Nailers vs. Cyclones Game Day Snap Shot, Feb. 5

WHEELING NAILERS(20-21-3-1, 44 PTS, 6th Central, 11th West)157 GF, 153 GAPP: 21.9% (43-for-196), 4thPK: 81.4% (162-for-199), 21st

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

27-F-Zac Lynch (13 goals, 32 assists, 45 points in 45 games)10-F-Troy Josephs (20 goals, 15 assists, 35 points in 28 games)9-F-Yushiroh Hirano (13 goals, 22 assists, 35 points in 40 games)4-F-Alex Rauter (10 goals, 23 assists, 33 points in 38 games)23-F-Michael Phillips (12 goals, 17 assists, 29 points in 45 games)5-D-Dan Fick (3 goals, 19 assists, 22 points in 40 games)1-G-John Muse (7-12-1 record, 3.48 GAA, .877 Sv% in 20 games)

CINCINNATI CYCLONES(29-8-3-3, 64 PTS, 1st Central, 1st West)167 GF, 105 GAPP: 13.0% (25-for-192), 26thPK: 84.5% (131-for-155), 7th

NHL Affiliate: Buffalo SabresAHL Affiliate: Rochester Americans

19-F-Jesse Schultz (13 goals, 36 assists, 49 points in 43 games)10-F-Alex Wideman (15 goals, 27 assists, 42 points in 39 games)24-F-Pascal Aquin (19 goals, 16 assists, 35 points in 41 games)17-F-Myles Powell (16 goals, 19 assists, 35 points in 33 games)27-F-Brady Vail (13 goals, 21 assists, 34 points in 40 games)5-D-Eric Knodel (8 goals, 19 assists, 27 points in 43 games)31-G-Jonas Johansson (13-5-3 record, 2.79 GAA, .900 Sv% in 22 games)

Head-to-HeadSeason Series: Cyclones 2, Nailers 1Season Series at WesBanco Arena: Nailers 1, Cyclones 0All-Time Series: Cyclones 66, Nailers 62All-Time Series at WesBanco Arena: Nailers 34, Cyclones 29

Haunted by the GardinerThe Wheeling Nailers saw one of their former players play a large role in Saturday's game, as they played host to the Kalamazoo Wings in the fifth of six straight games at WesBanco Arena. The two teams exchanged goals in the first period, with Kalamazoo's Kyle Blaney striking first, before Michael Phillips answered for the Nailers. Kyle Thomas then regained the lead for the Wings at the 6:16 mark of the middle frame. Later in the period, Reid Gardiner inserted himself onto the scoresheet, driving in a pair of 4-on-3 goals, upping the advantage to 4-1. The markers were Gardiner's sixth and seventh against Wheeling this season. Johnny Austin attempted a comeback for the Nailers in the third period, but one more insurance goal by Brendan Bradley put the finishing touches on a 5-2 Kalamazoo win. Jake Hildebrand made 21 saves for the Wings, defeating John Muse, who stopped 19 shots for Wheeling.

Oil Shortage in CincinnatiThe Cincinnati Cyclones flexed their muscles on Saturday night, as they welcomed the Tulsa Oilers to U.S. Bank Arena. Tulsa found out quickly that it was in for a long night, as the Cyclones exploded out of the gates with three goals in the opening stanza. Justin Vaive got the offense started, and he was followed by Pascal Aquin, who netted a pair. Cincinnati padded its advantage in the second period, as Vasili Glotov joined the scoring party, while Vaive lit the lamp twice more, completing his hat trick, while building a 6-1 score. Alex Wideman tacked on one final goal in the third period for a 7-1 result, while Michael Houser continues to be the lone goaltender in the ECHL with a goals against average under 2.00, as he turned away 22 of the 23 shots he faced. The Cyclones improved to 17-1-4 at home with the triumph.

Emotions Ran HighA rivalry is starting to get renewed between Wheeling and Kalamazoo, as they have combined to eclipse the 100-penalty minute mark in two of their five games this season, while spending 84 minutes in the sin bin during a third match. One of the more bizarre facts about Saturday night's tilt is that there were no major penalties included in the total. 26 of the infractions were minors, while five misconducts were assessed, giving the game a grand total of 110 penalty minutes. Five of the seven goals scored on Saturday came with at least one player in the penalty box, as both sides netted a standard 5-on-4 goal, while the Nailers lit the lamp during a 4-on-4 stretch, and the Wings tallied twice when the man power situation was 4-on-3. Wheeling averages 39 penalty minutes per game against Kalamazoo, compared to just 12.83 per game against the remainder of its opponents, which would rank as one of the ten lowest averages in the ECHL.

No Need for Changes When it's WorkingThrough the first 43 games of their season, the Cyclones have only had 26 players appear in a game this season, making the lineup a seemingly easy task for Matt Thomas on a nightly basis. Four of the 26 players are no longer on the roster, with three of them finding new homes in the ECHL, and one other returning to play university hockey in Canada. 14 of the remaining 20 skaters have appeared in at least 30 games, while both netminders have seen the crease in 22 contests, splitting just one game all year. That consistency has helped lead Cincinnati to the top record in the Western Conference, as Tuesday's visitors enter with a 29-8-6 overall record, good for 64 points. The Nailers have utilized 34 different players this season, which is toward the lower end of the spectrum. Atlanta's 50 players suited up are the most in the league this season, while Cincinnati's 26 are indeed the fewest, followed by Kansas City's 28.

We're Responsible for a Lone BlemishTuesday night marks the fourth of eight head-to-head meetings between the Nailers and Cyclones this season, as well as the second of four battles at WesBanco Arena. Cincinnati has only lost one game in regulation when leading after two periods, and that came in its last visit to Wheeling on November 25th. The Nailers fell behind 2-0 in the first period, before Alex Rauter got one goal back in the middle frame, then Nick Saracino and Winston Day Chief tallied the tying and winning goals in the third for the 3-2 victory. However, the Cyclones do have a 2-1 lead in the season series, thanks to identical 4-1 wins at home, which were also considered comebacks, as Wheeling led each game, 1-0. Cincinnati's Eric Knodel leads all players with four points in the set, while Zac Lynch leads the Nailers with two goals. Wheeling travels to U.S. Bank Arena on February 21st, before the Cyclones make their final visit to Nail City on March 2nd.