Nailers at Cyclones Game Day Snap Shot

WHEELING NAILERS(0-1-1-0, 1 PT, 6th North, 9th East)5 GF, 7 GAPP: 22.2% (2-for-9), T-7thPK: 66.7% (4-for-6), 23rd

17-F-Jordan Kwas (1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points in 2 games)25-F-Josh Shalla (2 goals, 2 points in 2 games)23-F-Garrett Meurs (1 goal, 1 point in 2 games)72-F-Darryl Lloyd (1 goal, 1 point in 1 game)6 players tied (1 assist, 1 point in 2 games)31-G-Doug Carr (0-1-1 record, 3.43 GAA, .887 Sv% in 2 games)

CINCINNATI CYCLONES(0-3-0-0, 0 PTS, T-4th South, T-10th East)2 GF, 10 GAPP: 0.0% (0-for-11), T-19thPK: 100.0% (6-for-6), T-1st

19-F-Eric Robinson (1 goal, 1 point in 3 games)41-F-Dominic Zombo (1 goal, 1 point in 3 games)16-F-Shawn O'Donnell (1 assist, 1 point in 3 games)32-F-Peter Leblanc (1 assist, 1 point in 3 games)40-F-Nick Huard (1 assist, 1 point in 3 games)29-G-Mark Visentin (0-3-0 record, 3.38 GAA, .863 Sv% in 3 games)

Head to Head2015-16 Season Series: Nailers 3 Cyclones 12015-16 Season Series at US Bank Arena: Nailers 2, Cyclones 1All-Time Series: Nailers 59, Cyclones 56All-Time Series at US Bank Arena: Cyclones 31, Nailers 28

Fast Start, but Not Quite EnoughThe Wheeling Nailers had an excellent beginning to their most recent game on Thursday night, as they grabbed a 2-0 lead over the Reading Royals, before the game was seven minutes old. Garrett Meurs opened the scoring with his first goal in a Wheeling uniform at 4:15, and 1:57 later, Josh Shalla tallied on the power play, upping the advantage to two. Less than two minutes after that, the Royals began to battle back, netting a power play marker to make the score 2-1. Reading knotted the contest in the middle frame, then scored twice in a 40-second span to pull ahead 4-2 in the middle stages of period three. Jordan Kwas had a quick answer to those strikes, but unfortunately, the Nailers were unable to produce a tying goal, as they fell, 4-3 at WesBanco Arena. Doug Carr was saddled with the defeat in net, making 25 saves.

Battle of Ohio Goes NorthThe Cincinnati Cyclones took on their in-state rivals, the Toledo Walleye on Tuesday night, and the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference for the last two seasons showed that it has the potential to be an elite club once again. Cincinnati and Toledo battled tightly through two periods, with Jacob MacDonald of the Walleye accounting for the lone goal, as the Cyclones held a 26-21 advantage in shots. However, the third period was a different story, as Toledo's offense turned up its game. Alden Hirschfeld converted on a shorthanded breakaway, then less than two minutes later, Kyle Bonis turned on the red light, drilling home a drop pass from Carter Sandlak. Bonis added another tally later in the stanza, boosting his league-leading goal total to five. Tyler Sikura tacked on one more insurance marker, which was plenty of help for Jake Patterson, who was perfect on 39 shots for the shutout. Mark Visentin made his third straight start for Cincinnati, and came up with 26 stops.

A Solid Debut, and Right Back UpWheeling defenseman Ethan Prow made his season debut on Thursday night, playing in his first game at the ECHL level. After finishing his collegiate career at St. Cloud State University last year, Prow joined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the end of the regular season, while also seeing action during the Calder Cup Playoffs. Ethan got off to an excellent start in a Nailers uniform, as his pass led Garrett Meurs in on the left side of the offensive zone for the opening goal of the contest. Then, in the third period, the Sauk Rapids, Minnesota native recorded the second assist on Jordan Kwas' drive to the net, after connecting with Gage Quinney, who picked up his first professional point. Kevin Schulze also notched his first career point on Thursday, with an assist on Josh Shalla's marker. Prow has since been reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, who carries a 1-1-0 record into a home game against the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday.

Shorties Leading the WayPower play opportunities have been anything but friendly to the Cyclones and their opponents during the first three games of the regular season, as both sides have failed to put the puck in the back of the net. Cincinnati is 0-for-11 on the man advantage, but has had good success in limited time on the penalty kill, thwarting all six chances for its opposition. However, there have been two goals scored on special teams in games involving the Cyclones. Alden Hirschfeld's goal for Toledo on Tuesday came shorthanded, as did Tyler Currier's tally for Indy last Saturday, which was also scored at US Bank Arena. After zero power play goals were scored in their first tilt of the campaign, the Nailers struck twice on the man advantage, while allowing two the other way on Thursday. Josh Shalla and Jordan Kwas were the two who achieved that feat for Wheeling, while Olivier Labelle and Michael Pelech were the two responsible for the goals on the Reading side.

First Showdown With the SouthSaturday night marks the first of four head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Cyclones this season, as well as the first of two battles at US Bank Arena. This will also serve as Wheeling's first game against a South Division opponent, as Cincinnati and Norfolk joined the likes of Atlanta, Florida, Greenville, Orlando, and South Carolina over the summer. The four games against the Cyclones are the most against any of those seven squads, followed by two against the Swamp Rabbits, and one each against the Admirals and Solar Bears. Last season, the Nailers took down Cincinnati three times in four contests, including twice on 100 Broadway, locking up their first season series win over the Cyclones since 2010-11. The two rivals split the series in both 2013-14 and 2014-15. This will be the 14th season that Wheeling takes the ice against the Cyclones in what has been a very evenly played all-time set. The Nailers currently have the edge, 59-56. Cincinnati's first trip to the Friendly City takes place on December 22nd, while the Nailers will have to wait until February 2nd to return to Southwest Ohio.