WHEELING, WV- The Wheeling Nailers welcomed 4,128 fans into WesBanco Arena on Saturday night, and they all left happy, following a dominant performance by the home team. Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick Sean Maguire pitched a 25-save shutout on Pittsburgh Penguins Night, and Jarrett Burton scored twice, as the Nailers picked up a big divisional win, 4-0 over the Brampton Beast.
The Nailers got the first goal of the contest, and it came during the closing minutes of the opening period. Jarrett Burton gave the puck to Nick Sorkin, as the team entered on the right side of the offensive zone. Sorkin proceeded to cruise his way through the slot, before returning the favor to Burton in the left circle. Upon receiving the feed, Burton fired a dart into the back of the cage with 1:04 showing on the clock.
Wheeling extended its advantage in the second period, doing so with a shorthanded tally. Darryl Lloyd won a battle for the puck along the left wing wall in the offensive zone, before sending a pass to Tyler Currier in the high slot. Currier launched a shot into the top-left corner of the net, putting the home team ahead by two.
The win got salted away with two more strikes in the third period. First up was a terrific passing play on the right side of the ice. Nick Sorkin fed Gage Quinney along the goal line. Quinney then turned a pass through the slot to Burton, who deposited his second goal of the evening. A little less than two minutes later, Christian Hilbrich capped off the scoring in the 4-0 Nailers triumph, picking off a pass, and slipping a shot in through the legs.
Sean Maguire backstopped his second shutout of the year for Wheeling, turning away all 25 shots he faced in the win. Zachary Fucale took the loss for Brampton, giving up four goals on 33 shots.
The Nailers will conclude the weekend with a visit to Kalamazoo on Sunday at 3:00. Wheeling's next home game takes place next Saturday, February 4th at 8:05 against Reading. That will be Princesses & Pirates Night. Also coming up in February, it's a Valley Divided - Steelers vs. Browns Night. Special guests that night will be Merril Hoge and Earnest Byner. To purchase tickets, or to get more information about season tickets, mini plans, group tickets, and more, call (304) 234-GOAL.
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