The Wheeling Nailers, AA affiliate for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens, have announced two roster moves, with both taking effect immediately. Forward Peter Lenes was signed to a professional tryout agreement by the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, and forward Chase Watson was claimed by the Nailers off of waivers from the Elmira Jackals.

Lenes, 25, was originally acquired by the Nailers on January 10th, in a trade with the Trenton Titans. Since coming to Wheeling, Peter has made an immediate impact on the club, as he has picked up at least one point in 14 of his first 17 games. During that time, the Shelburne, VT native has 14 goals, six assists, 20 points, and a plus-11 rating. In 49 total games this season between the Nailers and Titans, Lenes has recorded 21 goals, 11 assists, and 32 points. This is Peter’s second season of professional hockey in North America, and will be his first taste of life in the American Hockey League.

Watson, 29, joins the Nailers with five seasons of experience in professional hockey. Following a four-year collegiate career at Providence College, Chase made the jump to the professional game, joining the Augusta Lynx for parts of two seasons. Towards the end of the 2008-09 season, the Media, PA native came to Wheeling, where he played in five regular season games, before appearing in seven postseason contests, picking up one assist. In his career, Watson has played in 168 ECHL games, scoring 21 goals, 43 assists, and 64 points. Thus far this season, Chase has lit the lamp once in five ECHL games, while also putting up six goals, 16 assists, and 22 points in ten games for the FHL’s Brooklyn Aviators.

Chase Watson will wear uniform number eight, and will likely be in the lineup for the Nailers on Friday, when they take on the Elmira Jackals at Cambria County War Memorial Arena. Lenes could make his AHL debut as early as Friday night, when the Bulldogs begin a three-game weekend with a home game against the St. John’s IceCaps.

Matt Schepke scored his first goal against his former club, Sunday night in Johnstown, in the Nailers’ 7-5 victory over the Reading Royals. Peter Lenes, Chris Barton, Ben Farrer, Olivier Dame-Malka, Denver Manderson, and Cody Chupp all contributed goals in the win, that earned the Nailers sole possession first place in the division.

Reading’s power play unit was the star of the first period. Ryan Schnell took an early unsportsmanlike conduct minor for a snow shower on Reading goaltender Karel St. Laurent. The Nailers killed that penalty, but their penalty kill was no match for the next three offenses. Mickael Bedard scored two power play goals on his former team, the first on a hooking call to Zack Torquato, the second on a delay of game penalty for Peter Merth. Olivier Labelle and Ryan Cruthers picked up assists respectively. Matt Schepke scored his second goal of the weekend – the first against the team that sent him to Wheeling for Bedard – to cut the Royals’ lead in half with help from Cody Chupp and Zach Hansen. The Nailers had an opportunity on the power play, but did not convert. Schnell went back to the box for interference, and Labelle beat Killeen with help from Denny Urban, to pad the Royals’ lead going into intermission.

A minute and a half into the second period, Peter Lenes pulled the Nailers back within one, when his shot on the breakaway went over St. Laurent’s shoulder. Andrew Hotham earned his 26th point of the season on the play. Kenny Ryan put the Royals up 4-2 on a delayed penalty to the Nailers, but Chris Barton struck back to pull the Nailers back to a one-goal deficit. Marc Cantin was awarded an assist on Ryan’s goal, while Schepke and Chupp earned the helpers on Barton’s tally. A scrum along the near boards resulted in matching minors for Cantin and Merth for tripping and roughing, before the Nailers went to the power play for another tripping call against Cantin. However, the Royals’ penalty kill kept the Nailers off the scoreboard. Cantin returned to the box with 36 seconds left in the second period for delay of game, sending the Nailers on the power play to start the third period.

Despite almost a minute and a half of power play time to start the third, the Nailers were once again unable to score with the man advantage. With 16:07 left in the third, Torquato put a shot on goal that beat St. Laurent, but the goal was waved off due to incidental contact. Ben Farrer made up for the call seconds later, as his eighth goal of the season tied the game at four. Olivier Dame-Malka put the Nailers up 5-4, but the Nailers weren’t done yet. Seconds after Reading pulled St. Laurent in favor of Jussi Rynnas, Denver Manderson scored the Nailers’ third goal in the span of a minute and a half to give the Nailers a 6-4 lead. The teams exchanged penalties, but Chupp scored his 13th goal of the season on an unassisted breakaway. The two-goal lead was all the Nailers needed to defeat the Reading Royals 7-5.

The Nailers start a home-and-home with the Elmira Jackals Tuesday in Elmira, before playing the second half Friday night at Cambria County War Memorial.

Cody Chupp earned three points, and Denver Manderson scored the game-winning goal in Friday night’s win over the Trenton Titans.

Peter Merth started off a fairly quiet first period with his second delay of game penalty in two games. While Trenton was unable to convert, they did put solid shots on goal. Adam Presizniuk shot and picked up his own rebound, but Peter Delmas grabbed the second shot. With two minutes to go in the period, Merth, Olivier Dame-Malka, and Denver Manderson all had chances to open the scoring. Merth’s shot from the point off the face-off beat Nick Niedert to give the Nailers a 1-0 lead at the end of the period. Andrew Hotham and Cody Chupp were awarded assists.

To open the second period, Matt Schepke notched his ninth goal of the season – his first goal with the Nailers – from the right circle, giving the Nailers a 2-0 lead. Hotham and Chupp picked up their second assists each on the goal. Andy Bohmbach cut the Nailers’ lead in half, with help from Mitch Versteeg and Rob Bordson. Wheeling had two power play opportunities on calls to Vinny Geonnetti and Bordson, but Trenton’s penalty kill stopped both chances.

Trenton wasted no time in tying the game. Bohmbach picked up his second of the night, 17 seconds into the third period with Delmas caught behind the net. Bordson picked up the assist. Delmas made up for the goal with a huge save on Dustin Cameron, before Manderson gave the Nailers the go-ahead goal, when he sent the puck over Niedert’s shoulder. Delmas continued to make several spectacular saves, as the clock ticked down. Trenton pulled Niedert for the extra attacker, but Chupp put the puck into the empty net to finish the Nailers 4-2 victory.

The Nailers head to Johnstown’s Cambria County War Memorial Sunday for a 4:05 faceoff against the Reading Royals.