WHEELING, WV- Taylor Gauthier has done everything humanly possible to help get his team into the win column over the course of the last two weeks. Unfortunately, the Wheeling Nailers offense has hit a bump in the road. On Wednesday morning, Wheeling was blanked for the third time in the last four games, as Luke Cavallin of the Trois-Rivières Lions was perfect on 25 shots in a 2-0 final score.
The Lions were only able to solve the Nailers netminder once, and that came on a breakaway at the 6:21 mark of the first period. Nicolas Guay sent Logan Nijhoff in alone, and Nijhoff faked to his backhand, which allowed him to sweep a shot through Gauthier's legs.
Wheeling got another great performance from its penalty kill in the late stages of the first and early portion of the second. The middle frame was extremely defensive, as only 12 combined shots were recorded, and the score stayed 1-0. The Nailers had their biggest period in terms of pressure in the third, as they outshot Trois-Rivières, 12-7. However, a tying goal wasn't in the cards, and Justin Ducharme scored a power play empty netter to put the finishing touches on the 2-0 Lions triumph.
Luke Cavallin collected his third shutout of the season for Trois-Rivières, as he denied all 25 shots he faced. Taylor Gauthier made 22 saves on 23 shots for Wheeling, and has now stopped 113 of the 117 shots sent his way in his last four starts.
The Nailers will have three more home games coming up this weekend. Friday night is a Frosty Friday with $2 beers at 7:10 against Fort Wayne. The Komets will also be the opponent on Saturday night at 7:10 for a St. Patrick's Day celebration. There will be a St. Patrick's Day themed hat giveaway, the team will wear specialty jerseys, fans will be able to meet former Pittsburgh Penguin Tyler Kennedy, and there will be drink specials which include green beer. The weekend will conclude with Faith & Family Day on Sunday at 4:10 against Cincinnati, in addition to the traditional post game skate with even-numbered players. Individual tickets for 2024-25 home games are available by calling (304) 234-GOAL or visiting wheelingnailers.com. 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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