Wheeling Nailers Weekly Report, Nov. 27

Last Week

Wed. 11/22 Worcester Railers 3 @ WHEELING NAILERS 4 (shootout)Meurs (Brown)Taylor (Wydo)Bourbonnais (Sorkin, Meurs)Maguire- 28/31SO: Brown N, Gardiner N, Meurs Y, Fejes Y, Maguire 3/4

Fri. 11/24 WHEELING NAILERS 1 @ Cincinnati Cyclones 3Army (Taylor)Maguire- 23/26

Sat. 11/25 Worcester Railers 4 @ WHEELING NAILERS 3Meurs (Gardiner, Sorkin)Fejes (Army, Fick)Milan (Wydo, Gardiner)Morrison- 20/24

Sun. 11/26 WHEELING NAILERS 5 @ Reading Royals 1Fejes (Taylor)Wydo (unassisted)Wydo (Gardiner, Fick)Zink (Brown, Fejes)Fejes (Meurs, Milan)Maguire- 32/33

Last week, the Wheeling Nailers closed out the first quarter of their 2017-18 regular season, going 2-2-0 over a five-day stretch. On Wednesday night, Wheeling was involved in a seesaw battle with the Worcester Railers, which saw both teams lead at one point, before overtime and shootout were required. Garrett Meurs, Jeff Taylor, and Riley Bourbonnais scored the goals in regulation, while the penalty killers shined in overtime, keeping Worcester's power play at bay for 4:22. Hunter Fejes ultimately netted the game winner in round four of the shootout, and the victory was secured by Sean Maguire's save on Wade Murphy. On Friday afternoon, Derek Army put the Nailers ahead 1-0 at US Bank Arena, but the Cincinnati Cyclones scored the final three goals of the day to skate away on top, 3-1. On Saturday night, the Nailers and Railers continued their dislike for one another, but a charitable event gave the game a jolly feeling, as Meurs' first period power play tally set off the annual Teddy Bear Toss. Fejes and Dan Milan also lit the lamp for Wheeling, but a pair of markers in the third period gave Worcester the 4-3 road win. On Sunday afternoon, the Nailers put forth a terrific effort, and got rewarded with a 5-1 triumph against the Reading Royals at Santander Arena. Fejes and Cody Wydo led the way with two goals each, and Dylan Zink chipped in with a goal from the blueline, while Maguire made 32 saves.

The week was filled with historical milestones for the Nailers. On Wednesday night, the team earned its 500th victory at WesBanco Arena. Then, on Saturday night, Reid Gardiner's helper on Dan Milan's goal was the 10,000th assist in team history. On Sunday afternoon, another big number was reached, as Wheeling earned its 900th win all-time. The 6,000th goal and 1,800th game will both be achieved in the coming weeks. Wednesday night's shootout was the first that the Nailers participated in since October 28, 2016, which also resulted in a win. Saturday's tilt was the first time since the 2015-16 home opener that a fight took place off of the opening face-off. Nick Sorkin's assist on Saturday was the 100th point of his professional career in North America. Cody Wydo has been involved in both of the club's shorthanded goals this season, picking up an assist on November 4th, and scoring a goal on Sunday. Wydo continues to have great success against the Royals, particularly at Santander Arena, where he has four career multi-goal games and 11 total goals.

This Week

Fri. 12/1 Reading Royals @ WHEELING NAILERS, 7:05Sat. 12/2 Reading Royals @ WHEELING NAILERS, 7:05Sun. 12/3 Fort Wayne Komets @ WHEELING NAILERS, 3:05

This week, the Wheeling Nailers won't have to travel for the first time in 2017-18, as they will play all three of their games at WesBanco Arena. On Friday and Saturday, the Reading Royals will make their first visits of the year to the Friendly City, following Wheeling's 5-1 victory at Santander Arena on Sunday. The Nailers and Royals will be seeing plenty of each other over the next few weeks, as Friday begins a stretch of 16 days with five head-to-head clashes. Both teams have won once so far in the 11-game season set. Sunday's win extended Wheeling's lead over Reading to three points in the North Division Standings, as the Nailers and Manchester Monarchs are tied for the top spot. The Royals will travel to Cincinnati for a game on Wednesday, before coming to town. On Sunday afternoon, Wheeling plays host to the Fort Wayne Komets. After finishing with the fourth best record in the league last season, the Komets have gone 8-6-2 to start this year, which places them fourth in the Central Division. Fort Wayne started last week with back-to-back wins over Toledo and Indy, before falling to Cincinnati on Saturday. Shawn Szydlowski is the leading scorer for the Komets, as he has 17 points in 14 games.

Upcoming Home Games/PromotionsFri. Dec. 1- Frosty FridaySat. Dec. 2- Star Wars Night, Light Saber Giveaway (first 2,500 fans), Nailers Wear Special JerseysSun. Dec. 3- Pups & Pucks - Bring Your Dog to the Game, Post Game Skate with the Team (Even-Numbered Players)Fri. Dec. 22- Ugly Sweater Night, Frosty FridaySat. Dec. 30- Youth Hockey Night

Nailers LeadersGoals: 11, Reid Gardiner & Garrett MeursAssists: 16, Cam BrownPoints: 24, Cody WydoPenalty Minutes: 46, Garrett MeursPlus/Minus: +11, Cody WydoWins: 8, Sean MaguireGoals Against Average: 3.28, Sean MaguireSave Percentage: .910, Sean MaguireShutouts: 0

North Division Standings1. WHEELING NAILERS 11-5-2-0, 24 pts.2. Manchester Monarchs 11-7-1-1, 24 pts.3. Reading Royals 10-6-1-0, 21 pts.4. Adirondack Thunder 9-8-1-1, 18 pts.5. Worcester Railers 8-7-1-1, 18 pts.6. Brampton Beast 8-8-1-1, 18 pts.