Nailers Shut Out For Second Straight Game, Fall To Trois-Rivieres On Education Day

The Wheeling Nailers have struggled to score goals lately, and that trend continued Wednesday against the Trois-Rivieres Lions at WesBanco Arena.

It was Wheeling’s annual Education Day game, but the Lions proved too hard a lesson for the Nailers to figure out, falling 2-0. The loss marked the third time in the last four games the Nailers have failed to score a goal. The club has scored one goal or less in seven of its last 13 games.

They certainly had their chances, including one following a Trois-Rivieres turnover late in the third period.

Lions goaltender Luke Cavallin, however, proved impenetrable, stopping all 25 shots to earn the victory and his third shutout of the season.

On the other side, Taylor Gauthier has done everything short of scoring goals himself to give his club a chance to win. Wheeling’s netminder saved 22 of 23 shots on the day to earn another tough loss. Gauthier has stopped 113 of 117 shots fired at him in his last four starts, but has nothing to show for it in the win column.

A Logan Nijhoff breakaway goal 6:21 into the opening period was all the Lions would need, while Cavallin did the rest in net.

Nicolas Guay sent Nijhoff in all alone, who faked to his backhand and snapped a shot that went through Gauthier’s legs. Guay’s assist was the 100th point of his ECHL career.

From there, defense and goaltending took over, with the two teams combining for just 12 shots in the middle frame. The Nailers threw everything they could at Cavallin in the third, outshooting Trois-Rivieres 12-7 in the period.

The tying goal never came, and a power-play empty netter by Justin Ducharme with just over a minute remaining iced the 2-0 victory for the Lions.

With the victory, Trois-Rivieres (39-12-6, 84 points) take over the lead in the overall ECHL standings. The Nailers (33-20-4, 70 points) are clinging to second place in the North Division, one point ahead of the Norfolk Admirals and 14 points behind the division-leading Lions.

Wheeling will stay at WesBanco Arena, with two games against the Fort Wayne Komets and one against the Cincinnati Cyclones. The Lions head to Reading to play the Royals in a two-game series Friday and Saturday.