FISHERS, IN- Goaltending was elite on Wednesday night at Fishers Event Center, as the Wheeling Nailers battled the Indy Fuel. Sergei Murashov and Ben Gaudreau matched each other save for save during regulation, and many of those stops were absolute robberies. A 1-1 tie got broken 3:28 into overtime, when Indy's Ryan Gagnier converted on a breakaway to give the Fuel a 2-1 decision.
The two squads played to a scoreless first period, as Indy outshot Wheeling, 10-4. The first goal finally found the twine at the 10:40 mark of the middle frame. Shane Bull forced his way down the right wing wall, before sliding the puck in the direction of the net. Dakota Seaman quickly turned a feed into the left circle, where Mats Lindgren stepped in and wired a shot into the top-left corner. The Fuel pulled even with 2:19 to go. During the period of the long change, Wheeling's line got trapped in the defensive end, and eventually, Indy wore that unit down, with Ryan Gagnier centering a pass to Cam Hausinger for a one-time strike from the low slot.
The netminders shined in the third period to preserve the 1-1 deadlock, which needed extra hockey to be decided. The Nailers continued their strong offensive effort from the third period (13 shots) into overtime with a four-shot effort, but the Fuel were able to cash in on their lone shot to win the game, 2-1. Gagnier scooped up a loose puck around his own crease, then chugged his way in the other direction, and lifted a backhander up and into the top-right corner of the cage.
Ben Gaudreau collected the victory for Indy, as he stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced. Sergei Murashov saw his 13-game winning streak come to an end, but now has points in 14 consecutive starts, as he made 25 saves on 27 shots.
The Nailers and Fuel will play against each other in Indy again on Friday at 7:00. Wheeling's next home game is Star Wars Night on Saturday at 7:10 against Worcester. That is also the next Big-6 Promotional Game. Fans can meet Star Wars characters, there will be a pom-pom hat giveaway, the team will wear specialty jerseys, and there will be themed food items such as lightsaber churros. Season memberships and other terrific ticket plans for the 2024-25 season are available now by calling (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
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