Nailers at Walleye Game Day Snap Shot

WHEELING NAILERS(27-20-5-0, 59 PTS, 5th North, 9th East)178 GF, 165 GAPP: 20.3% (50-for-246), 8thPK: 76.0% (165-for-217), 27th

26-D-Kevin Schulze (9 goals, 35 assists, 44 points in 48 games)8-F-Nick Sorkin (13 goals, 29 assists, 42 points in 40 games)17-F-Jordan Kwas (19 goals, 21 assists, 40 points in 48 games)23-F-Garrett Meurs (19 goals, 20 assists, 39 points in 51 games)11-F-Cody Wydo (21 goals, 16 assists, 37 points in 51 games)14-F-Tyler Currier (11 goals, 22 assists, 33 points in 53 games)31-G-Doug Carr (13-10-1 record, 3.43 GAA, .888 Sv% in 25 games)

TOLEDO WALLEYE(37-12-2-1, 77 PTS, 1st Central, 2nd West)217 GF, 146 GAPP: 23.9% (53-for-222), 2ndPK: 85.6% (137-for-160), 2nd

12-F-Tyson Spink (28 goals, 32 assists, 60 points in 52 games)24-F-Tylor Spink (19 goals, 36 assists, 55 points in 48 games)10-F-Shane Berschbach (10 goals, 42 assists, 52 points in 51 games)27-F-AJ Jenks (19 goals, 24 assists, 43 points in 43 games)11-D-Nolan Zajac (10 goals, 33 assists, 43 points in 50 games)86-F-Evan Rankin (23 goals, 19 assists, 42 points in 48 games)1-G-Cal Heeter (10-1-0 record, 3.03 GAA, .898 Sv% in 11 games)

Head to HeadSeason Series: Nailers 4, Walleye 4Season Series at Huntington Center: Walleye 3, Nailers 1All-Time Series: Walleye 34, Nailers 31All-Time Series at Huntington Center: Walleye 21, Nailers 8

Toledo Takes Round OneThe Wheeling Nailers and Toledo Walleye opened their two-game weekend series on Friday night at Huntington Center, and the final score ended up being one-sided in the wrong direction. One goal was scored in the opening stanza, as Toledo's Nolan Zajac intercepted a pass, and wired in a slap shot from the left circle. In the second period, the Walleye extended their lead with two goals, including two in a span of 2:40 by AJ Jenks. Tyson Spink had the marker earlier in the frame. Toledo put the contest away in the third period, as Simon Denis scored on the power play at 4:35, Jenks followed with his hat trick strike, and Tyson Spink completed the scoring with his second tally of the evening for a 7-0 result. Jake Paterson needed just 17 saves to earn the shutout, while Sean Maguire took the loss, stopping 21 of the 28 shots he faced.

ECHL Becoming the Red Light DistrictGoal scoring has been up in a big way in 2016-17, and that is certainly evident in games involving the Nailers. Wheeling has lit the lamp 178 times in 52 games, which is an average of 3.42 goals per game. That total ranks 11th in the ECHL, but historically, the number is on pace to be the fourth highest total in the last 19 seasons for a Nailers squad. On the other side of the ice, there have been 165 goals scored by the opposition, which comes out to an average of 3.17 goals per game. That is the 12th lowest average in the league, but it is on pace to be the highest number in the last seven years for Wheeling. Toledo currently holds the number one spot in the ECHL in both categories. The Walleye are one of two clubs (Allen being the other) to average over four goals per game on the offensive end, as they enter Saturday with 217 in 52 games for a 4.17 average. Toledo has surrendered 146 goals for a 2.81 goals against average, and is one of eight teams with an average under three. The Nailers have now ended games with every goal total from 0-9.

Anyone for a Hat SaleToledo forward AJ Jenks became the latest player to score a hat trick in a game involving the Nailers, as he dented the twine three times in Friday night's 7-0 victory for the Walleye. He was one of two players in the ECHL to collect three goals, as Chad Costello also potted a hat trick in the Allen Americans 9-1 thumping of the Tulsa Oilers. There have now been seven hat tricks in games involving Wheeling in 2016-17, as the Nailers have registered four themselves, while giving up three to the opposition. All three hat tricks against have taken place in February, as Jenks followed Reading's Matt Willows (February 4th) and Idaho's Anthony Luciani (February 11th). Wheeling's most recent hat trick was scored on January 15th, when Christian Hilbrich banged in three goals against the Kalamazoo Wings. Five of the seven hat tricks have occurred in games against teams from the Western Conference, including four against the Central Division. Toledo has scored eight hat tricks in 2016-17.

They Returned the FavorBecause of their high-powered offenses, shutouts have been few and far between in games played against Wheeling and Toledo during the 2016-17 campaign. In fact, both sides have only been blanked once, and interestingly enough, it was the Nailers who shutout the Walleye, and Toledo who thew a zero at Wheeling. The shutout loss for the Walleye was a 6-0 score at WesBanco Arena on January 6th, as Sean Maguire was perfect on 25 shots. Jake Paterson recorded the blanking against the Nailers on Friday, coming up with 17 saves, while wearing the ECHL Golden Goalie Jersey. That was only the second time a Golden Goalie has earned a win in a game involving Wheeling in the last six years. The first was also at Huntington Center, where Tom McCollum picked up a 3-2 shootout win on March 2, 2012. Wheeling has been on the winning side of four shutouts this season, with Maguire's two leading the way. Toledo has thwarted the opposition six times, with Paterson earning five of them.

Tied Up With Two to GoSaturday night marks the ninth head-to-head meeting between the Nailers and Walleye this season, as well as the fifth and final battle at Huntington Center. The home ice dominance that has keyed the majority of the season series continued on Friday night, as Toledo took down Wheeling, 7-0. After back-to-back wins by the visiting side, home teams have come out on top in each of the last six matches, with three victories going to each club. Three of the eight contests have been decided by one goal, while the other five have been a bit more lopsided, with differentials of three (twice), five, six, and seven. While the Nailers did earn a win in T-Town back in November, that has been an unfriendly location for them in recent memory, as Wheeling is 1-7-2 in its last ten regular season visits to Northwest Ohio. The set is currently even at four wins each, meaning Saturday's winner will take the upper hand, going into the March 12th finale at WesBanco Arena.