Nailers Keep Fighting
Wheeling in striking distance of first placeBy SHAWN RINE
Article Photos
WHEELING - After struggling mightily the two previous nights Wheeling came out fighting against Elmira - literally. The Nailers' Andrew Lord and Jackals' Guillaume Lepine dropped the gloves 3 seconds into Sunday's game at WesBanco Arena, setting the stage for a tightly contested struggle.
In the end, the Nailers (21-17-3 - 45) won out.
Thomas Beauregard and Blair Yaworski found the back of the net and goaltender Michael-Lee Teslak turned aside 34 of 35 shots in a 2-1 Wheeling victory that enabled it to go into the All-Star break within striking distance of the ECHL North Division lead.
''I thought Michael played really well for us - two good games in a row for him,'' Nailers coach Greg Puhalski said. ''He made a lot of good saves and was able to do the things he had to do.
''A real good win for Michael, and I think he was our No. 1 star, definitely.''
The first period was about what one would expect from a pair of teams that were each playing their third game in three nights. There wasn't much to speak of outside of that early scrap, at least not until the 18:21 mark.
Casey Pierro-Zabotel, who had a career-high, seven-game assist streak snapped in Saturday night's overtime loss to Elmira, kept the puck in the offensive zone by intercepting a clearing pass. He held off a defender and was able to get a shot on Jackals (18-17-4 - 40) goaltender Tyler Sims, who left a rebound in front that was scooped up and deposited by Beauregard.
It's the sixth consecutive game he's scored and his 26th of the season, which are both league-highs.
''It was a goal-scorer's goal,'' Puhalski said. ''He just waited patiently and then deposited it in the empty net.''
It seems a certainty Beauregard will easily eclipse his previous career high of 31, which he accomplished his rookie season (2007) with Cincinnati. The third-year pro scored 71 times during his final season in Juniors.
''I just came out of a big slump - I think I had two goals in the last 12 games,'' he said. ''I'm feeling great.
''I just want to shoot the puck as much as I can and suddenly I'm just finding the back of the net. Hopefully it continues.''
The Nailers took a 2-0 lead a the 5-minute mark of the second. Lord stole a puck in the neutral zone and rushed into the Elmira end shorthanded. He took the puck right to the front of the net and the rebound was grabbed by Blair Yaworski, who found a small hole top shelf and buried his eighth from a sharp angle.
It was the sixth shorthanded goal of the season for Wheeling, whose penalty-killing unit didn't allow a goal in six chances after surrendering a combined six the previous two nights.
''That was really the difference in the game because I think (the penalty kill) was more productive than our power play,'' Puhalski said. ''We took some bad penalties again.
''Teslak was our best penalty killer.''
The 25-year-old goaltender had his shutout ruined when Justin Donati, the league's leading scorer, notched his 20th with the Jackals' goaltender pulled at 18:59 of the third. It didn't go over well on the Nailers bench because it appeared Teslak had frozen the puck and forced a faceoff, only to have several Elmira players keep whacking at it, ultimately resulting in the goal. The play ended with Wheeling defenseman Dan Henningson on top of his keeper.
''He won the game for us. He stood on his head and got us our two points,'' said Wheeling's Mitch Ganzak, who saw his five-game point streak come to an end.
Elmira0 0 1 - 1
Wheeling1 1 0 - 2
1st Period-1, Wheeling, Beauregard 26 (Pierro-Zabotel, Loya), 18:21. Penalties-Lepine Elm (fighting - major), 0:03; Lord Whl (fighting - major), 0:03; Gratchev Elm (roughing), 1:09; Cunningham Elm (unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:22; Haddad Whl (unsportsmanlike conduct), 11:22.
2nd Period-2, Wheeling, Yaworski 8 (Lord, Teslak), 5:00 (sh). Penalties-Ganzak Whl (slashing ), 4:00; Fox Whl (tripping), 12:30; Proulx Elm (roughing), 12:50; Power Whl (cross-checking), 12:50; Loya Whl (slashing ), 14:01; Trapp Elm (hooking), 19:31.
3rd Period-3, Elmira, Donati 20 (Tifu, Proulx), 18:59. Penalties-Cunningham Elm (tripping), 4:58; Lord Whl (slashing ), 7:52; Loya Whl (slashing ), 12:39; Konkle Elm (interference), 13:55; Yaworski Whl (interference on the goalkeeper), 16:46.
Shots on Goal-Elmira 6-16-13-35. Wheeling 9-12-4-25.
Power Play Opportunities-Elmira 0 of 6; Wheeling 0 of 4.
Goalies-Elmira, Sims 0-3-0-1 (25 shots-23 saves). Wheeling, Teslak 9-8-2-1 (35 shots-34 saves).
A-2,118
Referee-JM McNulty (21). Linesmen-Fraser McIntyre (43), Zach Roberts (77).
