Nailers vs. Wings Game Day Snap Shot

WHEELING NAILERS(1-2-1-0, 3 PTS, 6th North, T-9th East)9 GF, 11 GAPP: 13.3% (2-for-15), 17thPK: 77.8% (14-for-18), 22nd

25-F-Josh Shalla (2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points in 4 games)17-F-Jordan Kwas (1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points in 4 games)11-F-Cody Wydo (3 assists, 3 points in 4 games)23-F-Garrett Meurs (2 goals, 2 points in 4 games)7-F-Gage Quinney (1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points in 4 games)8-F-Nick Sorkin (1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points in 4 games)31-G-Doug Carr (1-2-1 record, 2.67 GAA, .920 Sv% in 4 games)

KALAMAZOO WINGS(3-1-0-1, 7 PTS, 4th Central, 6th West)13 GF, 7 GAPP: 6.7% (2-for-30), 23rdPK: 93.8% (15-for-16), T-3rd

93-F-Justin Taylor (1 goal, 5 assists, 6 points in 5 games)44-D-Michael Trebish (1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points in 5 games)15-F-Eric Kattelus (3 goals, 3 points in 5 games)11-D-Charlie Vasaturo (1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points in 5 games)23-F-Austin Wuthrich (3 assists, 3 points in 4 games)17-F-Scott Henegar (2 goals, 2 points in 5 games)29-G-Nick Riopel (2-0-0 record, 0.50 GAA, ..984 Sv% in 2 games)

Head to HeadSeason Series: Nailers 1, Wings 02015-16 Season Series at WesBanco Arena: Wings 3, Nailers 2All-Time Series: Wings 21, Nailers 20All-Time Series at WesBanco Arena: Wings 11, Nailers 10

We're On the BoardThe Wheeling Nailers collected their first victory of the 2016-17 season on Friday night in thrilling fashion, as they came out on top in a 3-2 shootout decision against the Kalamazoo Wings at Wings Event Center. Wheeling never trailed in the contest, taking 1-0 and 2-0 leads in regulation, before needing a little bit of extra time to lock up the win. A pair of players netted their first goals of the season, starting with Gage Quinney, who finally broke a scoreless deadlock at the 13:13 mark of the second period. The tally was also Quinney's first as a pro, as he banked a shot off of a Kalamazoo defender from the right side of the goal line. In the third period, Nick Sorkin potted his first goal in a Nailers uniform, slamming in a centering pass from Josh Shalla. Speaking of Shalla, he was one of two successful Wheeling shooters in the shootout, with Ross McMullan scoring the winning goal in round six. Doug Carr made the triumph possible with a fantastic evening between the pipes, as he stopped 45 of 47 shots during the game, before a 5-for-6 effort in the shootout.

They Also Got a PointThe Kalamazoo Wings didn't go away empty-handed on Friday night, as they picked up a point for taking the game past regulation. That is not a problem for the Nailers, as they and the Wings are in separate conferences, putting them in two different races for the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Kalamazoo came out firing in the opening period, peppering Doug Carr with 18 shots on goal, but the tilt remained scoreless. After surrendering the game's first goal, the home side rallied to tie the game in the last three minutes of the second period, as Eric Kattelus fired a wrist shot through traffic and into the left side of the net. The Wings fell behind again in the third period, but Kattelus rose to the occasion for the second time, roofing the rebound of Michael Trebish's shot for a 2-2 draw. Kalamazoo's shooters went cold in the shootout, as Justin Taylor was the lone player to convert on his attempt, while the other five shots got thwarted. Joel Martin had a big game in goal for the Wings, making 43 saves on 45 shots, before going 4-for-6 in the shootout.

Shots Came and Went Everywhere, but Rarely InDoug Carr and Joel Martin deserve extra credit for their performances in Friday night's game, as the two netminders combined to make 88 saves on 92 shots during regulation and overtime, then turned in a 9-for-12 showing in the shootout. Fans could tell in the early going that the night was going to be a shooting gallery, as the two clubs combined to record 29 shots on goal in the opening stanza, and even rang four posts (which don't count as shots). Both teams reached double digits in the shots on goal department in all three periods of regulation time, as Wheeling posted 11-15-12 numbers, while Kalamazoo had 18-10-15 by period. Overtime was just as wide open as expected, as 11 shots found their way to the netminders in the five-minute session, with the Nailers taking seven to the Wings four. Gage Quinney was the leading shooter in the game, as he had seven shots for Wheeling, including the opening goal. Kalamazoo was led by Michael Trebish, who had five. 29 of the 32 skaters in the contest had at least one shot on goal.

Don't Use Them Up All at OnceBoth Wheeling and Kalamazoo have had its struggles on the power play in the early goings of the season, as the two clubs have each recorded two goals while playing on the man advantage. Interestingly enough, both teams got their two power play goals in the same games. The Nailers netted two tallies on the man advantage against Reading on October 20th, while the Wings ended and 0-for-27 slump, by banging in goals on two of their final attempts on Friday night. Kalamazoo was the second straight opponent for Wheeling who had yet to light the lamp with a member of the opposing squad in the sin bin, as Cincinnati also started the year with a zero in the PPG column. The Cyclones and Alaska Aces remain the only two teams in the ECHL who have yet to strike with the man advantage, while the Wichita Thunder are the only club with a perfect penalty kill during the first three weeks of the campaign. There have already been 19 shorthanded goals scored in 2016-17, and the Wings have one of those.

One Extra Hour of Rest for the RematchSaturday night marks the second of ten head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Wings this season, as well as the first of five battles at WesBanco Arena. The two former division rivals are clashing for the second time in as many nights, with approximately seven hours of travel in between. Wheeling has Sunday off, while Kalamazoo will make the trek back to Michigan to take on the Allen Americans Sunday afternoon. The Nailers picked up a win in their first game at Wings Event Center for the third consecutive year, thanks to Friday's 3-2 triumph. The shootout win was Wheeling's fifth in seven games all-time against Kalamazoo, and the first on the road since March 24, 2013, when Scott Darling turned in a 48-save masterpiece. The Nailers and Wings are playing a home-and-home series for the first time since a three-game set in 2010-11, which started with a contest in Johnstown, and finished with two tilts in Kalamazoo. Wheeling is in search of its first sweep of a home-and-home series since last October against Brampton. The Wings will be back in town next Sunday, then the two teams will have to wait until January, which will be the second of three home-and-home sets.