but the puck hit him in the back. Meurs gloved down the bouncing ricochet, carried it behind the net, and wrapped it to the front to beat Branden Komm across the crease for a 1-0 Wheeling lead.

The Steelheads entered the game with five shorthanded goals in the prior nine games, but the Nailers' penalty kill would strike at 10:58 to increase the Wheeling lead. After defenseman Kevin Schulze knocked down a puck in the high slot of his own zone, he noticed Steelheads forward Brian Nugent was back in the neutral zone on defense. Schulze immediately took the puck wide through center, getting around Nugent and dropping a pass back to the slot for Tyler Currier's 11th of the season and his fifth in the past nine games, coming with 28 seconds left on the Idaho man-advantage.

At the end of the period, Meurs would tack on another goal. With eight seconds left in the period, an Idaho clearing attempt hit a stanchion in the glass and popped out to the high slot for a Meurs one-timer over Komm's blocker and a 3-0 Wheeling need after one period.

The Steelheads had chances in the third period, hitting several posts behind Carr and outshooting the Nailers 11-7 in the final frame. Carr limited the secondary chances, earning his first shutout since March of last season and the fourth of his professional career.

Corbin Baldwin was ejected from the game in the third period after a hit on Meurs that was followed by a scuffle, primarily involving Baldwin and Meurs but also bringing in other players. Baldwin was whistled for a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct. The Nailers would not score on the advantage.

The Steelheads and Nailers play the rubber-match of their three-game series on Saturday night, the final night for the Jayden DeLuca Foundation Jersey Auction which will end after the second period. Puck-drop is scheduled for 7:10 pm MT on 1350 KTIK, Cable One, and ECHLTV.

Photo: Nate McIntyre Photography

STEELHEADS STATS:

Branden Komm: 25 saves on 28 shots

Power Play: 0-for-2

Penalty Kill: 5-for-5

CENTURYLINK THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. Garrett Meurs WHL

2. Tyler Currier WHL

3. Kevin Schulze WHL

COORS LIGHT OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

Garrett Meurs: 2 goals, 4 shots, plus-2 rating

PLAY OF THE GAME:

Free skating room was hard to come by on Friday night. With the Steelheads already trailing by three goals, a 2-on-1 early in the second period was the Steelheads best chance to leap back into the game. Jefferson Dahl and Rob Linsmayer skated down on the odd-man rush, with Dahl delaying and carrying the puck below the goal line and around the challenging Carr. Dahl slid a pass back to the front of the net, which went behind Carr and into the blue paint. Just as Linsmayer attempted to bury the pass into an empty net, Wheeling defenseman Ross McMullan brought his stick down on Linsmayer to break up the play and save a goal. It was the only puck the Steelheads would get behind Carr, and they would get no reward.

Check out the Idaho Steelheads Statistics

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Images from this story

Nailers Shut Down Steelheads
Nailers Shut Down Steelheads
(Nate McIntyre Photography)		   



ECHL Stories from February 10, 2017


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