Nailers at Steelheads Game Day Snap Shot

WHEELING NAILERS(25-16-5-0, 55 PTS, T-4th North, T-5th East)161 GF, 137 GAPP: 20.1% (43-for-214), 9thPK: 75.8% (144-for-190), 26th

26-D-Kevin Schulze (7 goals, 31 assists, 38 points in 42 games)23-F-Garrett Meurs (17 goals, 15 assists, 32 points in 45 games)11-F-Cody Wydo (16 goals, 16 assists, 32 points in 45 games)9-F-Christian Hilbrich (13 goals, 18 assists, 31 points in 46 games)7-F-Gage Quinney (8 goals, 21 assists, 29 points in 26 games)14-F-Tyler Currier (11 goals, 17 assists, 28 points in 47 games)31-G-Doug Carr (12-9-1 record, 3.33 GAA, .888 Sv% in 23 games)

IDAHO STEELHEADS(25-17-5-2, 57 PTS, T-3rd Mountain, T-5th West)163 GF, 161 GAPP: 22.7% (41-for-181), 6thPK: 83.8% (166-for-198), 10th

11-F-Anthony Luciani (19 goals, 26 assists, 45 points in 48 games)21-F-Jefferson Dahl (14 goals, 31 assists, 45 points in 47 games)28-F-Will Merchant (16 goals, 19 assists, 35 points in 48 games)17-F-Joe Basaraba (15 goals, 20 assists, 35 points in 49 games)26-F-Rob Linsmayer (9 goals, 24 assists, 33 points in 44 games)6-D-Joe Faust (12 goals, 19 assists, 31 points in 47 games)30-G-Landon Bow (9-3-2 record, 2.63 GAA, .918 Sv% in 14 games)

Head to HeadSeason Series: Nailers 1, Steelheads 1Season Series at CenturyLink Arena: Nailers 1, Steelheads 1All-Time Series: Nailers 1, Steelheads 1All-Time Series at CenturyLink Arena: Nailers 1, Steelheads 1

One Period was All We NeededThe Wheeling Nailers had an outstanding first period on Friday night at CenturyLink Arena, and as it turned out, that's all they needed to even their three-game series against Idaho. The scoring started at the 8:15 mark of the opening stanza, when Garrett Meurs spun the puck around the back of the net, jamming a shot inside of the left post. 2:43 later, Tyler Currier added to the advantage, when he finished off a shorthanded rush with Kevin Schulze, blitzing a shot into the left side of the cage. One more key insurance tally came during the first period, and the timing was clutch, as under ten seconds showed on the clock. A hit in the right corner jiggled the puck free to Meurs, who rang in his second strike of the night for a 3-0 score. Thanks to excellent performances by the defense and goaltending, 3-0 turned out to be the final mark. Doug Carr earned his first shutout with the Nailers and fourth of his professional career, as he stopped all 26 shots he faced.

Not Used to that LookThe Idaho Steelheads took the ice in a different look on Friday night, as they were wearing special jerseys for the Jayden DeLuca Foundation. While the cause is certainly one that warms the heart and puts smiles on faces, the 4,855 fans at CenturyLink Arena didn't have much to smile about when it came to their team's result on the ice. After giving up three goals in the first period to fall behind, the Steelheads could never find their offense, running into a wall of Wheeling defenders, who limited Idaho to 26 shots on goal, with the low period being six in the second. The shutout loss was the third of the season for the Steelheads, but just their first on home ice, as their previous blankings occurred in Utah (3-0 on October 15th) and Allen (6-0 on December 22nd). Branden Komm was the losing goaltender for Idaho, making 25 saves on 28 shots.

A Secret Shorthanded WeaponIn a bit of a strange twist, shorthanded goals have outscored power play goals in the first two games of the week, as both clubs have lit the lamp with a teammate in the penalty box, while Idaho has accounted for the lone tally on 16 total chances with the man advantage. The Steelheads got their shorthanded goal on Wednesday from Brian Nugent, giving them shorthanded goals in four of their last six games. On Friday night, the Nailers turned to Tyler Currier, who buried a pass from Kevin Schulze. Currier has scored each of the last two shorthanded tallies for Wheeling, as he recorded one on January 28th in a 4-0 win over Brampton at WesBanco Arena. Thus far this season, the Nailers have found the back of the net four times when playing a man short, and Currier is the only player who has been involved in the scoring of two of them. Tyler also had a shorthanded strike during his time with the Indy Fuel, giving him three on the year. The Anchorage, Alaska native has produced 17 points in 23 games since joining the Nailers, which is nearly identical to the 18 points in 23 games posted by Josh Shalla, who was traded in exchange for Currier.

Burton Bound for Baby PensIn a trip which has been somewhat filled with transactions, the Nailers have one more player move taking place in Boise, prior to the series finale on Saturday night. Forward Jarrett Burton was recalled by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who will play a home game against the Binghamton Senators on Saturday, following a thrilling 4-3 overtime triumph against the Hershey Bears on Friday. Despite being scoreless in Wheeling's 3-0 victory on Friday, Burton was only player who was on the ice for all three goals scored by his squad. Jarrett first joined the 2016-17 Nailers in time for their January 11th game against Toledo, and the team proceeded to go 9-4-2 with him in the lineup. The Echo Bay, Ontario native accumulated four goals, seven assists, and 11 points during those 15 games. In Burton's absence, Wheeling will likely play with a smaller lineup on Saturday. That news has been far from the end of the world for the Nailers, who are 5-1-0 when playing with fewer than 16 skaters in a game this season.

Back to Normal Time After This OneSaturday night marks the third of six head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Steelheads this season, as well as the third of three battles at CenturyLink Arena. The two first-time combatants have split the first two games in their set, with each side coming away with a three-goal victory. Fans should be encouraged to arrive early for the finale in this particular series, as the majority of the goals have been scored during the first period. All four of Wheeling's tallies have come during the opening 20 minutes of play, while Idaho has turned on the red light twice in the first period and twice in the second period. Therefore, zero pucks have found their way into the back of the net in final frame. Three-goal decisions have been friendly to the Nailers this season, who are now 10-2 when that differential shows up on the scoreboard. The season series will have to wait until late March to be decided, when the Steelheads visit WesBanco Arena for a three-game week.