FUEL ERASE FIVE GOAL DEFICIT TO WIN FIFTH STRAIGHT ON THE ROAD

WHEELING- The Fuel looked for the two-game sweep and fifth straight road win against the Nailers on Saturday night. The Fuel erased a five-goal deficit with a six-goal third period, winning their fifth straight on the road 8-7.

1ST PERIOD

Things started off hot as just seven seconds into the game, and fresh off a two-game suspension, Chris Cameron dropped the gloves with Matthew Quercia. Despite the opening face-off fight, both players were assessed a roughing minor and a 10-minute misconduct for continuing altercation.

The first points of the game came from the stick of Colin Bilek at 6:53 off the main assist from Cam Hillis, giving the ECHL All-Star his 26th assist of the season. Wheeling quickly responded with a goal at 8:19 by Cédric Desruisseaux and he wasn’t done. 

Off a Fuel penalty, Desruisseaux put another in the back of the net just six minutes later on the Nailers power play to give them their first lead of the game. Wheeling extended their lead at 17:58 with David Drake’s first goal of the season, coming off a rebound from Cam Gray.

The Nailers ended the period ahead 3-1 while outshooting the Fuel 13-9.

2ND PERIOD

The Nailers hot play wasn’t over as they came out of the locker room firing in the second period. Lukas Svejkovsky started the scoring 1:13 into the period, extending the Nailers lead to three goals.

It would take Indy until 9:20 into the second period to find their second goal and it came from DJ King, netting his second goal of the season. Just 17 seconds after the goal, a scuffle ensued resulting in two minors for the Fuel and one minor for the Nailers, putting Wheeling on their third power play of the game. For the second time in three tries, the Nailers scored on the power play off the stick of Matthew Quercia.

30 seconds later, Santino Centorame turned the puck over right in front of the net and Wheeling’s David Jankowski rifled it past Cam Gray to give the Nailers a 6-2 lead.

Just 20 seconds before the period ended, coincidental roughing calls were issued and the second iteration of 4-on-4 hockey bled over into the third period.

3RD PERIOD

Once the 4-on-4 finished, Wheeling went on a power play for the fourth time and converted once again. Justin Addamo gave the Nailers their third power-play goal of the night at 2:11.

The chippiness continued all throughout the night and seventh and eighth roughing penalties came coincidentally at 3:40 into the third period against Jon Martin and Justin Lee.

For the first time in 4-on-4, the Fuel scored off the stick of Chris Cameron, his first of the season. This started a hot streak of scoring for the Fuel.

Two goals came in nine seconds off the sticks of Jon Martin and Josh Maniscalco. The goal gave Jon Martin his 14th of the season, extending his lead as the Fuel’s leading goal scorer.

A three-goal period forced a change in net for Wheeling as Taylor Gauthier came in for the final 11 minutes of regulation, which proved fatal for the Nailers.

On the third shot he faced, Josh Maniscalco ripped another to the back of the net, slashing that five-goal lead Wheeling had at the beginning of the period to one. A five-minute major and game misconduct from Wheeling’s Dillon Hamaliuk at 16:33 put the Fuel on the man-advantage for the rest of the game and they took advantage.

Two goals in 30 seconds from Kyle Maksimovich and Colin Bilek completely erased a five-goal deficit and turned a lost cause into an 8-7 win.

Wheeling outshot the Fuel 41-36 and finished with 41 penalty minutes to the Fuel’s 30 with the most crucial coming at 16:33 in the third period to give the Fuel the man advantage the rest of the way.

ABOUT THE INDY FUEL:
The Indy Fuel, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks and the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs, are back at Indiana Farmers Coliseum for their tenth season. Check out all the Fuel’s promotions, theme nights and get your tickets now HERE. 

Don’t forget to follow the Fuel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube for news, updates, contests and much more.