Wheeling and Reading have played many low-scoring games this season, but the first period was a completely different story as both teams saw red lights twice. The Nailers got on the board first at the 11:20 mark with a successful power play. Matty De St. Phalle sent a pass through the slot to Brayden Edwards in the left circle. Edwards took his time setting the puck before firing a shot off the back crossbar for a 1-0 lead. Wheeling temporarily increased the lead to two less than five minutes later. Connor Lockhart curled out of the left corner and shot just inside the right post. Reading responded on the next shift, needing just 14 seconds to pull back within one shift. Cam Cook’s shot from the right circle was filled, but the rebound was knocked back in by Andrew Kurapov. The Royals then scored the tying goal with 8.9 seconds left in the power play stanza. Austin Saint looked off a pass and squeaked a shot between Maxim Pavlenko’s legs from the bottom of the left circle.
During the middle period the goals continued to flow in. Reading took its first lead of the night at the 4:29 mark of 4-on-4 play. The Nailers coughed up the puck in their defensive zone, leading to a steal by Kyle Haskins. Haskins skated in alone and made a quick backhander under the crossbar. Wheeling had a strong bounce back, resulting in both a draw and a go-ahead goal. The tying goal came at 9:03, when Logan Pietila sent a pass to the right for Zach Urdahl, who hit a wrist shot through the legs of Yaniv Perets. David Breazeale put the Nailers on top 4-3 with 4:13 to go as he sailed a wrist shot through traffic and in from the left point.
Wheeling battled some adversity in the third period, but took care of business and closed the door on the Royals. Urdahl gave the home side some assurance with his second of the evening, as he flew past the defense for a breakaway, which he converted with a low shot. The Nailers successfully killed four penalties in the final period, with the final kill punctuated by Daniel Laatsch’s short empty-net goal. That was Reading’s first close result this season, and it put the finishing touches to Wheeling’s 6-3 win.
Maxim Pavlenko got the win for the Nailers as he made 20 saves on 23 shots. Yaniv Perets gave up five goals on 38 shots in the loss for the Royals.
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