A 2-2 game was broken late when Matt McLeod capitalized on a lackadaisical play by Wheeling, giving the Cyclones a 3-2 win at Heritage Bank Center Wednesday night.
The Cyclones snap Wheeling's four game win streak and pick up their second straight win in the process. At the quarter mark of the 2022-23 ECHL season, the Cyclones have points in 16 of their first 18 games, going 12-2-2-2.
- For the third straight game, the Cyclones got their power play clicking, with Louie Caporusso (8) burying a slap shot 13:54 into the first period. Former Cyclone Gino Esteves was in the box for delay of game and while on the kill, a failed Nailers clear put the puck right on Caporusso's stick in the right circle for a shot that went through the five hole of Wheeling's Taylor Gauthier.
- Caporusso followed his first period efforts with an early goal in the second, collecting a pass on top of the crease from Justin Vaive 2:18 into the frame.
- Wheeling erased the two goal deficit with a pair of tallies 4:27 apart. Adam Smith got the Nailers on the board with a shot in-between the circles that leaked under Beck Warm, before Cedric Desruisseaux evened the contest by poking a puck sitting on the goal line into the net 10:28 into the second.
- In the third, a late penalty forced the Cyclones to the penalty kill, which ended up being best case scenario. While shorthanded, Matt McLeod chased a puck down the ice for a shot on Gauthier. After making the save, Gauthier debated on freezing the pick, but instead laid it out to Sean Josling, who exposed himself for McLeod to reach in and poke check the puck off Josling and into the goal with 4:12 left, giving the Cyclones a 3-2 lead they didn't look back on.
- Beck Warm grabbed the win in goal, making him 7-2-2 on the season after a 25-save performance. Gauthier stopped 26 shots in the loss for Wheeling.
- An off day separates the rematch against Wheeling Friday night at Heritage Bank Center, before the 'Clones head to Fort Wayne again for Saturday hockey against the Komets.
