(Series tied 0-0) The Nailers took one on the chin in game 1, losing 4-0 to Norfolk. What went wrong for Wheeling in that game?
Well, the bright spot I can see from that game is that Wheeling came out and pushed hard early, outshooting Norfolk 16-8 in the first period. Whether that was a symptom of going down early and trying to get back into it, I can’t say, but they definitely pushed hard early on.
Other than that, it was a pretty forgettable night overall, as the Nailers only managed 13 more shots in the other two periods combined and didn’t really have much going for them throughout the game.
Despite being outshot as much as they were in the opening frame, the Admirals found a way to get on the board less than six minutes into the contest on an unlucky bounce off the post then the back of Sergei Murashov and into the net. Their second goal of the period with just over six minutes left, put the Nailers behind 2-0 after the opening 20 minutes of action.
The second period saw Norfolk outshoot Wheeling 12-6 and have a number of high danger chances, but Murashov stood tall to keep the game within shouting distance. Thomas Milic, the goaltender for Norfolk, had an outstanding game himself and made a number of good saves to keep Wheeling at bay heading into the third. The Admirals pushed their lead out even further early in the third, with their third tally of the game less than four minutes into the period.
The Nailers pulled their goalie in an attempt to swing things in their direction late, but an empty net goal with less than a minute to play gave the Admirals the 4-0 victory and the 1-0 advantage in the series.
(Norfolk 1-0) The Nailers got beat for the second game in a row, losing by an identical 4-0 score to the Admirals. How did things fall apart for Wheeling in game two?
As I said right here in this column just a few weeks ago, sometimes when it rains, it pours. After this game, it started to feel like Noah might want to start looking into building a second ark.
The Nailers again had a shot advantage after the first period, though not as dramatic of one as the night before, but again came away with nothing to show for it. This isn’t exactly the best time for your 21-year-old goaltender playing in his first season in North America to look like it, while the guy at the other end looks like the second coming of Martin Brodeur. That being said, with the series now shifting back to Wheeling, we’ll see if the home ice advantage helps tilt things back in the Nailers’ favor.
Norfolk came out hot early, scoring the first goal of the game less than a minute in and putting Wheeling back on their heels for the second night in a row. Despite their best efforts, Milic once again stood tall against the Nailers, and his team helped him out by doubling the lead with just over five minutes left in the first to give the Admirals the same 2-0 advantage they had in game one after 20 minutes of play.
Unlike game one, Norfolk took advantage of a power play opportunity in the second period and pushed their lead out even further seven minutes into the period, and it felt like Wheeling’s chances of stealing a win on the road were slipping through their fingers. The score remained 3-0 through the rest of the second period and most of the way through the third before Norfolk pushed the score to 4-0 with just over five minutes left in the game.
The Nailers couldn’t catch a break the rest of the way, and the final horn sounded and sent the two teams to Wheeling with the Admirals in full control of the series.
(Norfolk 2-0) Despite finally finding the net in game three, the Nailers still fell to the Admirals, losing by four goals for the third game in a row. What went wrong for Wheeling in this game?
Ouch. That’s really the only thing to say when your team is on the ropes and seems to be struggling to push off enough to get anything going. When I was looking ahead at this matchup, I had a feeling it would be tough for the Nailers, as these two teams were very evenly matched in the regular season, but I didn’t see it going this way, with Wheeling one loss away from ending their second season before it ever actually began.
Both teams came out with a little aggression left over from their last matchup six days prior and tried to earn the advantage in the game with their bodies. The two teams combined for 14 shots in the opening stanza, but both goalies held their own and when the horn sounded, the score remained 0-0.
The second period started similarly, although Norfolk imposed their will a bit on their offensive end, pinning Wheeling in their zone for over two minutes straight at one point. Eventually the dam broke, as the Admirals scored just under nine minutes into the middle period and took the 1-0 lead.
It felt like the second goal in this game would be the one to swing things towards one team or the other. The problem is, it was Norfolk who cashed in just two and a half minutes after their first goal to double their lead. Wheeling finally scored their first goal of the series four minutes later, as Matt Koopman managed to get a breakaway while shorthanded and cashed in on Thomas Milic, and it gave you a little hope as a Nailers fan that maybe it was the crack in the armor we needed to see.
Unfortunately, that next goal was scored by the Admirals just over two minutes after Wheeling finally got one, and they extended the lead back to two at 3-1 in time for the end of the second.
The third period saw Norfolk push it even further with a goal just seven minutes in, and that’s when things started going a little off the rails, with the Nailers showing their frustration and earning multiple penalties. Late in the game, Coach Derek Army pulled Sergei Murashov for the extra skater, but Norfolk found the back of the empty net, and the game ended in a 5-1 thrashing that put Wheeling right on the precipice of ending their run to the Kelly Cup.
Now trailing three games to none, the Nailers will need to pull off four straight victories to move on to the next round. Can Wheeling find a way to make it happen?
Listen, I’m not going to say it’s impossible for the Nailers to do it. It’s been done five times in the history of all major sports leagues who have a seven-game series (four times in the NHL, one time in MLB, and never in the NBA). The most recent occurrence was in 2014, when the Los Angeles Kings managed to overcome a 3-0 deficit in the first round of the playoffs against the San Jose Sharks.
It just so happens that the Kings were able to go on to win the Stanley Cup that year, so being down big early isn’t necessarily a precursor to not going deep.
I’m not saying it’s going to be easy though. In situations like this, it’s very easy to get it in your head that your goose is cooked and to play a bit wild and free and end up letting your season slip away completely. To borrow a quote from Kevin Malone in “The Office,” “it’s only human natural.” But this is where the rubber really does have to meet the road. All of the pressure is on Norfolk to end the series on Friday.
If Wheeling does find a way to win that game, that puts even more pressure on the Admirals to avoid having to stay through the weekend.
That being said, the Nailers can’t take their eyes off of this one game on Friday. Their season comes down to that game. A loss ends everything. Milic has been possibly the best goaltender in the entire playoffs to this point, but he’s not unbeatable. There’s a reason Norfolk was the three seed while Wheeling earned the two. Now the boys on the ice have to work together, figure out how to play strong defense and turn that into offense, use their speed on the forecheck to their advantage, and just earn one win.
After that, it’s on to Saturday and their second win of the series and getting in the heads of every Admirals player on the ice.
Looking around the rest of the league, two series have already ended, with Toledo sweeping Indy and Trois-Rivières taking care of Reading. Do you see any real surprises happening so far in the first round?
I can’t really say that the results of the two series that have already ended were surprises. Toledo was, yet again, one of the better teams in the entire league, while Indy limped into the playoffs.
Similarly, Trois-Rivières played some very strong hockey all season and were at or near the top of the division all year, while Reading didn’t clinch their spot in the Kelly Cup race until right at the end of the year. You never go into anything expecting a sweep, but having it happen in those series isn’t that shocking.
However, there are two series that have been a little surprising in just how close they both have been, and they both are being played in the South Division. The two best teams in the ECHL reside there in South Carolina and Florida, and both teams are currently in a dogfight in the first round.
The Stingrays were able to win both games at home to start their series with the Orlando Solar Bears, with the second game being decided in overtime. Once the series shifted to Orlando, things changed, and the Solar Bears have now defended home ice with two wins, the second one there coming in overtime as well, and the series now becomes a best-of-three.
I still expect South Carolina to advance, but if Orlando can find a way to go on the road and take one, there’s no reason they can’t advance.
As for the other series, all three games between Florida and Jacksonville have been decided in overtime, with the Everblades winning all three over the Icemen. I know a 3-0 lead doesn’t seem interesting, but with how close every game has been in that series so far, one win by Jacksonville could get them right back in the series (sound familiar?).
Honestly, as a fan of hockey in general, this really is the best time of the year, when all three leagues are now on the march to find a champion.
Enjoy the games, everyone, and I hope to see you at the rink for longer than just Friday’s game.
