Chirps from Center Ice

It’s Tuesday afternoon, so it’s time now once again for the Weekly Wheeling Wrap, where I look back at the week that was for the Penguins ECHL affiliate in Wheeling, West Virginia.

The Nailers played home and home series against the Kalamazoo Wings this week that started Friday in Kalamazoo. In a game that featured 93 total shots from both sides, it would be the Wheeling Nailers that would come away victorious with a 3-2 shootout win in Michigan against the K-Wings.

Doug Carr stopped 45 of 47 shots sent his way. His counterpart Joel Martin stopped 43 of 45. It was Ross McMullan in the sixth round of the shootout that won it for the Nailers. Gage Quinney and Nick Sorkin scored in regulation for the Nailers.

The teams trekked back east to WesBanco Arena for a Saturday night rematch in West Virginia and it was the Nailers leaving little doubt about who won this contest as they obliterated the Wings by a score of 8-1.

Josh Shalla had a hat trick to go along with two assists, Captain Derek Army had a pair of goals and a pair of assists. Doug Carr stopped 22 of 23 shots sent his way as the Nailers would sweep the home and home series with Kalamazoo.

Doug Carr was named on Tuesday morning the ECHL Goaltender of the Week for his performance against Kalamazoo.

The Nailers are in fifth place in the North Division with a record of 2-2-1-0, good for 5 points and fifth place in the six team division.

The week ahead for Wheeling sees the Nailers play another home and home series, but this time against the Toledo Walleye. That series opens up Friday at 7:35 in Wheeling before shifting to Ohio for a 7:15 start in Toledo. The Nailers return home Sunday afternoon for a date with the Kalamazoo Wings at 5:05.

It’s Tuesday at noon, so it’s time for another look at how the ECHL affiliate in Wheeling, the Nailers, did this past week.

The Nailers are still searching for their first win of the 2016-17 campaign after traveling to Reading on Thursday night and Cincinnati on Saturday.

Wheeling received the services of defenseman Ethan Prow for Thursday’s game in Reading. Josh Shalla and Garrett Meurs both scored to put the Nailers on the board first in the first period, both on the power play, but the Royals answered for four straight goals and were able to win 4-3. A third period goal by Wheeling’s Jordan Kwas made it 4-3, but the Nailers weren’t able to get any closer as Martin Ouellette stopped 26 of 29 shots for Reading. The Nailers struck twice on the power play in the first period and Ethan Prow had two assists in his season debut. Prow was named second star of the game.

Prow was recalled back to Wilkes-Barre / Scranton on Saturday.

On Saturday, the Nailers traveled to Cincinnati to take on the Cyclones. They ran into a house. Not literally, but Michael Houser for the Cyclones stopped 39 of 40 shots for Cincinnati as the Nailers peppered him with shots. Garrett Meurs stuck early in the third period which tied the game at one, but the Cyclones cashed on a Dominic Zombo rebound goal with just over two minutes to play in regulation that made it 2-1 for the home team.

Doug Carr took the loss in both games this week.

The Nailers are 0-2-1-0 and currently sit in last place in the North Division with just 1 point to show.

This week, the Nailers play the Kalamazoo Wings in a home and home series that begins this Friday in Kalamazoo.

I am debuting a new feature on the blog on Tuesday called, “Wheeling Wrap” where I take a look at the week that was surrounding the Penguins ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers.

The Nailers were in action just once this past weekend and raised their Eastern Conference Championship banner Saturday night at home against the Brampton Beast. They also kicked off their 25th season.

The Beast would win 3-2 in overtime.

David Vallorani would open the scoring for the visitors at 4:26 of the first period. The Nailers would answer back in the second period when Josh Shalla would score the first goal of the season for the Nailers at 9:13 of the second period.

Wheeling would edge ahead of the Beast in the third period with a goal by Darryl Lloyd.

Luke Pither would answer at just about half way for the Beast at 9:59 for the Beast that made it a 2-2 game. Pither would later win the game for his team in overtime, beating Nailers starting goaltender Doug Carr at 3:27 of overtime. Carr would stop 30 of 33 shots in the overtime loss.

Neither team capitalized on the power play.

The Nailers are 0-0-1-0 very early on in the North Division, a division that consists of six teams. Adirondack, Reading, Brampton, Manchester and Elmira all are in the same division with the Nailers this season.

Wheeling plays host to the Reading Royals this Thursday before traveling to Cincinnati to take on the Cyclones Saturday night.