Nailers vs. Steelheads Game Day Snap Shot

WHEELING NAILERS(32-25-8-0, 72 PTS, 5th North, 9th East)223 GF, 212 GAPP: 20.5% (62-for-302), 8thPK: 75.7% (190-for-251), 27th

26-D-Kevin Schulze (12 goals, 44 assists, 56 points in 61 games)11-F-Cody Wydo (29 goals, 25 assists, 54 points in 64 games)8-F-Nick Sorkin (13 goals, 39 assists, 52 points in 52 games)23-F-Garrett Meurs (22 goals, 27 assists, 49 points in 64 games)14-F-Tyler Currier (18 goals, 27 assists, 45 points in 66 games)17-F-Jordan Kwas (20 goals, 24 assists, 44 points in 58 games)29-G-Sean Maguire (12-13-4 record, 3.16 GAA, .898 Sv% in 30 games)

IDAHO STEELHEADS(36-21-5-2, 79 PTS, 3rd Mountain, 5th West)214 GF, 197 GAPP: 21.5% (52-for-242), 6thPK: 84.5% (207-for-245), 4th

21-F-Jefferson Dahl (19 goals, 40 assists, 59 points in 62 games)11-F-Anthony Luciani (27 goals, 30 assists, 57 points in 63 games)26-F-Rob Linsmayer (16 goals, 32 assists, 48 points in 57 games)28-F-Will Merchant (19 goals, 25 assists, 44 points in 62 games)17-F-Joe Basaraba (19 goals, 25 assists, 44 points in 64 games)6-D-Joe Faust (13 goals, 24 assists, 37 points in 62 games)1-G-Branden Komm (16-13-3 record, 2.88 GAA, .911 Sv% in 33 games)

Head to HeadSeason Series: Nailers 2, Steelheads 2Season Series at WesBanco Arena: Nailers 1, Steelheads 0All-Time Series: Nailers 2, Steelheads 2All-Time Series at WesBanco Arena: Nailers 1, Steelheads 0

The Homestand is Off and RunningThe Wheeling Nailers began a five-game homestand on Wednesday night, when they played the first of three straight contests against the Idaho Steelheads. Wheeling opened the scoring in the clash at the 10:02 mark of the first period. Garrett Meurs rushed the puck into the offensive zone, leading to Kale Kerbashian setting up Tyler Currier for a one-timer. Idaho tied the game moments later, but the Nailers regained their advantage with 4:08 left in the stanza, when Cody Wydo twisted in a backhander from the slot on the power play. Neither team scored in the second period, and Wheeling proceeded to salt the tilt away in the third. With 4:16 remaining in the game, Daniel Leavens arrived on the scene, netting his first career goal in his professional debut, tucking in the puck on the left side of the crease. Currier's second of the night went into an empty net to complete the 4-1 victory, which was backstopped by Sean Maguire's 20 saves.

Stuck in Mountain TimeThe Idaho Steelheads struggled in their first of three straight games at WesBanco Arena, dropping a 4-1 decision to the Nailers, while mustering only 21 shots on goal, with four of them coming in the third period. Idaho's lone marker came during the first half of a four-minute power play at the 11:32 mark of the opening stanza. Rob Linsmayer fed Will Merchant on the rush, as Merchant deposited his team-leading 12th power play goal of the campaign. Branden Komm kept the Steelheads in the game until the very end, as made 30 saves on 33 shots. Despite being victorious four times in its previous five series against Eastern Conference opponents, Idaho had lost the opener in three of the five, rallying back in two of those. Idaho is now 9-5-1 against Eastern Conference foes in 2016-17.

High Fives and More for These GuysThe March to the Playoffs is in full force for the Nailers, who have earned at least one point in five straight games, going 3-0-2 during that stretch. Goals have flown in at a tremendous rate, as Wheeling has lit the lamp 23 times in those five contests. Contributions have come from all sorts of players throughout the lineup, but a few names have had especially strong stretches as of late. Tyler Currier and Cody Wydo both set the high water mark for the season in Wednesday night's game, as they each found the back of the net in the first period, extending their point streaks to seven straight games. Wydo's goal was his 29th of the year and 15th on the power play - the power play total is first in the ECHL. Kale Kerbashian has also been a welcomed addition to the lineup, as he has points in all five games since joining the squad. Nick Sorkin could be the next to get to five, as his point streak currently sits at four consecutive contests.

Colonials Reminding us of HistoryDaniel Leavens became the second Wheeling player this season to score a goal in his professional debut, when he buried a pass from Nick Sorkin with less than five minutes remaining in Wednesday's win. The other player to do so was Riley Bourbonnais, who lit the lamp against the Adirondack Thunder on Friday. Leavens attended nearby Robert Morris University, where he finished second on the Colonials in scoring with 49 points in 38 games. Daniel is the second player to join the Nailers from Robert Morris University in recent memory, and the script was similar to the last, as Cody Wydo scored in his professional debut almost exactly two years earlier on March 27, 2015. On March 19, 2011, a third former Colonial made his pro debut in thrilling fashion with Wheeling, as Chris Kushneriuk scored the opening goal in a 3-0 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays.

Tied With Two LeftFriday night marks the fifth of six head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Steelheads this season, as well as the second of three battles at WesBanco Arena. Wheeling drew even in the season series on Wednesday night, thanks to a 4-1 victory on home ice. Idaho had previously come out on top in two of three tilts at CenturyLink Arena. The win was the third in a row at home for the Nailers against a Mountain Division club, as they swept a two-game set against the Utah Grizzlies back in the first weekend of December. With two games each remaining against the Steelheads and Kalamazoo Wings, Wheeling has clinched a winning record against the Western Conference in 2016-17, as it currently sits five games over .500, with a mark of 20-15-1. Tyler Currier has registered at least one point in all four games against Idaho, leading the Nailers with four goals and five points. Anthony Luciani has those exact totals to pace the Steelheads.