ECHL Wheeling Nailers

Wheeling Nailers Weekly Report

January 6, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Wheeling Nailers News Release


Last Week

Tue. 12/31 Reading Royals 4 @ WHEELING NAILERS 1

MacLellan (Zurevinski, Johnson)

Ostergard- 24/28

Fri. 1/3 Elmira Jackals 2 @ WHEELING NAILERS 3 (overtime)

Mulvey (MacKay, Gill)

MacLellan (Zurevinski, Lagace)

Harvey (MacLellan, Gill)

Corbeil- 34/36

Sat. 1/4 WHEELING NAILERS 3 @ Elmira Jackals 4 (overtime)

MacLellan (Lagace, Harvey)

MacKay (Mulvey, Gill)

Fernandez (Cianfrini)

Corbeil- 33/37

Last week, the Wheeling Nailers took the ice three times, with all three contests taking place against Atlantic Division rivals, as they posted a 1-1-1 record. Two of those three tilts required overtime, meaning that the Nailers have played bonus hockey in 11 of their first 31 games of the season. Last year, Wheeling set a team record, going past regulation on 22 different occasions. The Nailers are currently 7-5-2 against Elmira and Reading, with one game scheduled against the Royals this week, which will take them to the halfway mark of their 30-game divisional marathon.

On Tuesday night, the Nailers got their home return started in quick fashion, as Jack MacLellan scored on the first shot of the contest at the 2:42 mark of the opening stanza. The goal was MacLellan's first, since returning from injury on December 27th. Unfortunately, that was the only celebrating for Wheeling on New Year's Eve, as the Reading Royals rattled off four consecutive goals, tying the game in the first, before finding the twine three times in the third for a 4-1 win. On Friday night, the Nailers drew first blood once again, as Colin Mulvey hammered in the rebound of Max MacKay's initial shot at the 17:42 mark of the first period. The Elmira Jackals were held off of the scoreboard until the dying seconds of the middle frame, when Matt Carter potted the equalizer with just three ticks left on the clock. MacLellan and Patch Alber exchanged tallies in the third, setting up bonus hockey at WesBanco Arena. In overtime, Myles Harvey needed just 20 seconds to punctuate the game, blasting home a one-timer from the right face-off dot. On Saturday night, Wheeling scored first again, as MacLellan became the first player on this season's squad to light the lamp in three straight tilts. However, the Jackals responded, scoring the next three goals, opening up a 3-1 lead. The Nailers were able to battle back to earn a point, thanks to MacKay and Tyler Fernandez, but at 1:38 of overtime, Elmira came away victorious on Jakub Culek's 3-on-3 tally. Mathieu Corbeil got the nod in goal for both games against the Jackals, making 67 saves on 73 shots, after Brooks Ostergard stopped 24 of 28 shots against the Royals.

This Week

Wed. 1/8 WHEELING NAILERS @ Reading Royals, 7:05

Thu. 1/9 Cincinnati Cyclones @ WHEELING NAILERS, 7:00

Sat. 1/11 Toledo Walleye @ WHEELING NAILERS, 7:00

Sun. 1/12 WHEELING NAILERS @ Toledo Walleye, 5:15

This week, the Wheeling Nailers will get things started on Wednesday night, with their seventh head-to-head clash with the Reading Royals. Reading has won five of the six games in the season series thus far, including both contests at Santander Arena. The last time the two sides met in Reading, the Royals became the first team to erase a two-goal deficit against the Nailers this season, battling back from being down 2-0, for a 3-2 shootout win. Wheeling currently leads Reading by five points for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. On Thursday night, the Nailers will welcome the North Division leading Cincinnati Cyclones to WesBanco Arena for the sixth of 12 games between those two squads. Wheeling has won three of the first five meetings against Cincinnati, who has received nine goals and 13 points from Jack Combs in the last eight games. Finally, the week will conclude with a pair of games against the Toledo Walleye, who have sunk to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Nailers and Walleye have played just two of their ten head-to-head battles, with Toledo winning 2-0 on October 26th, before Wheeling responded with a 3-0 triumph on November 30th.

Upcoming Home Games/Promotions

Thu. 1/9 vs. Cincinnati - $5 Kids Tickets

Sat. 1/11 vs. Toledo - FANtastic Night #3 - Youth Backpack Giveaway to First 1,000 Kids; Girl Scout Night

Sun. 1/26 vs. Cincinnati - Family Funday; Skate with the Team; $5 Kids Tickets

Wed. 1/29 vs. Fort Wayne - WesBanco Winning Wednesday; $5 Kids Tickets

Fri. 1/31 vs. Kalamazoo - WingFest; Frosty Friday; Player Poster Giveaway to First 2,500 Fans

Nailers Leaders

Goals: 9, Zack Torquato

Assists: 22, Zack Torquato

Points: 31, Zack Torquato

Penalty Minutes: 84, Patrick McGrath

Plus/Minus: +10, Sahir Gill & Dustin Stevenson

Wins: 10, Mike Condon

Goals Against Average: 2.33, Mike Condon

Save Percentage: .925, Mike Condon

Shutouts: 1, Mike Condon, Mathieu Corbeil, Eric Hartzell

Eastern Conference Standings

1. South Carolina Stingrays 51

2. Florida Everblades 42

3. Cincinnati Cyclones 42

4. Evansville IceMen 40

5. Orlando Solar Bears 38

6. WHEELING NAILERS 36

7. Kalamazoo Wings 35

8. Fort Wayne Komets 32

9. Greenville Road Warriors 31

10. Reading Royals 31

11. Gwinnett Gladiators 26

12. Elmira Jackals 24

13. Toledo Walleye 23

Check out the Wheeling Nailers Statistics



ECHL Stories from January 6, 2014


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