Nailers at Railers Game Day Snap Shot

WHEELING NAILERS(29-22-6-0, 64 PTS, 4th North, 6th East)205 GF, 193 GAPP: 20.5% (48-for-234), 2ndPK: 79.9% (179-for-224), 23rd

11-F-Cody Wydo (23 goals, 29 assists, 52 points in 43 games)8-F-Nick Sorkin (7 goals, 40 assists, 47 points in 55 games)24-F-Reid Gardiner (26 goals, 19 assists, 45 points in 43 games)14-F-Riley Bourbonnais (20 goals, 15 assists, 35 points in 52 games)7-F-Freddie Tiffels (10 goals, 13 assists, 23 points in 29 games)5-D-Danny Fick (2 goals, 17 assists, 19 points in 55 games)31-G-Matt O'Connor (2-8-2 record, 4.32 GAA, .876 Sv% in 12 games)

WORCESTER RAILERS(24-23-4-3, 55 PTS, 5th North, 9th East)145 GF, 161 GAPP: 12.8% (24-for-187), 26thPK: 81.7% (152-for-186), 19th

19-F-Barry Almeida (17 goals, 29 assists, 46 points in 52 games)21-F-Chris Langkow (15 goals, 24 assists, 39 points in 43 games)16-F-Jeff Kubiak (10 goals, 13 assists, 23 points in 50 games)18-F-Nick Saracino (7 goals, 16 assists, 23 points in 43 games)23-F-Woody Hudson (16 goals, 6 assists, 22 points in 49 games)3-D-Ben Masella (2 goals, 13 assists, 15 points in 53 games)35-G-Mitch Gillam (11-12-1 record, 2.58 GAA, .910 Sv% in 26 games)

Head to HeadSeason/All-Time Series: Nailers 3, Railers 1Season/All-Time Series at DCU Center: Nailers 2, Railers 0

Dumping the Division LeaderThe Wheeling Nailers faced off against the North Division leading Manchester Monarchs on Wednesday night, as they traveled to SNHU Arena for game four of their six-game road trip. Wheeling was ready to rock from the moment the puck hit the ice, as Danny Fick needed just 56 seconds to open the scoring. The visitors put on a strong offensive showing in the first period, as Freddie Tiffels stole the puck to stash in the second goal, before a Troy Josephs redirect put the Nailers ahead 3-2 at the intermission. Both teams lit the lamp in the middle frame, with Marcus Basara giving Wheeling the lead for good, tallying for the first time as a Nailer. Two insurance strikes were recorded in the third period by Ross McMullan and Cody Wydo, as six different players scored the goals, and 12 of 16 skaters notched at least one point in a 6-3 Wheeling triumph. Colin Stevens made 24 saves to defeat his former team. The Nailers earned their 2,000th standings point in team history with the victory.

Stopped in Their TracksThe Worcester Railers picked up at least one point in 11 of 14 games, and were probably feeling good about themselves, as they faced the sixth place Brampton Beast on Tuesday night at Powerade Centre. Barry Almeida created an even better feeling, when he gave Worcester the lead just 24 seconds into the match. However, the Beast were determined to keep pace with the Railers in the standings, and they rallied back, starting with Jamie Doornbosch's equalizer at 5:31 of the first period. Jeff King scored the lone goal of the middle frame, and Brampton received a pair of insurance tallies in the third period, courtesy of Brandon Marino and Chris Leveille, putting the wraps on a 4-1 victory. Marcus Hogberg stopped 30 of 31 shots in the win, getting the better of Mitch Gillam, who made 27 saves on 30 shots. The Beast pulled to within four points of the Railers for fifth place in the North Division.

Running on the RoadHockey seasons are filled with ups and downs, and on Wednesday night, Wheeling's win turned a minor skid into what is developing into a positive streak. Prior to Wednesday, the Nailers were winless in four straight games, but now, they will enter play on Friday with points in three straight tilts, looking to earn back-to-back road wins for the fourth time this season, while attempting to match their best run away from WesBanco Arena by earning points in four straight road games. Wheeling has already matched its win and point totals on the road from 2016-17, as it is one game over .500 at 13-12-4, which is good for 30 of the team's 64 points. Wednesday's triumph was the first ever for the Nailers in Manchester, as Wheeling has collected at least one win in nine of 13 opposition buildings, while recording at least one point in 11 of them.

Big Returns for the OffenseOver the past few games, the Nailers have received a serious offensive jolt, as five key forwards have returned to the lineup from the AHL. Those five are Derek Army, Reid Gardiner, Troy Josephs, Freddie Tiffels, and Cody Wydo, who have accounted for 162 points with Wheeling this season. Tiffels notched a pair of goals in his return on Sunday, then added another on Wednesday, while all five of the players recorded at least one point in the 6-3 victory over Manchester. Wydo's team-leading 52 points and Gardiner's team-leading 26 goals have both lit up the scoresheet, but Army's return may be one of the more fascinating, especially when it comes to the team as a whole. With Derek in the lineup, the Nailers are six games over .500 at 13-7-2. While Army was in the AHL, Wheeling went 16-15-4. Among the newer faces to the squad, Marcus Basara (four points in three games) has had a successful start to his Nailers career.

Three Crucial ClashesFriday night marks the fifth of nine head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Railers this season, as well as the third of five battles at DCU Center. Wheeling and Worcester are about to play three games against each other over the course of the next six days, and the timing couldn't be much better, as the Nailers attempt to pad their lead on the inside of the North Division playoff structure. Wheeling currently holds a nine-point advantage over the Railers, with Worcester having three games in hand (one of those will be played on Sunday). The Nailers won both tilts in Massachusetts during January, taking 4-2 and 5-2 final scores, which has given them a 3-1 advantage in the season series. Reid Gardiner and Cody Wydo have both racked up six points for Wheeling, with Gardiner's four goals (including a hat trick) leading the way. Nick Saracino has five points to lead the Railers. This is the third of 11 straight divisional games for the Nailers, who are 13-9-3 against the North.