Chirps from Center Ice

It’s Tuesday again and time to take a look back at the week that was for the Penguins ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers.

The Nailers went 1-2 last week with a 5-2 loss to the Orlando Solar Bears at home Wednesday. Christian Hilbrich and Cody Widow found the net for the Nailers but Sean Maguire had a rough go in net, stopping 25 of 30, before being replaced in net by Doug Carr, who stopped all 8 shots faced.

Beginning last Friday, the Nailers hosted the Fort Wayne Komets for the first of a home and home series which started in Wheeling, West Virginia. After spotting the visitors a 4-0 start, the Nailers began the comeback by rattling off four straight goals. Adam Krause led the charge, recording a hat trick. The Nailers would stun the Komets, defeating them 6-5. Krause also picked up two assists giving him five points on the night. Doug Carr picked up the win, stopping 19 of 24. Ex-Penguin Eric Hartzell was the tough luck loser in this one, stopping 34 of 40. Hartzell stopped Christian Hilbrich on a penalty shot.

Saturday in Fort Wayne, the Komets exacted revenge and won 4-3. There would be no Nailers comeback this time as a Fort Wayne lead of 3-0 was enough to hang on for the win. Garrett Meurs scored against his former team for the Nailers. Wheeling was unable to convert on any of their six power play tries. Sean Maguire stopped 24 of 28 and took the loss.

The Nailers sit in fifth place in the North Division with a record of 12-10-2-0, good for 26 points.

This week, the Nailers host division leader Manchester on Tuesday and then see the Cincinnati Cyclones come in for a visit on Thursday.

It’s another Tuesday and time for the weekly Wheeling Wrap, where we look back at the goings on with the ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers.

This one is going to be quick this week, because the Nailers were in Canada this week and were handed a 4-2 defeat by the Brampton Beats twice.

On Friday, the Nailers penalty kill unit allowed two power play goals to the Beast. Miloš Bubela’s first goal of the season tied the game in the third period :17 in, but the Beast scored the second of their power plays to edge ahead of the Nailers about halfway through the period. The Beast hit an empty net with Doug Carr pulled. Carr stopped 21 of 24 shots.

Sunday, Sean Maguire made his season debut for the Nailers in goal. It was Sean Maguire’s first look at live fire this season after recovering from an injury that paused his start of play this season. The Nailers couldn’t hold onto a 2-0 lead on the Beast and see Brampton score four unanswered goals. The Beast connected again on two power plays. Derek Army, fresh from his AHL call-up from Milwaukee, scored a power play goal. Maguire stopped 28 of 32 and from what I was following on Twitter Sunday afternoon, some of them were really highlight reel worthy.

The Nailers currently sit fourth in the North Division with just 24 points good for a 11-8-2-0 record.

The Nailers week ahead looks like this. They host the Orlando Solar Bears Wednesday then play a home and home with the Fort Wayne Komets Friday and Saturday beginning Friday in West Virginia.

It’s Tuesday, so another edition of the Weekly Wheeling Wrap is due, where I take a look back at the week that was for the Penguins ECHL affiliate. the Wheeling Nailers.

The Nailers started the week with a 4-2 setback to the Reading Royals for what was, essentially at the time, third place in the North Division. Cody Wydo scored a pair of goals which was the Nailers only offense of the contest. The Nailers carried a 2-1 lead heading to the third period when the Royals struck three times in the span of about seven minutes. J.P. Anderson took the loss, stopping just 27 of 31 shots.

The Nailers then returned home for a weekend pair against the Utah Grizzlies of the Western Conference. The Nailers would win a nail biter 5-4. Cody Wydo’s goal at 18:34 of the third period gave Wheeling a 5-3 lead, but Util responded with a six-on-five goal with Ryan McKay vacated from his crease, but the Nailers were able to hang on. Derek Army scored two goals, Michael Webster had two assists. Utah struck twice on the power play. Doug Carr stopped 34 of 38 shots.

Saturday morning, Derek Army was signed to a PTO by the AHL Milwaukee Admirals.

In the rematch on Saturday night, the Nailers would cruise to a 4-1 win over the Grizzlies. Wheeling struck early in the first and second periods. Brett Stern scored just :42 into the first period, followed by Ross McMullan scoring :38 into the second period. Utah’s Tim Daly scored in the third period to bust up Doug Carr’s shutout bid. Bot teams struck once on the power play.

Wheeling enters the first full week of December with a 11-6-2-0 record, good for 24 points and fourth place in the North Division.

The Nailers take on the Brampton Beast for a pair of games in Brampton, Ontario this weekend, beginning Friday.

It’s noon Tuesday and time for another edition of the Wheeling Wrap, where I take a look back at the week that was for the Penguins ECHL affiliate in Wheeling, West Virginia.

With Thanksgiving a mere distant memory, people put turkey on their menus. For the Wheeling Nailers, it was rabbit. Swamp Rabbit. The Nailers played a pair of games against the New York Rangers / Hartford Wolf Pack affiliate Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

On Saturday, the Nailers were dealt a 3-2 overtime defeat at the hands (paws?) of the Swamp Rabbits. Josh Shalla and Jordan Kwas picked up goals for the Nailers but it was Joe Houk’s goal at 2:13 of overtime that gave Greenville the win. J.P. Anderson took the loss, stopping just 32 of 35 shots. Anderson was previously 4-0 in four straight starts with a 1.50 GAA and a .947 save percentage coming into the game and was the hot hand.

Sunday afternoon, the Nailers hosted the Swamp Rabbits for a rematch. They ended up getting swept by Greenville and lost 5-3. Doug Carr jumped back in net after sitting the last five contests and did not fare so well, stopping just 20 of 25 shots. Derek Army, Garrett Meurs and Jordan Kwas all netted goals in the losing effort for the Nailers.

Greenville never trailed at any point during the two game series.

The Nailers slip to fourth in the North Division with 20 points and a 9-5-2-0 record.

Wheeling travels to Reading later today, Wednesday, for a meeting with the Royals. Reading sits in third in the North Division with 20 points, so Wednesday’s matchup will be one for sole possession of third place. Wheeling then returns home to host the Utah Grizzlies of the Western Conference for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday. Utah is in last place in the Mountain Division with just 6 points.

Tuesday at noon means a look at the ECHL affiliate in Wheeling.

The Wheeling Wrap returns after a one week hiatus as the Nailers were playing a school day game with the Brampton Beast last Tuesday.

Back on Friday, November 11, the Nailers hosted division rival Reading and beat the Royals 4-1. Freshly assigned from Wilkes-Barre, Adam Krause got the goal scoring early for the Nailers in the second period at just 40 seconds. But less than a minute later the Royals would even the score. Going into the third period, the Nailers responded with three straight goals to cruise to the win. The power play struck once and goaltender Doug Carr stopped 25 of 26 shots, good for second star honors.

The Nailers had off Saturday before heading North of the Border to Canada, where the met the Brampton Beast for the first of a home and home Sunday afternoon. Adam Krause struck twice, and J.P. Anderson stopped 27 of 29 as the Nailers beat the Beast 5-2. Kevin Schulze chipped in a goal and picked up two assists.

Tuesday morning in front of a school day crowd of 5,182 in West Virginia, Wheeling would sweep the Beast in a wild, knock down, drag out 6-5 win. The Nailers jumped out to a 6-2 lead when Brampton struck late in the second and then two more in the third in a nail biting finish for the home team which sent the school kids home happy. Kevin Schulze continued his giving ways, assisting on four of the Nailers six goals. The Nailers chased starting goaltender Bryan Pitton, then Zachary Fucale battened down the hatches and stopped the next 11 Nailers shots.

Last Friday night, the Nailers traveled to Indianapolis and took on their Twitter buddies the Indy Fuel. The action on the ice wasn’t as kind as the Fuel dismantled the Nailers by a 6-1 score. Christian Hilbrich scored the only goal for the Nailers on the power play. Doug Carr took the loss stopping 24 of 30.

Saturday, the Nailers continued their road trip with a four and a half hour trip West to Moline, Illinois for a date with the Quad City Mallards. They won 3-2 on a late goal by Brett Stern. Stern also notched and assist. Goaltender J.P. Anderson stopped 33 of 35 to pick up the win and Adam Krause continued his tear and scored a goal and picked up two assists, figuring into every goal for the Nailers on this night.

This past Sunday, the Nailers would sweep the Mallards with another 3-2 win. Josh Shalla picked up his team leading ninth goal of the season for Wheeling. Michael Webster picked up his first professional goal in the second period. The Nailers went ahead on a power play goal then needed a penalty kill in the third period to secure the win. J.P. Anderson started in back to back games and stopped 23 of 25.

The Nailers currently sit in third place in the North Division with a 9-4-1-0 record, good for 19 points and just two points off division leaders Manchester and Adirondack. Wheeling has won nine of their last eleven games.

The week ahead sees the Nailers host the Greenville Swamp Rabbits for a pair at WesBanco Arena on Saturday and Sunday of this week.