Nailers at Komets Game Day Snap Shot, Feb 17

WHEELING NAILERS(23-23-5-1, 52 PTS, 5th Central, 9th West)177 GF, 172 GAPP: 21.9% (48-for-219), 3rdPK: 81.0% (188-for-232), 20th

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

27-F-Zac Lynch (14 goals, 36 assists, 50 points in 52 games)9-F-Yushiroh Hirano (14 goals, 27 assists, 41 points in 47 games)21-F-Cam Brown (9 goals, 28 assists, 37 points in 33 games)23-F-Michael Phillips (15 goals, 19 assists, 34 points in 52 games)4-F-Alex Rauter (10 goals, 24 assists, 34 points in 44 games)22-D-Kevin Spinozzi (12 goals, 18 assists, 30 points in 29 games)31-G-Jordan Ruby (7-4-2 record, 2.49 GAA, .919 Sv% in 15 games)

FORT WAYNE KOMETS(23-18-3-4, 53 PTS, 4th Central, 8th West)145 GF, 160 GAPP: 12.9% (25-for-194), 27thPK: 82.8% (188-for-227), 15th

NHL Affiliate: Vegas Golden KnightsAHL Affiliate: Chicago Wolves

10-F-Brady Shaw (19 goals, 23 assists, 42 points in 46 games)25-F-Jake Kamrass (16 goals, 24 assists, 40 points in 46 games)88-F-Justin Hodgman (12 goals, 27 assists, 39 points in 32 games)15-F-J.C. Campagna (23 goals, 8 assists, 31 points in 42 games)36-F-Anthony Petruzzelli (12 goals, 16 assists, 28 points in 48 games)4-D-Jason Binkley (8 goals, 16 assists, 24 points in 46 games)55-G-Lukas Hafner (12-10-1 record, 3.07 GAA, .897 Sv% in 25 games)

Head-to-HeadSeason Series: Komets 2, Nailers 1Season Series at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum: First GameAll-Time Series: Komets 14, Nailers 11All-Time Series at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum: Komets 7, Nailers 5

One Beauty, One BeastThe Wheeling Nailers split their two-game set with the Brampton Beast at WesBanco Arena, as Wheeling earned a thrilling 5-4 overtime victory on Friday, before the Beast slowed things down with a 2-0 win on Saturday. Goaltenders Jordan Ruby of the Nailers and Etienne Marcoux of Brampton faced moderate pressure during the game, and both turned in strong performances, as 45 of the 46 shots they faced stayed out of the net. The lone goal in the first two periods came seven seconds into a Beast power play, when David Vallorani roofed a wrist shot from the right circle. Wheeling had its best offensive period in the third, but came up empty on 12 shots, and Nathan Todd tossed in an empty netter to secure the two points for the road side. Marcoux made 23 saves for his third shutout of the season, while Ruby came away with 22 stops for the Nailers.

Thunder Rolled in Fort WayneThe Fort Wayne Komets were the first of three straight Central Division opponents for the Adirondack Thunder, who delivered a loud boom on Friday night at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. After allowing the first goal to Fort Wayne's Jason Binkley, the Thunder stormed back and took full control of the opening stanza. Brian Ward, John Edwardh, Cullen Bradshaw, Matias Cleland, and Dylan Walchuk all lit the lamp, building a 5-1 lead for the visitors. The first three goals came on six shots, chasing Komets starting goaltender Eric Levine from the crease. The night wasn't much better for Zachary Fucale, who was bested five times on 28 shots in relief, in what turned out to be an 8-2 win for Adirondack. Mason Baptista scored the final marker of the night for Fort Wayne, following the eight straight goals by the Thunder. Alex Sakellaropoulos breezed to victory with 15 saves.

The Stretch Run Starts Now20 games remain in the 2018-19 regular season for the Nailers, and while that may seem like a large sample size, the magnitude of the matches will determine which teams qualify for the Kelly Cup Playoffs. 18 of Wheeling's last 20 tilts will be played against Central Division clubs, with the lone two exceptions being road trips to Brampton (February 26) and Reading (March 30). Cincinnati and Toledo appear to have pretty good control for the top two spots in the division, and the Nailers will see the Cyclones four times (1H, 3A) and the Walleye three times (1H, 2A). The remaining 11 games will be played against the three teams closest to Wheeling in the standings, as the club will face Kalamazoo three times (1H, 2A), Fort Wayne five times (2H, 3A), and Indy three times (3H). The Nailers have the fewest games remaining overall, but Fort Wayne is the only team with more divisional games left on the slate.

Lots of Free HockeyOvertime has made its way into the equation in five of Wheeling's last 11 games, which may seem like a lot, but it pales in comparison to what the Komets have experienced in the past month. After dropping the craziest game of the season, 10-8 against the Wings, Fort Wayne saw seven of its next nine games go past regulation, including five in a row from February 2nd-14th. Aside from Marc-Olivier Roy's overtime winner at Newfoundland on February 9th, the recent games that have required more than sixty minutes haven't been friendly to the Komets, who have dropped three overtime contests and three shootouts, to go 2-4-6 in their last 12 games. Fort Wayne's 13 overtime/shootout games are tied for the fifth most in the ECHL, with Rapid City's 18 leading the way. Idaho has had the most success after the third period, going 10-4, while Reading is in the basement at 2-8.

First One in the JungleSunday night marks the fourth of eight head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Komets this season, as well as the first of three battles at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Offense has been the story of the first three clashes in the set, as the teams have combined to turn on the red light 27 times. Fort Wayne has a 2-1 edge in the season series, thanks to a couple of 5-4 decisions, while Wheeling got its victory by a 6-3 score. Former Nailer J.C. Campagna has done the most damage, scoring four goals, despite missing the second game. Zac Lynch and Cam Brown both have three goals for Wheeling, while Yushiroh Hirano's seven points are the most for either squad. After Sunday, the next two matches will take place over a four-day span, as the Komets travel to Wheeling on March 3rd, then the Nailers visit Fort Wayne on March 6th.