The Nailers followed their worst streak of the season with a decent showing against Norfolk, with a 4-3 overtime loss on Friday followed by a 10-2 drubbing of the Admirals on Saturday. With three games in three days this weekend against Iowa, how do you think that performance will translate into their games?
The Nailers definitely caused some heart palpitations amongst their fanbase on Friday, allowing the first goal of the game only seven seconds in. When a team is struggling like Wheeling was coming into that slate of games, allowing a goal that early into a game can be deflating and lead to a terrible performance. Luckily, the leadership on the team and behind the bench didn’t allow the rest of the guys to get down, with Jack Van Boekel and Jordan Frasca finding the back of the Norfolk net before long and giving the home team the lead after one. After allowing a tying goal by the Admirals, Wheeling scored again, this time by Louis Roehl, to take another one-goal lead into the third. On the season, the Nailers were 11-1-2 when leading after two, so it seemed pretty likely Wheeling would be celebrating at the end, but with just over two minutes left in the game, Norfolk found a way to tie the game and force overtime.
And, of course, with overtime being the crapshoot it really is, Norfolk found a way to earn the extra point, but the Nailers were able to at least get the loser point to stay in the conversation in the standings.
The very next night, the Nailers came out rather flat yet again, allowing Norfolk to push them a bit until Peter Laviolette decided to drop the gloves and try to inject a little energy into the building, and boy did it work (I’ll have a little more on this in a minute). After that fight, Wheeling really started attacking the Admirals harder, bringing the puck into the zone better and getting the better scoring chances, leaving the first period with a 3-0 lead and not looking back. After another Wheeling goal led to a 4-0 lead, Norfolk was able to pot two quickly and pull themselves back into the game a little bit, but only 47 seconds after the second one, Wheeling was able to push themselves back out to a three goal lead at 5-2 after two periods.
Once again, it appeared the home team should be able to bring this one home, but they decided not to just sit back and be happy with it, scoring another five goals on the backup goalie in the third period to earn their first win in the month of February in blowout fashion.
You have to think being able to put up points seemingly at will should have a great effect on the team, especially going into a building out in Iowa where they haven’t lost before. Knowing this offense is able to completely take over a game as they did should be a great feeling for a group that has been struggling to put points on the board recently. Adding some help on the backend with the moves the Nailers have made recently (also will be discussed shortly) should definitely help as well, hopefully allowing them to attack even more. Obviously, it’s tough to win three games in three days, especially with the lack of rest between the Saturday night and Sunday afternoon games. But tired legs go both ways, and the Nailers are a team that prides itself on team speed.
If they go out there and play confidently, I think it’s entirely possible they can make it out of Iowa with six more points in their pocket and put a little fear in Ft. Wayne. Earning at least five points should be the goal though, as that is what it could take to remain relevant for playoff consideration.
With how much the different leagues are trying to eliminate it from the game, due to concerns with player safety and the overall look of the league, do you think fighting still has a place in the game of hockey, and how important do you think the fight Laviolette engaged in on Saturday was towards the final score?
I’ll get this out of the way right up front: I’ve never been a huge proponent of fighting in hockey. I feel like fighting is just a way to cover up for a team that doesn’t have skill when they know they’re outclassed by another team and have to resort to being the “physical” team to try to neutralize a better squad. That being said, I think sometimes it’s absolutely necessary in hockey. I know that seems opposite of what I just said, and maybe it is, but just hear me out. Teams will go through down periods, down games, where they just don’t have it to beat the other team. You will run into a team that has more skill than you on a certain night; that doesn’t mean they always will, but it can happen. Sometimes your team needs an absolute shot of adrenaline directly to their hearts, and a fight can really turn the tide in a game, especially if you overpower your opponent and/or it’s in front of your own fans.
If you can get the boys on the bench standing and pushing to get out there after your fight, or get the people in the stands loud and very vocal, it could throw the other team off their game and help you get back into it. I’m not saying I want it, but it’s nice to know it’s an option if you need it.
That being said, I don’t think Wheeling was outclassed on Saturday prior to Laviolette’s fight, but they were definitely playing on their heels against a team that they should have been able to take the game to. Norfolk definitely had the momentum on their side from the win the night prior, and working as hard as they were was starting to make it feel like the ice was tilted in their direction. Luckily, Laviolette finally got tired of it and decided they needed that adrenaline, and the fans delivered from there. The building got very loud when he dropped the Admirals player to his back on the ice, and the boys brought the energy from there in earning their biggest win of the year. While it might not have felt completely necessary as I explained above, you can imagine the team was feeling the frustration of their extended losing streak, allowing the Admirals to steal the extra point from them the night before, and with how Norfolk had brought the game to them to that point, I understand the fight, and seeing the result from it, I can’t question what it meant to the team that night.
Wheeling was able to pull off a few moves this past week, acquiring defensemen Ryan Da Silva from Adirondack and T.J. Fergus from Savannah, while sending away forward Max Johnson to Worchester (and the rights to forward Nick Hutchison in the Da Silva move). How do you think these trades will affect the roster moving forward?
When I look at the roster as it was currently constructed prior to these moves, the biggest hole I saw was on the back end. With their two best defensemen in Josh Maniscalco and Chris Ortiz up in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the blueline was relatively thin, and the best guys still on the team were forced to take on additional minutes, wearing them down quicker. These moves will go a long way in helping that group spread minutes out a lot better, and it definitely helps that Da Silva comes in and already leads all defensemen on the roster in points this year with 18 in 40 games played. Having a guy back there that you can trust to play smart in the offensive zone like that means coach Derek Army may not be forced to use Davis Bunz on as many offensive zone faceoffs as he can.
Fergus is no slouch either, having already earned 10 points this season (three goals and seven assists) in 32 games played. Neither move will really completely replace what the team lost with the players who have moved up, but it’s definitely going to help out in terms of the group as a whole.
At the same time, the team did lose some pieces from the front end, but not as much as you might think. Nick Hutchison hasn’t actually appeared in a game for the Nailers all season, spending the entire year thus far with the Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate of Adirondack. Moving out a non-roster piece to add a defenseman that will immediately help this team is a fantastic move, although losing a guy who’s good enough to play at an AHL level might sting if he does make his way back down at some point this year. The move to send Max Johnson to Worcester (made in exchange for “future considerations”, meaning we’ll get something from them sometime in the future to make it even) was really to open up the spot for Fergus (who was also acquired in exchange for “future considerations”, meaning that guy is the busiest already so far before the trade deadline).
Through 23 games played for the Nailers, Johnson was able to earn two goals and two assists for four points, meaning he wasn’t the most potent offensive threat. Clearing his spot in the lineup gives more minutes to guys you want playing in those positions, and allowed the team to bolster their backend even more, so I definitely think the moves the team made should help them both now and as we get closer and closer to playoff time.
With the three points earned last weekend, the Nailers now sit at 45 standings points (20-21-5) through 46 games played, still seven points behind Ft. Wayne for the fourth and final playoff spot in the division, with the Komets having two games in hand. What will it take for the Nailers to overcome that and find their way back to the playoffs come April?
Obviously, the most important thing for the Nailers now is earning as many points as they can, so winning games, especially against teams that are worse than them, will have to become the norm again. Starting this weekend with three in Iowa, Wheeling still has 14 games remaining against teams that are lower than them in the standings, meaning they have 28 points available in very winnable games. In addition to that, the Nailers will also see Ft. Wayne head to head four more times this year, starting March 5th in Ft. Wayne, so that’s another eight points they will need to earn, and hopefully take them in regulation to avoid the Komets receiving any points there.
The other thing that doesn’t help is that Wheeling is trying to catch a Ft. Wayne team that is 8-2 in their last 10 games, including winning two of three down in Allen against the Americans. In order for Wheeling to catch up to the Komets, they’re going to need them to start losing games quickly.
The good news is, Ft. Wayne does have some tough opponents on their schedule soon, such as Cincinnati, South Carolina, and Toledo, in addition to the three games against the Nailers in the first half of March.
The best possible scenario for the Nailers would be for Ft. Wayne to find a way to hit a cold streak as badly as they did, losing all of their games for a week and a half, while Wheeling continues to earn points against bad teams in Iowa followed by home games against Norfolk again.
I wouldn’t say it’s impossible for Wheeling to find their way back into the fourth spot by the middle of March and be in the driver’s seat coming down the stretch, but it’s definitely going to require a little help from other teams, which is not where you want to be at this point in the year. Start your march toward the playoffs now though, because this is when it really has to start.
Knowing how important the rest of these games are down the stretch to hopefully push the Nailers back into a playoff spot, which games at Wesbanco Arena are you looking forward to the most in hopes of making it to the game?
The Nailers have a number of exciting home games left on the schedule, starting next weekend with a three-game set against Norfolk. After the sour taste left in the Admirals’ mouths with the demolishing they endured at the hands of Wheeling last time they were in The Bank, they’ll be out for retribution, so that should definitely be a rather exciting series. They also have home tilts on tap against Toledo (which, if you’re a fan of the Nailers, you know just how much we hate Toledo), Kalamazoo, and Reading still on the calendar as well.
But for my money, the one game I would go to, if I could only choose one, would be the April 8th game against Ft. Wayne. It’s the last home game of the year, meaning it’s fan appreciation night and the team will be doing a ton of giveaways, as well as an auction for the jerseys in a “shirts off our backs” night.
Also, it could have a TON of playoff implications, as long as Wheeling is able to remain in the race to that point. Getting that building packed and loud can go a long way in helping the home team in an emotional capacity. Knowing you have the fans on your side willing you to give everything you have really can have a great impact on the events on the ice. And if it is a tune-up for the playoffs by that point, getting a playoff-ready crowd can definitely be a help as well.
If you can’t make it to any other games the rest of the way, make sure you find a seat in the arena that night for all of the festivities.
