Wheeling Earns Point in Shootout Loss
November 21, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release
The Wheeling Nailers picked up a valuable standings point on the road in an exciting 4-3 shootout loss at the Cincinnati Cyclones on Friday night. Nick Johnson led the Nailers attack with a pair of goals to increase his league leading total to 13 lamplighters including his ECHL leading 6th power play goal of the season.
A pair of former Wheeling Nailers were key for the Cincinnati Cyclones victory. Kyle Rank scored 2 big slapshot goals from the right point against his former team and goalie Martin Houle recorded 21 saves for the win.
Thomas Beuregard's score in the 3rd round of the shootout proved to be the game-winner as the Cyclones beat the Nailers 3-2 in the 5 rounder. Cincinnati scored in the first 3 rounds of the shootout for the victory. Shootout scorers for the Nailers were Jon Grecu and Mitch Ganzak in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Ganzak has 2 shootout goals this year.
Curtis Darling took the shootout loss for the Nailers but it doesn't take away from his terrific performance. Coming off his first ever shutout at WesBanco Arena Darling made 36 saves, many of the dazzling variety, in thwarting the Cyclones attackers time and time again.
One shot that got past him was the 2nd of Kyle Rank's slapshot goals at 16:03 that gave the Cyclones the 3-2 lead late in the 3rd. That lead lasted only 14 seconds though as the Nailers raced into the zone shortly after the center face-off and Elgin Reid's blast from the high slot bounced off the chest of Houle and trickled across the goal-line. It was Elgin Reid's 5th goal of the season.
Reid Cashman had an assist in his first game with the Nailers on assignment from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and had a solid game on the blue-line including many fine set-ups for his teammates and a couple of big blasts from the point.
Both teams had great opportunities in a back and forth overtime. It began with Cincinnati on the power play stemming from a Cashman penalty at 19:20 of the 3rd. Darling made several spectacular saves and the Cyclones also missed on a couple of big opportunities as the Nailers hung in there. Wheeling raced back with a couple chances of their own only to be denied by Houle.
Wheeling is 2-0-1 against Cincinnati this year. This was their first meeting at US Bank Arena in Cincy. They play a rematch Saturday night at 7:35.
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