After such a rough weekend prior, the Nailers went on the road to Iowa and won both games against the Heartlanders. What did Wheeling do to turn around their fortunes?
Well, talk about a bit of a roller coaster ride. After the weekend before, especially with the Saturday loss to Indy, you couldn’t help but wonder how the Nailers would respond. But Wheeling went on a long bus ride out to Iowa and very quickly showed they were over what had happened. Just three and a half minutes into the game, Justin Addamo wired one into the Heartlanders net to give the Nailers a 1-0 lead which they managed to hold until Peter Laviolette took a holding call and allowed Iowa’s power play to come on the ice. Shortly before the man advantage ended, the Heartlanders managed to get one in behind Taylor Gauthier (something that would prove to be difficult for the weekend, but we’ll discuss that more later) to get the game tied back up. As time was running out in the first period, Tanner Laderoute put another one on the board for the Nailers with only 13 seconds left on the clock to send Wheeling to the first intermission with a 2-1 lead.
Coming back out for the second period, both teams skated hard and had chances, but the goalies stood tall and kept it a one score difference until just past halfway through the frame, when Davis Bunz wired a snapshot from the blueline into the net to earn a 3-1 Wheeling lead that would stand through the end of the second. In the third period, Wheeling once again found the back of the net just over five minutes into the period off the stick of Jordan Martel to push the lead to 4-1, at which point Iowa turned on the jets a bit to try and create an opportunity, but it just never materialized for them, and the Nailers managed to hold on for the big win. It was nice to see four different Wheeling players find a way to earn a goal, as well as Gauthier making 28 saves on 29 shots against in the victory.
On Saturday, both teams came out playing hard in an attempt to earn an early lead. The only power play in the entire game happened in the first, as Wheeling got the chance on the man advantage, but couldn’t cash in. When the horn sounded to end the period, the Nailers had an advantage on the shot clock 9-6, but the game remained at a 0-0 tie. In the second, Wheeling was able to cash in quickly, only 21 seconds into the frame as Justin Addamo was able to cash in to give the Nailers a 1-0 lead. However, the Heartlanders wouldn’t be denied, as they earned a goal only 42 seconds later to bring it back to a 1-1 tie. After more back and forth action, Laderoute earned his second goal of the weekend just under eight minutes into the period to put Wheeling back on top at 2-1, which would stand through to the break.
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In the third, with their team trailing yet again, Iowa pushed hard to try to get back into the game. But just like the night before, Gauthier slammed the door on them again, making a number of good saves and finding a way to control rebounds very well to frustrate the Heartlanders. With time winding down and the Nailers continuing with the lead, Iowa decided to pull their goaltender with about two minutes left in regulation to give themselves a 6-on-5 skater advantage. Unfortunately for them, Wheeling managed to get the puck and push it up ice, eventually ending up on the stick of Laderoute again, then into the back of the net to make the score the eventual final of 3-1. Gauthier ended the game with 25 saves on 26 shots to earn his second victory in as many days.
When you have a series without many man advantages, as there were just a total of five between the two games, the team that plays strongest at 5-on-5 will eventually earn the victories, which has actually been an area of strength for the Nailers this season so far. Wheeling was able to neutralize some of the things Iowa tried to do, like use their team speed to cause odd man breaks and bad situations for the opposing goalie, and turn it back against them. It also helps when your team has possibly the best goaltender in the entire league as their backstop. If Wheeling can continue to play like they did against Iowa, they have a very good chance of continuing to climb the standings and get back into a playoff spot.
The Nailers had a game on Wednesday against the Reading Royals, ending with a 5-4 victory in overtime. What did Wheeling do to come away with the big win?
Right off the bat, Reading came out hot, putting the pressure on Wheeling and forcing the Nailers to play overly defensive, leading to the first penalty of the game against Wheeling, a hold by Isaac Beliveau. On the ensuing power play, the Royals found the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead just short of halfway through the period. The score held steady until, with just over three minutes remaining in the frame, Reading put another shot through Gauthier to make the score 2-0. Wheeling would take yet another penalty, this time with just over a minute left in the period, but they managed to keep the score 2-0 going into the intermission.
Coming back out for the second, Wheeling finally seemed to have their legs under them, pushing back against the Reading pressure and earning a number of good scoring chances. The Nailers got on the board first in the period, as Jordan Martel tickled the twine just under five minutes into the period to cut the lead in half. Shortly after, Wheeling got called for their third penalty of the game, and Reading found a way to get their second power play tally of the game to push the game back to a two-goal difference at 3-1. The Nailers continued the pressure, forcing the Royals goalie to make a number of good saves until, with just over six minutes left in the frame, Wheeling got called for their fourth penalty in a row, setting up a defensive zone faceoff. Off of the faceoff, Matt Koopman got possession and flipped the puck forward to himself beyond the defensemen, and nine seconds after the play began, the puck was in behind the Reading goalie to make it a one-goal game again.
Late in the period, the first (and only) penalty against Reading was finally called, and Wheeling’s power play that has struggled so far this season found a way to cash in, as Jordan Martel helped the Nailers complete the comeback and take the game to the third period at a 3-3 tie. The Nailers had possibly their most dominant period of the season thus far, holding a 14-4 advantage in shots in the second and, aside from the power play goal scored against them, really held the Royals in check to have momentum on their side heading to the last period of regulation.
In that third period, Wheeling really seemed to be in control for most of the period again, as the referee swallowed his whistle and allowed the teams to decide the game on the ice. The Nailers had a number of good scoring chances, with just a couple breaks coming back against them, until finally, with just over seven minutes left in the period, Lukas Svejkovsky finally broke the tie to give Wheeling their first lead of the game at 4-3. After that, Wheeling did everything they could to keep Reading as far from their net as possible, until the Royals pulled their goalie late and used their advantage to break through with 27 seconds left in regulation to force overtime tied at four.
Reading would go on to win the opening faceoff of the overtime but wouldn’t touch the puck again as Wheeling took it away and pushed play into their zone. Svejkovsky carried into the zone and dropped the puck to Jordan Martel before skating across ice behind the Royals defenders, where Martel found him standing to slam the puck into the open part of the net and bring home the 5-4 overtime victory. This was the Nailers fifth overtime game of the season, with a record of 3-1-1 in those games thus far.
The Nailers will now play two more games this weekend against Reading on Friday and Saturday. How can they continue their winning ways against the Royals and try to maximize their points for the weekend?
After a game like that, Wheeling has to be ready for Reading to come out guns blazing the rest of the weekend. The Royals had two goal leads multiple times in that game and still let it slip between their fingers. They now have a day off in the middle of the series to watch film and be ready for what the Nailers are trying to do and attempt to find a way to neutralize it with their strengths. Knowing how Coach Army likes to be prepared, he’ll be doing the same to try to offset what worked for Reading early in that game to avoid having to climb out of a hole like they did.
One thing I noticed from the game broadcast was just how much Reading likes to try to use their speed. I know this is usually something Wheeling wants to do, but when you run into a team who is just as strong as you in that area, you have to find a way to do something else to gain an advantage. In that second period, Wheeling began getting a little more physical with the Royals, maintaining the advantage in puck possession and shots. I’ve long been a fan of taking all the shots you can, as it forces goalies to be more active, and awkward bounces and tips can happen at any time. If the Nailers can get bodies in front of the net, push some guys around, and aren’t afraid to put the puck on net, they can find success against a team like the Royals.
Another important thing is the specialty teams again. Allowing a team like Reading to have four power plays in the game (especially the first four of the game in a row) will come back to bite you, just like it did on Wednesday when the Royals went 2-for-4 with the advantage. Conversely, Wheeling was only able to get one power play opportunity but found a way to cash in on it. The Nailers will need to put the Royals into positions where they have to take penalties, force their hand, and give yourself more chances, especially if you’re going to take advantage of them. If Wheeling can find a way to swing the specialty team game in their direction, that can definitely help them in the remaining two games in Reading.
The ECHL named Taylor Gauthier the goaltender of the week for his performance in Iowa last weekend, the second time this season he has earned that distinction. What do you think about how he’s playing and how can his performance help the Nailers get back into a playoff position?
Despite a rough performance in the first game against Reading, making only 12 saves on 16 shots against, Gauthier has been the best goaltender in the entire league this season in my opinion. Coming into this series, Taylor has the best goals against average in the entire ECHL at 2.26, the best save percentage at 0.927, tied for the league lead in shutouts with two, and the fifth most saves of any goalie in the league with 638 saves on 688 shots against. Despite all this, his record before the game on Wednesday was relatively pedestrian, at 11-11-0-1 but, as DJ Abisalih pointed out during the Derek Army Coaches’ Show on Wednesday, he could easily have 15 wins if the puck had just bounced Wheeling’s way a few times in one-goal games that the Nailers eventually lost.
I really believe the Nailers have a chance to win any game that Gauthier is starting this season based on his play alone. Having a goalie with numbers like he does really makes a difference when facing teams whose goaltenders have league average numbers. That could easily make for a one to two goal difference in a game based on goaltending alone. The problem is, he can’t do everything for this team. The guys in front of him have to be counted on to score enough goals for him to make it stand. Instead of losing games by 1-0 or 2-1 scores, a goaltender like that can help propel you to wins of similar scores. Allow the goalie to give you the confidence to push more, which will cause openings in the opponent and give the Nailers the chance to win those games and get back into the playoff picture.
The Nailers will return home for a weekend set against the Orlando Solar Bears, with the game on Saturday, February 3rd being Pups and Pucks night. How much are you looking forward to that promotion night?
Anyone who knows me knows just how much I love dogs. I’ve said on several occasions that I think I love dogs more than I like most people. After having to put down our dog Tanger (named after Kris Letang of the Penguins) back on December 18, my wife and I couldn’t stand just how quiet our lives and our home had become, so we went earlier in January to an adoption event for a local animal rescue and adopted a new little hellion, Nico. He is only five months old (will be a year old in August), and I almost forgot how tough the puppy stage is after not dealing with it for 11 years. I will say though, I wouldn’t pass on this for anything, getting to see him experience some things for the first time in his young life and seeing how he reacts to everything around him. It really is a special feeling to get to feel that love he already has for us and trying to teach him things he needs to learn.
So, for me, there really isn’t a better promotion than Pups and Pucks. I only had a chance to bring Tanger to the event one time during his life, but it was a wonderful time, and I’m hopeful I can bring Nico to his first one this year. I think it’s a great thing the Nailers do for pet owners of the Ohio Valley who enjoy coming to hockey games to not have to leave our four-legged family members home, and to silence the goal horn to avoid setting the dogs off is a great choice. I love watching the puppy parade during the intermission and hearing that Clifford the Big Red Dog will be there too is really cool for the younger members of the audience. I encourage everyone to go get their tickets now for this event and bring your pooches down to WesBanco Arena for what turns out to be a fun night for all involved.
