Prospects Of The Week

Taylor Gauthier Shutout, 52 Saves To Help Wheeling Nailers Take 2-0 Series Lead

Taylor Gauthier stopped 52 of 53 shots and shut out the Reading Royals in Game 1 of the opening round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs to give the Wheeling Nailers a 2-0 series lead. The undrafted goaltender stopped 20 shots in a 4-0 shutout win on Friday, and 32 of 33 shots in a 5-1 win on Saturday.

Due to injury and roster movement, Gauthier played in combined two postseason games for the Nailers prior to the 2025-26 season, going 0-2-0. Gauthier led the entire ECHL with a .929 save percentage and ranked third with a 2.09 goals against average in the regular season.

The series continues on Wednesday in Reading with the Nailers looking to take a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Vasily Ponomarev Scores Twice For Avangard Omsk In KHL Seminfinals

Vasily Ponomarev scored twice for Avangard Omsk in the Conference Finals of the KHL playoffs, helping the team take a 2-0 lead over Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. The 2020 second round pick acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes as part of the Jake Guentzel trade scored the opening goal in a 5-2 win on Friday and tied the game 1-1 in a 3-1 win on Saturday. Ponomarev carried only one goal through 10 postseason games prior to scoring in back-to-back games. The series continues on Monday with a spot in the Gagarin Cup Final up for grabs.

Max Graham Scores, Records Two Fighting Majors In Wheeling Nailers Opening Series

Max Graham found the scoresheet for the Wheeling Nailers in back-to-back games of the opening round of the Kelly Cup playoffs, with a goal and two fights in a pair of wins. The 2024 fifth round pick acquired from the New Jersey Devils last season gave the Nailers a 3-0 lead in a 4-0 win in Game 1 on Friday and answered the bell after taking a charging penalty late in the game. Graham dropped the gloves early in Game 2 to set the tone for a 5-1 Nailers win. Graham finished second on the team with 101 penalty minutes in 66 games and recorded 24 points as a rookie.

Down On The Farm

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Earn First-Round Bye, Kick Off Series Against Hershey Next Week

After earning a first-round bye, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton kick of a best-of-five series against the Hershey Bears on Thursday. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton won the regular season series between the teams 7-3.

Wheeling Nailers Jump Out To 2-0 Series Lead Over Reading With Depth Scoring, Solid Goaltending

The Wheeling Nailers kicked off the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs with a 4-0 win over the Reading Royals on Friday night. Zach Urdahl scored twice. Matthew Quercia scored and added a helper. Max Graham scored the other Wheeling goal. Emily Pieniniemi, Taylor Gauthier, Logan Pietila, and Brent Johnson all recorded assists. Gauthier stopped 20 shots for the shutout win.

The next night, despite being outshot 33-19 the Nailers won 5-1 to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Quercia led the offense with a goal and two helpers. Blake Bennett and Craig Armstrong both scored and recorded one assist. Ryan McAllister and Mathieu De St. Phalle scored the other Wheeling goals. Pietila, Connor Lockhart, Pieniniemi, Brayden Edwards, and Nolan Renwick all recorded helpers. Gauthier stopped 32 shots in the win.