Nailers vs. Royals Game Day Snap Shot, Nov. 21

WHEELING NAILERS(5-6-1-0, 11 PTS, 4th Central, 10th West)34 GF, 37 GAPP: 20.4% (11-for-54), 5thPK: 84.2% (48-for-57), T-14th

NHL Affiliate: Pittsburgh PenguinsAHL Affiliate: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

10-F-Troy Josephs (11 goals, 3 assists, 14 points in 10 games)27-F-Zac Lynch (4 goals, 6 assists, 10 points in 12 games)22-D-Kevin Spinozzi (2 goals, 7 assists, 9 points in 11 games)13-F-Nick Saracino (3 goals, 5 assists, 8 points in 12 games)4-F-Alex Rauter (2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points in 7 games)23-F-Michael Phillips (2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points in 12 games)1-G-John Muse (4-4-0 record, 2.73 GAA, .901 Sv% in 8 games)

READING ROYALS(5-4-2-4, 16 PTS, 4th North, T-7th East)45 GF, 50 GAPP: 14.3% (9-for-63), T-21stPK: 82.5% (47-for-57), 21st

NHL Affiliate: Philadelphia FlyersAHL Affiliate: Lehigh Valley Phantoms

12-F-Steven Swavely (7 goals, 7 assists, 14 points in 15 games)17-F-Michael Huntebrinker (3 goals, 11 assists, 14 points in 13 games)21-F-Frank DiChiara (4 goals, 7 assists, 11 points in 14 games)86-F-Josh MacDonald (7 goals, 3 assists, 10 points in 15 games)25-D-Nick Luukko (3 goals, 4 assists, 7 points in 15 games)3-F-Chris McCarthy (1 goal, 6 assists, 7 points in 15 games)30-G-Angus Redmond (0-2-3 record, 2.79 GAA, .910 Sv% in 5 games)

Head-to-HeadSeason Series: Nailers 1, Royals 12017-18 Season Series at WesBanco Arena: Royals 3, Nailers 2All-Time Series: Royals 97, Nailers 77All-Time Series at WesBanco Arena: Royals 43, Nailers 42

A Dramatic Finish for the SweepThe Wheeling Nailers arrived in Greenville, South Carolina with a pair of 4-1 victories, knowing they were going to have to work extra hard to earn a third win and complete their road trip in style. Wheeling fell behind the Swamp Rabbits 2-0 in the first period, but rallied back to take a 3-2 lead in the middle frame. Alex Rauter put the Nailers on the scoreboard with a one-timer from the slot. ECHL Player of the Week Troy Josephs took over from there, netting a pair of power play goals, including one that he dragged through his legs, before roofing under the crossbar. Greenville opened the third period with back-to-back goals, but Wheeling was not to be denied, as Michael Phillips forced overtime with a rocket from the left circle. In the extra session, Nick Saracino was the hero, as he tapped the rebound of his own shot for the 5-4 Nailers triumph. John Muse made 20 saves for his second win of the weekend.

Royal Trouble BrewingThe Reading Royals enter Wednesday on a six-game winless skid, having gone 0-3-3 since goaltender Branden Komm's last decision on November 3rd. After falling 3-2 in a shootout at Worcester last Wednesday, the Royals suffered consecutive setbacks at the hands of the Newfoundland Growlers, who are 3-0-0 against Reading this season. Friday's game was back-and-forth, as Newfoundland led 2-0 and 4-3, while the Royals had a 3-2 advantage, but were forced to tie the score with less than two minutes left in regulation. The Growlers prevailed in overtime on Zach O'Brien's tally. Saturday's game even less friendly for Reading, as Newfoundland got the job done in regulation. Five different Growlers dented the twine, while Mario Culina matched teammate Michael Garteig from the night before with a 40-save effort in a 5-2 final.

The Rarity of the Weekend SweepWhile 3-in-3 weekends are extremely popular in the ECHL, the Nailers accomplished a rare feat last week, as they not only swept three games in three days on the road, but did so in three different cities. That was just the second time in the 27-year history of the team that Wheeling was able to earn three straight wins that way, with the first occurrence taking place in 1994-95, when the Thunderbirds knocked off Hampton Roads, Richmond and Roanoke. Diving into the history book some more, prior to last weekend, the last time that the Nailers swept a 3-in-3 regardless of venue was the final weekend of the 2014-15 regular season, when back-to-back wins over Elmira and a season-ending victory at Brampton secured a postseason berth. The last time Wheeling swept a 3-in-3 entirely on the road was February 24-26, 2012, when the Nailers beat Toledo twice, then closed out the weekend with a triumph in Kalamazoo.

Powering up to the Top-5In addition to climbing up two spots to fourth place in the Central Division, the Nailers also did significant damage with the man advantage on Sunday afternoon. Both goals by Troy Josephs came on the power play, while Michael Phillips' tying marker also took place with a Swamp Rabbit in the penalty box. Wheeling finished the day 3-for-4, and ended up scoring four power play goals on the trip to improve to 20.4% on the season for a fifth place ranking. Sunday's three-goal effort by the power play was the second such performance this season, with the other taking place in the opener at Norfolk. The other special team also had a strong showing, thanks to an increase in discipline. The Nailers went 8-for-9 on the penalty kill in the three games, while also notching a couple of shorthanded goals, courtesy of Josephs and Alex Rauter.

More Super Jerseys for the RivalryWednesday night marks the third of eight head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Royals this season, as well as the first of four battles at WesBanco Arena. Dating back to last season, this will be the fourth straight time that at least one of the teams will be wearing a specialty jersey. The two-game opening set in Reading saw mixed results, as Wheeling picked up a 3-2 shootout win in the opener for its first win of the year, before the Royals evened the score with a 5-2 decision the following day. While it may not be an every year occurrence like the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys in the NFL, West Virginia is a familiar sight for Reading on Thanksgiving Eve. In 2015, the Nailers received 28 saves from Franky Palazzese and an unassisted goal by Zack Torquato to edge Adam Morrison and the Royals, 1-0. Reading's next trip to town will close out the 2018 calendar year on New Year's Eve.