Pre-Game Notes (LIVE from SBA): 5:55 PM — As the Devils approach a pretty key stretch in their playoff drive, it looks like they’ll be doing it without defenseman Matt Cohen, who’s been summoned to AHL Lowell. Cohen was 11-25-36 in 45 games with Trenton this season, including an All-Star nod.
The team will also be without captain Chris Dyment, who is attending to the birth of his child. So the team will have five defensemen dressed tonight.
No idea on the goalie matchup…wouldn’t be surprised by either Effinger or Coleman, to be honest.
6:25 PM — Your goalie matchup is Gerald Coleman vs. Curtis Darling
And for anyone wondering if the arena is packed and reveling in the afterglow of Scott Bertoli Night…ummm, no. Not so much. Also, take a good look at the scoreboard…this’ll be its last game before its replaced in time for the March 13th game against Reading.
Around The ECHL:
Around The Division:
Live Box Score: Click here for the ECHL.com updated boxscore from tonight’s game.
Radio Broadcast: Click here to listen to Paul Roper’s radio broadcast of tonight’s game.
First Period:
Your starters, courtesy of Butch Seltzer…
Coleman
Coutu-Gunderson
Radoslovich-Prough-Akeson
300 of my closest friends appear to have joined me for this one…not a particularly big crowd tonight, said the man good at understating things.
16:20 left — Bad giveaway by Gerald Coleman leads to an easy Andrew Lord goal…he simply skated in from the left side, walked aound Coleman and stuffed it in the right side of the net. Seems Coleman is good for a few stickhandling miscues a game. 1-0, Nailers.
5:57 left — Trenton ties it back at one on a goal by Jeff Prough…who else? That’s his 24th of the year. Assists to Matt Radoslovich and Dylan Quaile.
2:00 left — Dan Eves just went off to the dressing room…no idea what the deal is there.
1:10 left — Andrew Lord scores his second of the game after screening Coleman on the initial shot by Reid Cashman and banging home the rebound on his backhand while off-balance. Can’t just let him stand in front of the goalie like that…2-1, Wheeling.
2-1, WHEELING AFTER ONE. SHOTS ARE 12-8, NAILERS.
Second Period: Wheeling’s second goal is officially being credited to Cashman right now…was hard to tell if Lord got it from where we are…
Eves is back…
15:10 left — Dan Eves went down in front of the net on what was apparently a spear…and Kevin Cormier came over and absolutely dumptrucked one of Wheeling’s players, injuring him. Both Wheeling’s player — I believe it was Mitch Ganzak – and Eves are out of the game, and Cormier was just escorted off…ugly incident here. Best of all, you can hear eeeeeeverything that’s being said by the fans. Not a good night for the kiddies.
Ganzak was given a spearing major and a game misconduct, and Cormier was given a match penalty for intent to injure…pretty sure that will earn him a suspension. If nothing else, with your team down a goal, it was stupid to risk putting them down shorthanded for a long period of time…I’m all for him standing up for a teammate, but that was excessive.
12:45 left — David Leaderer capitalizes on a power play chance by firing a wrister over the glove of Darling from the high slot to tie the game at two. 2-2.
8:16 left — Aaron Clarke gets the lead back for Wheeling on the power play…looked like Coleman came out a little too far to challenge and Clarke just cut across and put one past for the former Lightning goaltender. 3-2, Wheeling.
4:28 left — Wheeling is pretty clearly the better team tonight. Erik Johnson just took a nice backhand feed from Jordan Morrison and handcuffed Coleman, making it 4-2, Wheeling. I think you really have to take a look at the logic behind starting Coleman in so many consecutive games at this point…his team is flat in front of him, sure…but he’s a much better goalie than he’s showed in the last few games.
4-2, WHEELING AFTER TWO. SHOTS ARE 25-17, NAILERS.
Third Period: Here’s hoping Butch Seltzer’s all right after that spill on the ice. The man is a real professional to come out for the third period in some pretty clear pain. He’s a first class individual as well.
5:17 left — Justin Coutu makes this one interesting by putting home rebound under a diving Darling to make it a 4-3 game.
Final Score: 4-3, Wheeling
Three Stars:
* Lord
** Darling
*** Prough
My vote: Lord-Darling-Prough
Post-Game Notes:
Pre-Game Photos:
In-Game Videos:
Fight Videos:
Next Game:
Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com
February 24, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Great news for Chris and Matt. Unfortunately no so much for us could make for a long night in our own zone. Hopefully Matt is back in time for the road trip. Apparently from what I read today the Devils will have to send Salmela or Leach back to Lowell when the activate Brodeur to be at the roster limit, barring trades and/or more injuries.
February 24, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Best of luck tonight, T-Devils! Sorry about the call-up, not least because it means the L-Devils’ Matt Spiller is definitely injured.
February 24, 2009 at 9:00 pm
No Jason Payne tonight- I guess he and Cormier can’t compare their videos.
On a serious note- thanks again to Mike for this fantastic blog.
February 24, 2009 at 9:05 pm
For those of us new to hockey, define the term “dumptruck”
February 24, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Ha. I’d say “intent to snap in half” would be a solid description.
February 24, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Only highlight of the night and a sign of giving a sh@t was Kowalsky sending Cormier out as soon as Eves was able to glide to the bench as soon as he got there Cormier came flying off the bench and destroyed Ganzak who was standing next to the goal. Pretty much just skated right through him. Sure he’ll get suspended, Ganzak will as well I would think for the spear. Problem with the whole thing is they missed the spear and never stopped the play. If they would have called it when it happened while Eves was down for a good 10 seconds or so Kevin never sees the ice. Overall through two a terrible effort all around on our side.
February 25, 2009 at 9:00 am
I thought it was a beautiful play myself. But that’s just me. Go Kevin.
Mad props to PA Guy. When he left the ice I didn’t know he was injured; so the wheelchair surprised me. Thought it was a stunt at first until I saw the brace.
February 25, 2009 at 10:12 am
Missed PA guy going down just looked up and he was laying on the ice – hope he’s ok. I’m with you great to see Kowalsky and Cormier make the guy pay for the spear. If Ganzak doesn’t pull that in the first place it never happens. There’s no way in hell Ganzak would have done the right thing and dropped the gloves, he was a clam in all 4 games. Love seeing guys held accountable for stick fouls. Question is now how many games does Kevin get?
February 25, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Hopefully only one; for many reasons…..
February 25, 2009 at 9:22 pm
he gets 2 but wheeling returns to sba later this year actually the last game of the regular season.
February 26, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Does anyone know what happened to Butch Seltzer the PA Announcer, I missed the game and I see that he took a spill. I know he is their marketing director as well and was told he wasn’t in today. I’ve met him on the concourse and he’s a class act, just trying to get a bead on how he is. It wasn’t the same a couple of months ago when he missed a game, hope he’ll be back for the rest of the season and dare I say playoffs!!!? Here’s your chance to show off how inside you are Mike, got the how’s and why’s?
February 27, 2009 at 1:08 am
Tom, he fell on the ice during a promotion at the second intermission. He’s had knee trouble all season and it gave out on him.
February 27, 2009 at 11:14 am
Yeah Mike – if you could maybe post some inside info, maybe an x-ray of PA guy or two, I know we’d all appreciate it.
February 27, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Hey, just seeing this now. JB pretty much has it right.
Butch is a fantastic guy and I hope he’s all right…but outside of that, I’m probably not going to know too much until I return to SBA on March 21st.