(Tied 0-0) The Nailers got things started on the right foot, winning game one over Maine 4-3 in overtime. How did Wheeling open the series with a victory?
This was my second time having a chance to see Maine this season in Wheeling, with the last one being back on November 15, a 4-1 Wheeling victory. But I remember saying the same thing to myself during that game that I said during this one: My god, this team is aggressive. They’re forechecking behind the Wheeling net while on the penalty kill.
Most teams will choose to set up a good defense when shorthanded. Forecheckers will normally begin harassing a puck carrier around the blue line, but the Mariners push hard, and that can be a tough thing to play against. Luckily for the Nailers, it didn’t hurt them that badly, in this game at least.
The first period was a good showing for both teams, as Maine took control early with the aforementioned forecheck and strong passing to put a lot of shots on Taylor Gauthier. Unfortunately for the home team, one did make it through him shortly before the eight-minute mark to give the Mariners the first lead of the series. The Nailers didn’t buckle though, finally finding their skating stride and putting pressure back on Maine, and finally, with just over four minutes left, Tristan Thompson fired a shot from the slot into the net to tie the game.
Late in the period, a horrendous penalty was called against Wheeling’s Alexander Kuqali for slashing (which should have been interference on the Maine defender, and I definitely let the referee know as much) which carried over into the second period.
In the carryover time, the Mariners pushed hard early and were able to take advantage of the power play just 37 seconds into the middle frame. Once the Nailers were full strength again, they went to work, and just three minutes after the second Maine tally, Blake Bennett tied the game again for the Nailers. Both teams had chances throughout the period from there, but both goalies played very well to keep the game tied.
Unfortunately, former Nailer Brooklyn Kalmikov was able to give Maine their lead back once again with less than five minutes left in the period. What the Mariners didn’t bank on was Wheeling scoring again before their goal was even finished being announced, as Mike Posma netted the tying tally just 37 seconds later, and the game was 3-3 heading into the third.
The third period was all Wheeling, as they outshot Maine 18-8 in the period and a number of those chances were high danger shots. However, nothing worked to get through the brick wall that was Brad Arvanitis, and the game remained tied through regulation.
Both teams had chances early in the extra period, but it was Wheeling who was able to get the victory and early series lead just over three minutes into extra time, as Ryan McAllister fired the puck into the net to make the building explode with noise.
(WHG 1-0) The Nailers continued their winning ways the next night, earning a 4-1 victory over the Mariners. What did Wheeling do well in this game to hold serve on home ice?
Well, the Nailers did exactly what you expect a higher seed to do. They got to open the series at home and won both games there to take what would normally be a very strong advantage before going on the road. While it may not have lasted, Wheeling put themselves in prime position to make a comeback near impossible for the Mariners if they could just find a way to win one of three games up there.
Of course, we know now what happened, but at the time, the feeling was this could end up being another quick series and give Wheeling a chance to rest up and get ready for the next round.
The Nailers decided not to wait like the night before to open things up, scoring just 45 seconds into the contest thanks to Matthew Quercia. That score remained the only one of the game until, with less than two minutes left in the period, Maine managed to beat Taylor Gauthier to tie the score. While everyone expected that to hold to the end of the frame, the Nailers had other ideas, as they broke into the zone and Brayden Edwards drove home a one timer with nine seconds left in the first to give Wheeling the lead after 20 minutes of play.
The Nailer offense went a little cold in the second period as the Mariners scrambled to try to tie the game.
Wheeling only managed to get five shots on goal in the entire period, but luckily for them, shots by Zach Urdahl and Logan Pietila were able to tickle the twine and give the Nailers the 4-1 lead heading into the third. Maine continued their offensive onslaught in the third, firing 13 more shots at Gauthier, who managed to stop all of them to protect the large lead and finish the game at that 4-1 score and give Wheeling a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
(WHG 2-0) The Nailers could not continue their winning ways when the series shifted to Maine, losing game three 6-3. What went wrong for the team in that game?
This was the Nailers’ chance to show the world what they could do, with the FloHockey feed being broadcast through Amazon Prime Video. But it became very apparent early on that Maine was going to refuse to go in a 3-0 hole in the series, beating Wheeling to loose pucks, being the aggressor throughout the night, and causing the Nailers to lose focus and get pulled into action after the whistles, which contributed to the two teams combining for over 70 minutes in penalties for the game.
Things started quickly, with Wheeling’s David Breazeale taking the first penalty of the game just under six minutes into the game, which was quickly followed by the first goal of the game on the power play by the Mariners.
They would go on to score four total with the man advantage in the game against what had been, to this point, one of the most successful penalty kill groups in these playoffs. Two more Maine goals before the thirteen-minute mark of the period put the Nailers down 3-0 going into the second period.
The middle stanza started almost as well for the Mariners, with two more power play goals in the first half of the frame making it 5-0 before Logan Pietila broke up the shutout bid with less than five minutes remaining, and the score was 5-1 heading into the third.
Maine went on to get one more power play tally just past the seven-minute mark in the third, and it felt like the game was pretty much over there. The Nailers refused to give up though, pocketing a shorthanded goal courtesy of Zach Urdahl with just under seven minutes left before getting a power play marker of their own with just over three minutes left to go off the stick of Blake Bennett, but that’s all they would be able to get as they fell in the first game up in Maine.
(WHG 2-1) The Nailers allowed Maine to tie the series in game four, losing 2-1 in two overtimes. How did things continue to go the Mariners’ way?
Both teams came out showing the urgency that this moment truly deserved, as a win by Maine would tie the series and make game five possibly the most important game of the season for both teams, while a Wheeling victory would make it next to impossible for the Mariners to come back, needing three wins in a row to survive and advance.
The game lived up to the hype, going well beyond my bedtime, but I couldn’t help but stay up in the hope that it would work out for us. Despite the outcome, I still think that was one of the best hockey games I’ve had the pleasure of listening to on the radio feed in quite a long time.
Each team had chances early, but both goaltenders were up to the task until, just before the five-minute mark, Maine once again scored the first goal of the game on Taylor Gauthier to take the lead.
Late in the period, the Mariners took a tripping penalty and the Nailer power play, that had been borderline anemic to that point in these playoffs, made Maine pay with a goal by Brayden Edwards to tie the contest at one apiece, and it stayed that way to the horn.
Throughout the next 60 minutes of hockey, essentially a full game from the second period through the first overtime, each team got plenty of chances to break the deadlock, with Wheeling taking 14 shots on goal in the middle frame of regulation followed by Maine getting 12 shots themselves in the third period, but nothing was able to get through either goalie. A late penalty on the Nailers in the third gave Maine a carryover power play into the first overtime, where the Mariners got two more power plays for a chance to take home a victory.
Normally in hockey, when a playoff game gets late and is close, the refs are well known to “swallow their whistles” and allow the play on the ice to decide the game, so having these calls get made was very surprising.
In the second overtime period, a tripping call on Maine six minutes in gave Wheeling their own opportunity to end things in sudden death. Unfortunately, they were unable to capitalize, and a turnover to the Mariners right as the player broke out of the box sent the home team in on a two-on-one leading to the deciding tally and the series being tied heading into a now pivotal game five.
(Tied 2-2) Maine did exactly like Wheeling did in the first two games, continuing to hold the advantage on home ice for a 5-3 victory in game five. What will it take for the Nailers to stay alive now?
At the NHL level, when a playoff series is tied at two games apiece, the winner of game five goes on to win the series around 80% of the time. I can only imagine the statistics are similar at the ECHL level as well.
Both teams came out in this game with the intensity that showed they knew this could be the case, but when all was said and done, the home team came away with yet another victory, just like had happened in each of the first four games in this North Division Final series.
Things kicked off early, where Matthew Quercia engaged a Maine player in a fight just a minute and a half into the contest. Three minutes later, Ryan McAllister put the Nailers on the board first, but two goals by Maine in the back half of the period gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead after the first.
Only one goal was scored in the second, yet another power play tally for the Mariners in this series, and the score went to 3-1 with just 20 minutes left in regulation. Maine came out for the third and managed to score again just over four minutes in, and with the score 4-1, Nailer fans had to hope they would take having the next couple of days off to their advantage to get ready for a potential series-ending game six back in Wheeling.
However, the Nailers refused to go away, with Brayden Edwards cutting the lead down to two on the power play with plenty of time left on the clock. The Mariners went back on the offensive after that, pocketing another insurance goal with just under eight minutes left on the clock to extend their lead to three again at 5-2.
One more Nailers’ goal with slightly over two minutes left in the game by Matty De St. Phalle gave Wheeling hope, but nothing came of it down the stretch, and the teams come back to town with the road team needing just one win to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals.
As someone who was in the building for game one of this series, I can tell you that place was jumping. Even when Maine would take a lead, the fans were engaged and willing the team to get back into it each time, and when the Nailers came away with the victory in overtime, that was quite possibly the loudest I’ve heard that building in years.
The team is going to need a crowd like that in the building again on Saturday and (hopefully) Monday to bring that energy and push them on to victory. I look forward to seeing what the Nailers can do now that they’re back at WesBanco Arena the rest of the way, and I hope to see you all at the rink.
Maine now leads the second-round series 3-2.
