The Nailers had a rough go of it last weekend, only winning one of the three games at home. What went wrong for Wheeling in these games?
Well, as I said last week, the Nailers really needed to maximize their point output in these games to give themselves a better chance at locking up a spot in the postseason. Losing to two teams chasing them in the standings currently, including one that is almost assured to miss the playoffs, has a good chance to make it tough for Wheeling to get into the second season. The toughest part about it is that the Nailers managed to get their game at times in the losses and had a good chance to bring it home but couldn’t find a way to make that one play it would take in each game, and it ended up costing them dearly.
On Friday against Kalamazoo, the Nailers managed to do what they’ve done time and time again this season by scoring quickly, getting the first one on the board just two and a half minutes into the contest thanks to Matt Koopman. Coming into the weekend, Wheeling’s record when scoring first this season was 24-7-1-1, so having that one come so quickly felt like a good sign. However, something the Nailers have struggled with this season is holding leads, and that came back to bite them again as this one slipped between their fingers less than three minutes later. Both teams kept the action going hot and heavy until the K-Wings got their first power play of the game when William Provost was called for delay of game, and Kalamazoo capitalized less than 20 seconds into the man advantage to take the lead. Wheeling came storming back and eventually found a way to tie the game with less than three minutes left in the period off the stick of Evan Vierling, and the score stayed 2-2 until the horn sounded to end the period.
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The second period saw the game turn into a more defensive matchup, as neither team wanted to cede much ground to give the other team a good scoring chance. Even when Kalamazoo was given the only power play of the period, Wheeling managed to shut it down and kept the score even. Finally, with just over three minutes remaining in the frame, the Wings broke through and got the puck in behind Garret Sparks and took their second lead of the game. That was short lived however, as Jordan Martel earned his team-leading 27th of the season just over a minute later, and just like the first, both teams entered the locker room after the period with the game tied, this time at 3-3.
The third period was much more reminiscent of the first, with quite a bit of back-and-forth action and a number of shots. The big difference is both goalies played very well and kept the puck out of their net to keep the game tied as the game went along. Both teams received power play chances but were unable to capitalize on them. Suddenly, just like with the second period, the K-Wings got another good shot on Sparks and took the lead with just under four minutes to go. The Nailers received a power play with about a minute and a half left in regulation, and with the goalie pulled had a 6-on-4 advantage, but it just wasn’t enough, as Kalamazoo held on for the 4-3 victory to come just that much closer to jumping Wheeling in the standings.
Saturday’s game saw Fort Wayne return to town, a team the Nailers have struggled with considerably this season. Both teams knew just how important the early advantage would be, and the effort was made to earn that lead quickly, but both goaltenders were up to the task. The Komets received two of their five man advantages in the period, while Wheeling received one power play, but neither team was able to score on it. As time ran down to under a minute left in the period, Jordan Martel was able to find the back of the net, and the Nailers managed to take their 1-0 lead to the second period.
The middle frame started just as quick as the beginning of the game did, but it didn’t take nearly as long for points to be scored, as William Provost pocketed one just under six minutes into the period to double the Wheeling advantage, and it felt like one more quick score by the Nailers would make it quite difficult for the Komets to come back, despite how much time was left. That goal finally came almost nine minutes later, once again off the stick of Martel, to put the Nailers up 3-0. Fort Wayne gave a little bit of a push back to try and show some life, and they managed to break up the shutout with just 13 seconds left in the period, making the score 3-1 heading into the third.
Coming into the game, the Nailers’ record in games where they led after two periods was 26-1-0-1, and with a two-goal lead, it felt like they would extend that record. Fort Wayne wasn’t ready to roll over that quickly though, as they came out with an offensive flurry to try and get back into it. But as he did a few times already in the game, Jaxon Castor stood strong against the barrage, and despite their best efforts, the Komets just couldn’t find the goals they needed to have a chance. Wheeling had some opportunities to put it out of reach, but that didn’t work either, and the score after two turned into the final score of 3-1 in advantage of the home team.
Sunday’s game against Cincinnati almost felt like a must win, as Kalamazoo managed to keep pace with Wheeling with their own victory over the Cyclones the night before. For the third time in the three games over the weekend, the Nailers scored first again, with Matt Koopman netting a power play goal just over seven minutes into the contest. Wheeling needed to hold the lead for a little while, try to break the spirit of the Cyclones, but it didn’t happen, with Cincy responding just a minute and a half later to tie the game back up. As the clock ran on, the Nailers did everything they could to get their advantage back, but just couldn’t pull it off, and the game remained tied through the first 20 minutes.
The second period was a little more rough and tumble, with the two teams combining for seven penalties and two power play goals in the period. The first was scored by the Cyclones six and a half minutes into the frame, followed by an even strength goal by Jordan Martel just two minutes later to even the score once again. Unfortunately, after another penalty by Wheeling, Cincy was able to score their second power play goal of the game (with only two opportunities in the game) and they took a 3-2 lead with about five minutes left in the middle stanza. Wheeling couldn’t get it back before the horn, and trailed heading to the final period.
The third was completely dominated by the Nailers, as they outshot the Cyclones 18-4 in the period and had a number of really good scoring chances. It just wasn’t enough however, as Talyn Boyko managed to slam the door over and over to keep the lead. Late in the period, Wheeling received another power play chance with less than two minutes to play, and just like on Friday, they pulled the goalie to get a 6-on-4 advantage. And just like Friday, it just wasn’t enough, as Cincinnati held strong to the final horn and managed to earn the win. The only good news for the Nailers on this night was the fact that Kalamazoo lost to Indy in regulation, allowing Wheeling to maintain their two point lead.
The Nailers now embark on their final road trip of the season, playing in Toledo on Friday followed by Cincinnati on Saturday. What do the Nailers need to do to come away with as many points as possible?
As the Nailers head out on the road for the final time this regular season, they prepare to face the division winning Walleye (Toledo has already managed to clinch the division with eight games remaining in their season), followed by facing a Cyclones team they just lost to at home last weekend. It’s entirely possible Wheeling is playing these games for their playoff lives, as Kalamazoo has two games in hand over the Nailers and only trail by two points at this moment, while Fort Wayne sits on the outside looking in and only trails Wheeling by four points with one game in hand. At this point, every point is necessary to stay in contention.
The Nailers have only faced the Walleye three times so far this year but have a record of 2-1 in those games. Toledo has been one of the strongest teams in the league this season, but one place the Walleye have excelled at is when scoring first. In the 32 games they have earned the first goal, they have a record of 26-4-1-1. Taylor Hawkins (a name Nailers fans should be familiar with) currently leads the entire ECHL in goals with 37 and points with 86. For the Nailers to have a chance in this one, it would be helpful to keep the Walleye from scoring first, and if they do manage to get a lead, they must find a way to hold it. Toledo likes to score in bunches, so if they do break through, play strong defense to keep them from getting back-to-back goals.
As for the Cyclones, the Nailers need to come out angry about what happened last Sunday. Having them come into your building and almost take away your chances at a playoff position should light a fire in your belly. They’ve already seen what Cincy is going to bring to the ice, so if Wheeling can find a way to get to their game and push the Cyclones out of their comfort zone, I really expect the Nailers to come out of there with two absolutely necessary points at this stage of the season.
The Nailers got some news this week as four players were recalled to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. While that’s great for the guys who got the call, what does that mean for Wheeling coming down the stretch?
While I’m very happy for the guys getting the chance to show what they can do at a higher level (especially Matt Quercia, as I had a chance to meet him a few weeks ago at the Derek Army coaches show and saw exactly what something like this would mean to him), this has a chance to really stunt the Nailers odds at playing beyond the end of the regular season. Wheeling lost the guy who is clearly the best goaltender in the entire league this year in Taylor Gauthier, and while Jaxon Castor and the other guys who have filled in have performed admirably, it’s an obvious detriment to lose such a good player.
Then, a few days later, to have Evan Vierling and Maxim Cajkovic also get the call just draws even more talent away and forces the team to try to fill in the lower lines again. Vierling has performed admirably in his first season as a pro coming out of Barrie in the OHL, with seven goals and 25 points in 34 games prior to his call, and despite not having a goal yet for the Nailers, Cajkovic has played a lot of tough minutes and helped the younger guys on the team with his pro experience.
Like I said, I’m very happy for these guys to get their chance to move up and show they have the ability to perform in a higher league. I really would love to see them shine at that level and display exactly what the players are building here in Wheeling. It’s just rough to have all these call-ups happen at this point in the year, with the playoffs right around the corner and the Nailers still fighting for the chance to play in them. But knowing Coach Army, he knows what he needs out of the guys joining the lineup and will do everything he can to push this team to where they want to be.
With only seven games remaining in the regular season, the Nailers are holding as tight as possible to a playoff spot. What can Wheeling do to make sure they get into the postseason?
Considering the Nailers had a 12-game winning streak earlier this season, it may not be out of the realm of possibility to say they just need to win the rest of their games to stay where they’re at. Looking at the teams Wheeling still has to play, they have two against Toledo (one away, one home), two against Cincinnati (one away, one home), two against Indy (one away, one home), and one against Fort Wayne. The Nailers currently trail Indy by three points with both teams having seven games left in the season, so winning both of those games would essentially be an eight-point swing (four points gained by Wheeling in regulation is also four points kept away from Indy), so those might be the most important games the rest of the way.
Aside from the Fuel, that one remaining game with the Komets on April 5th also stands out. As I said earlier, Fort Wayne is currently on the outside looking in, with the Nailers enjoying a very small buffer on the Komets. Earning a victory in that game, depending on how the interceding week goes, could all but eliminate Fort Wayne from catching up to Wheeling. If the Nailers can find a way to earn victories in those three games, all in regulation hopefully, there’s a really good chance we’ll be seeing hockey in the Friendly City deeper into April.
With the end of the regular season comes the customary fan appreciation night at the last home game of the year. What do you like about this particular night?
Despite it meaning the season coming to an end, fan appreciation night is one of my favorite nights of the year every season. Every hockey team does something special for their fans as the year winds down, and the Nailers are no different. They plan on having a vacation giveaway to one lucky fan, as well as other prizes being given away as the night goes along.
But my absolute favorite is always the “shirts off our backs” giveaway. Some fans in the stands get selected to receive jerseys directly from the players right after the game ends, and the players will sign them for the fans right then and there after giving them over. It’s always fun to see people get excited about what player they will get a jersey from, whether they’re a veteran Nailer and a pillar on the team, or a younger guy who has a chance to make it up to the higher leagues someday and it gives the fan an extra incentive to watch their rise closely.
I have never been chosen to receive one of the jerseys at this event at any home finale before, but I hope I get the chance to get it this year. And if it doesn’t happen for me, I would love it if a reader of my articles got selected and was able to receive one of the sweaters. So, get your tickets now and make plans to be there for all of the activities.
