The Nailers bookended a win on Saturday with two more losses against Fort Wayne and Kalamazoo. What happened in those three games that caused the results to be what they were?
Well, that’s not exactly how you want the weekend to go. Especially with games against teams that are hot on your heels in the standings. And now, both teams are magically only five points behind the third place Nailers, with the K-Wings having three games in hand.
Things have really taken a bit of a dip over the last couple weekends now, but we’ll get more into that after bit.
Friday’s game started off very well for the Nailers, as they jumped on the Komets early and often. Tanner Laderoute got Wheeling on the board just over three minutes into the game, followed by Matthew Quercia, and less than halfway through the first period, Wheeling was already up 2-0. It really had the feeling that all the Nailers had to do was keep pushing, try to get one more in the cage, and they could really open things up. However, Fort Wayne found a way to beat Jaxon Castor with just under seven minutes left in the frame, followed by a second goal only 22 seconds later to tie the game before the intermission, and it became apparent this would be a dogfight.
The second period featured quite a bit of back-and-forth action, with both teams getting good scoring chances. Finally, after almost eight and a half minutes of play, the Komets got another one past Castor to break the deadlock and take their first lead of the game. Wheeling tried to push to get the goal back, but it felt like momentum had shifted pretty strong in favor of the visitors. Finally, with just over four minutes left in the period, Sebastian Dirven took a sharp wrister from the point that found its way through to tie the game back up in time for the final frame.
In said final frame, the game went quite a bit like it had been, with neither team finding a way to break it open. Unfortunately, with 10:15 remaining in regulation, Shaw Boomhower was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, followed by a 10-minute misconduct, and the Komets were able to cash in on the ensuing power play, their only score on four chances with the man advantage. Wheeling tried their hardest to put Fort Wayne into tough situations and force them to play back a bit, and it paid off with a late power play. Coach Army tried to shift things in their favor even more by pulling the goalie to give them a 6-on-4 advantage on the ice, but the Komets got possession of the puck and put it in the empty net to earn the 5-3 victory despite the tough play of the Nailers.
The opponent might have changed for Saturday’s game, but you could tell the Nailers were frustrated with how the night before had gone, despite their best efforts. Wheeling brought the game to Kalamazoo, peppering the Wings goalie as if he was standing up to a firing squad. Shots in the period ended up 14-7 in favor of the Nailers, but neither team was able to find enough space for the puck and the game was tied 0-0 after 20 minutes.
The second period was quite similar to the first, with Wheeling yet again winning the shooting battle, this time by a 13-8 margin. As the clock ticked later and later, it felt like neither team would find a way to capitalize again until the Nailers got a 5-on-3 power play chance late and cashed in off the stick of Justin Lee to take the lead late. Nine seconds after the goal, Kalamazoo took another penalty to put Wheeling on another 5-on-3, and this time, Jordan Frasca was the one to put the puck into the net to make it 2-0 Nailers going to the third.
In the third period, despite Wheeling leading in shots yet again with a 12-9 tally in the period, it felt quite a bit more back and forth. The Nailers had moments where they were back on their heels, but then they’d complete a line change, and the next group out would force play back into the Wings zone. Late in the game, Kalamazoo pulled their goaltender to try and get one, which they finally did with less than a minute left on the clock. The final 52 seconds ticked by slowly, with the K-Wings trying to maintain possession and tie the game, but Wheeling finished things off and earned the victory.
Going into the last game of the weekend, the Nailer fans heading into the building had to be hoping for more of what they saw the first two periods the night before rather than the last. Unfortunately, Kalamazoo came out hopping, while Wheeling looked like they were playing their third game of the weekend. The Nailers found themselves down 2-0 just over six minutes into the game when, 37 seconds after the second tally, Wheeling finally found the scoreboard off the stick of Jordan Martel, and the fans came to life and tried to infuse the team with some energy. However, with just under seven minutes left in the period, the K-Wings were able to put another shot in behind Taylor Gauthier to push it to 3-1 after 20 minutes of play.
The second period was a little more even, as Wheeling got into the swing of things and tried to erase a multi-goal deficit. The pressure by the Nailers eventually caused them to get called for a penalty, as Thimo Nickl took an interference penalty, and Kalamazoo found a way to capitalize with the advantage, their second power play goal of the game to make it a 4-1 advantage for the visitors. Wheeling continued to force the issue, playing a little more loose, but still couldn’t get one and went to the final period of the weekend with a three-goal deficit.
In the final frame, Isaac Belliveau tried to will the Nailers to get back into the game, scoring twice a little more than four minutes apart to bring it back to 4-3 Kalamazoo with just under four minutes left in regulation. If Wheeling could’ve found a way to get one more goal and possibly force overtime, it felt like the momentum would carry them to earning the additional point. Wheeling pulled their goalie late in the hopes of getting that tying goal, but the Wings got possession and put it into the empty net, earning the 5-3 win to keep pace with the Nailers in the standings for the weekend.
Wheeling couldn’t complete the season sweep over Reading on Tuesday, losing 4-0 on the road. How did the Royals finally pull one off against the Nailers?
It’s not easy, when you face a team nine times in a season, to sweep the entire season against them. Wheeling had the chance to do just that with a victory in Reading, but the Royals were up to the task and avoided the embarrassment of having that happen to them. The first period was quite even, with the Nailers receiving an early power play under two minutes into the game, but they couldn’t do anything with it. The referees then got Matt Koopman for a trip with about seven minutes left in the period, and the Royals were able to do what Wheeling couldn’t and cashed in to take the 1-0 lead, which was the difference into the intermission.
In the second period, Justin Lee lost his composure big time and received two-, five-, and ten-minute penalties in one fell swoop, and Reading yet again took advantage of the extra player on the ice to make it 2-0 then, only 15 second later, punched yet another one in to make it 3-0, and this time, it felt like Wheeling didn’t have it in them to come back despite their considerable lead in shots. In the third period, the Royals got another goal just under three minutes into the period and didn’t look back, as Wheeling was shut out for the first time since December 27th against Indy.
The good news is, Reading only managed to get 23 shots on goal, which was the 17th time in the last 18 games that the Nailers managed to keep their opponent below 30 shots on goal for the game. They have managed to do that 32 times in the 52 games they’ve played this season, and they currently sit sixth in the ECHL in shots against per game at 28.74. The problem is the quality of the shots that are getting through has improved. During their winning streak, shots reaching the goal were clearly seen by the goalies, allowing them to make saves, and a lot of the shots were coming from further out from the net. Lately, shots are coming from close range, or with more screens in front of the net, and they’re finding their way through. That being said, you still have to be able to count on your keeper to make the saves they need to make but giving them a chance to make the save is just as important, and it’s what Wheeling needs to get back to doing.
The Nailers start March with two road games in Cincinnati and Fort Wayne, followed by a Sunday home game against the Cyclones. What do they need to do in order to maximize their points from these games?
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but these are games the Nailers need to take advantage of. Cincinnati has not been having a very good season this year, sitting in sixth place in the division with 51 standings points, 11 behind the Nailers and six behind Fort Wayne for the fourth and final playoff spot in the division. Their record at home this season is one game above .500, while their road record leaves a lot to be desired and they are currently on a four-game winless streak. The real problem for the Cyclones this year when playing away from Cincy has been their penalty kill group, which is 26th out of 28 teams in the league. If Wheeling can force Cincinnati to take some penalties and cash in with the extra skater, there’s no reason they can’t come away from those games with a couple wins.
As for Fort Wayne, the Nailers need to get payback for their loss last weekend on home ice. They currently sit five points behind Wheeling, with both teams having played 53 games on the season. The good news for the Nailers is just how bad the Komets have been at home this season, with a record of 10-12-1-2 on their own ice. Two things to watch for in this game is their man advantage group, which is the second-best unit on home ice in the entire league, with a 27.2% success rate. If Wheeling spends too much time shorthanded, this could be a long game for them. The other thing is Fort Wayne doesn’t score the first goal in their games very often, converting first in only 45% of their games thus far, with a record of 16-7-1 in said games. Wheeling, on the other hand, usually sees a lot of success when scoring first. So, if the Nailers can score quickly and put the pressure on the Komets, they have a good chance of coming away with the two points.
Since their 12-game win streak came to an end, the Nailers have a record of 2-5. How can they reverse that trend and get back to playing winning hockey more consistently?
It’s not overly surprising the Nailers have struggled a bit since tying the longest winning streak in team history. Most teams who are able to go on such extended streaks experience a bit of a letdown when it ends. When you’re in the midst of the streak, you try to just focus on continuing to do the things that are working. You might eat the same midday meal every game day, take your pregame nap at the same time (at least, as much as you can with spending time on the road and such), and continue to focus on the parts of your game that got you to that point. Suddenly, something changes and it’s not enough anymore, and you find your team losing games they would’ve found ways to win just a few weeks ago.
In cases like this, the best thing to do is to get back to basics. Each player has to look in the mirror at their own game and figure out what they were doing to contribute to winning hockey being played. As I said last week, there have been a number of player movements, and some guys in the lineup now didn’t get to be a part of that streak. Those guys need to consider what they’re replacing in the lineup and figure out how their game helps this team. I’m sure Coach Army has been working hard with the guys to put a lineup together that gives them the best chance to win games, and I have the utmost confidence that they’ll put it together again here soon and make that strong push with just over a month left in the regular season.
Another rough month for the Nailers, as they only have five home games in the entire month of March. How do you think that affects the boys in black and gold?
You know, it was nice back in November when the Nailers had only five games on the road for the entire month. Then in December, when Wheeling only went on the road four times that month. The problem with that is, then you run into a month like January, where you only have three games on home ice in the entire month. And again, here in March, where the Nailers will play at home this Sunday, then four games in a row later in the month, but that’s it.
It’s definitely a bit of a double-edged sword, where you had the chance to spend a lot of time at home in other months just to have to spend extra time on the road later. The good news for the Nailers is they have found a way to improve their record on the road from what it was earlier in the season. Despite losing three of their last four on the road (with two of those losses coming on the other side of the country in Utah), Wheeling had managed to win their previous seven road games in a row, and their current record away from the Friendly City for the season is 14-11-1. To be successful in most pro sports leagues, teams want to find a way to be over .500 on the road, so if Wheeling can keep this up over this month, there’s no reason to think they won’t find a way to play later in April.
Just as important though are those five games they get to play at home. When a team doesn’t get to play in front of their fans much in a month, they really count on having that support in their building when they are there. They have to go into hostile buildings nine times in the month of March and perform at their best without that fan support. When they’re back home, we have to find a way to be there for them and support them and help them find ways to win at home. I hope to see everyone there when given the chance.
