NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – Throughout the 2015-2016 ECHL regular season and playoffs, the Wheeling Nailers were among the league’s best at late game comebacks. Teams in the Eastern conference are now finding out that Wheeling is good at other things, specifically playing in overtime and game six contests.
Jarrett Burton scored 18:42 into the first overtime to give Wheeling a life-saving 4-3 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays in front of a lively announced crowd of 3,589 at the North Charleston Coliseum Monday night. The win evened the best-of-seven Eastern conference final series at three wins each, setting the stage for a winner-take-all game seven Tuesday night in North Charleston with the winner going on to the Kelly Cup finals against the defending champion Allen Americans.
With the victory, the Nailers moved to 4-0 in overtime contests during the 2016 post-season. The list includes a two overtime win over South Carolina in game two of the series – also in North Charleston – and a three extra period epic victory over Reading in the conference semifinals. Wheeling is also 3-0 in game six matchups with two of them (versus Reading and the Stingrays) forcing a deciding game seven.
Burton’s second sudden death winner of the series – he had the double-OT clincher in game two – came off of an offense rush triggered by Riley Brace. Brace drove into the South Carolina defensive zone, pushing the Stingrays defenders back. Brace’s attack allowed enough room for Burton to take a drop pass and a clear shooting lane. With Derek Army driving to the net for a possible rebound, Burton’s shot went over the glove of South Carolina goalie Vitek Vanecek and into the back of the net.
The fact that the game went to an extra period (and almost to a second) was more a product of the contest playing out in a series of segments that saw a myriad of momentum shifts. Both teams had control over stretches of play only to see the other take the reigns for a while before the pendulum swung back in the opposite direction.
The game’s opening salvo came from the host Stingrays who had intentions of closing out the series. South Carolina came out flying and scored the first goal 43 seconds into the first period when a shot by Stephan Vigier was blocked in front of Nailers netminder Brian Foster. Kelly Zajac was able to track down the bouncing puck and zip it past Foster for his third post-season tally and the early lead.
Team speed and tenacious forechecking led the Stingrays to a second score five minutes later. Zajac sent Vigier away on a rush into Wheeling’s defensive before he fired a shot that went wide of the net. As the Nailers tried to clear, Joe Devin got a piece of the puck, knocking it in the direction of Zajac. Zajac immediately found Vigier who redirected it home for his sixth goal of the playoffs.
The momentum seemed to be on the side of the Stingrays but a penalty to Spencer Humphries provided the start of swing number one. As the Nailers pressed on the power play, a delayed call against Joe Devin allowed South Carolina to get an extra player out. Brace eventually sent the puck back to the point where Anton Zlobin, who was making his first appearance in the series, snapped off a wrist shot that hit something in front and deflected past Vanecek for his second playoff goal and a suddenly tight 2-1 Stingrays lead.
Wheeling controlled much of the rest of the opening frame, keeping Vanecek busy with ten shots on net while Foster saw seven. The Nailers continued to push hard, forcing Vanecek to come up with a huge save on a rebound attempt by Cody Wydo early in the second period as the visitors began piling up shots on net.
South Carolina’s offense began to push back toward the middle of the frame thanks to a double minor for high sticking assessed to Army when his stick caught the Stingrays’ Bobby Shea. Thanks to Foster, the Nailers killed off the penalties and used the energy to tie the score.
Seconds after the successful kill, the Nailers forced a turnover in the Stingrays half of the ice. Wydo got the puck and found John McCarron behind the South Carolina defense. Wydo threaded a perfect pass to McCarron who broke in and beat Vanecek with a backhander for his seventh goal of the playoffs.
The scoreboard remained knotted at two through the rest of the second and into the final frame. Almost five minutes into the third, Ty Loney set up Zlobin for a one-timer from the right side that beat Vanecek over his left shoulder for his second man advantage goal of the game and Wheeling’s first lead of the night.
That Nailers lead lasted all of three minutes before the Stingrays answered with the tying score. It came when a shot by David Pacan was tipped between Foster’s legs by Caleb Herbert for the forward’s tenth goal of the post-season.
Not too long after the Herbert tally, Wheeling thought it had gone in front again when Vanecek made a save while much of his body was inside the net. The Nailers argued that the netminder had stopped the puck with his body across the goal line but neither referee disagreed.
The Stingrays, who had failed several times in the contest to score on the power play, had two man advantage opportunities late in regulation and early in overtime to net a game winner but came up empty. Then with 5:29 left in the extra period, Pacan shoved the rebound of a rush and shot by Shea toward the Wherling goal line. Somehow Foster was able to keep the puck from crossing the line despite most of his body being inside the cage. Referee Pierre Lambert blew his whistle but never signaled goal nor did the red light come on. After a discussion by the officials, the ruling of no goal stood.
Seconds later, McCarron was sent off for charging, giving the Stingrays their eighth power play and yet another chance to end the game and series. Once again Foster held the fort, robbing Colton Saucerman to extend the game.
It all led to the final sequence where Burton once again played the hero and the Nailers lived to play another game.
Both goalies were terrific as Foster made 31 saves to get the win while Vanecek stopped 30 shots in suffering the loss. The difference in the game came on special teams as Wheeling scored two power play goals in four attempts while South Carolina failed on all eight of its chances.
The series now comes down to game seven with the winner going to the finals while the loser goes home. So far in this post-season, both teams are 1-0 in a series-deciding game with South Carolina needing two overtimes to eliminate Adirondack in the conference semifinals while Wheeling went to the final minute of OT before ending Reading’s season.
Game time on Tuesday is set for 7:05 pm.
Contact the author at Don.money@prohockeynews.com
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