Photo by Joe Lovell

WHEELING — All the Wheeling Nailers needed was one goal to get things going in the right direction on Friday night, as they played the first of two games at WesBanco Arena against the Reading Royals. Connor Lockhart tied the game with 23 seconds left in the second period, then Matty De St. Phalle gave the Nailers the lead 1:09 into the third.

Taylor Gauthier made the win stand up with 31 saves, including a perfect 19-for-19 effort in the third period. Wheeling earned the 3-1 triumph for its sixth straight home win.

Neither team got on the scoreboard in the first period, while Wheeling outshot Reading, 12-10. The Royals finally broke the deadlock with a shorthanded strike at the 2:58 mark of the middle frame. Nolan Burke freed the puck off of the end boards for Jacob Frasca, who twirled around the right post and slipped a backhander through Taylor Gauthier’s legs.

The Nailers were able to rebound and tally an equalizer on the power play during the final minute of the stanza. Ryan Mahshie directed a shot on goal from the left circle, which was padded away by Keith Petruzzelli. However, the rebound kicked out to Lockhart, who lifted in a backhander from the right side of the crease.

The late tying goal gave Wheeling some momentum, and the home team took the lead for the first time at the 1:09 mark of the third. Lockhart played the puck into the left circle for De St. Phalle, who roofed a wrist shot into the top-right corner of the cage.

The Nailers received tremendous goaltending from Gauthier to preserve the win, as Reading had a 19-4 shots advantage in the third, and also had a two-man advantage for 43 seconds.

Logan Pietila rewarded his netminder by putting the game away with an empty netter in the closing minute for a 3-1 victory.

Taylor Gauthier added those 19 saves in the third period to his 12 from the first two frames to give him 31 stops on 32 shots in the contest. Gauthier is now three wins away from matching Andy Franck for the most career wins in team history. Petruzzelli turned away 24 of the 26 shots he faced in the defeat for the Royals.

The Nailers and Royals will wrap up their two-game series in Wheeling on Saturday at 4:10. Saturday’s game will be “Nail Down Cancer” Night.

Fans will be able to fill out “I Fight For…” signs to hold up during the game, there will be a ribbon making station, cancer survivors will be celebrated throughout the night, and fans can donate money to have their head shaved in support of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research. As a reminder, the game originally scheduled for Sunday at 4:10 against the Fort Wayne Komets has been postponed.

The next Big-6 Promotional Game is Pittsburgh Penguins Night on Saturday, Feb. 7, starring former player and current broadcast analyst Phil Bourque.