By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
This past Wednesday, a moment was etched in Maine sports history when the Maine Mariners defeated the Adirondack Thunder in Game 7 of the 2026 North Division Semifinals at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine. The win helped the Mariners clinch their first playoff series win in franchise history. Now, it’s back to work in the ECHL’s Kelly Cup Playoffs against a team that dominated their season.
The Mariners begin their North Division Finals series in Game 1 against the Wheeling Nailers at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia, with puck drop scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. The winner of this series will advance to face either the Florida Everblades or South Carolina Stingrays from the South Division in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Mariners had a long battle in their series against the Thunder. Three of the seven games were decided in overtime, and four of them were decided by one goal. The Mariners held a commanding 3-1 series lead, but lost Games 5 and 6 in overtime to force a Game 7 to be needed. Late in the second period of Game 7, the Mariners trailed 1-0 and were without momentum. With 1:14 remaining in the period, forward Wyllum Deveaux tied the game at one on a breakaway for the Mariners.
In the third period, the Mariners applied a ton of pressure against Thunder goaltender Jeremy Brodeur, but the game remained tied. Overtime appeared to be on the horizon to determine the series, until defenseman Nick Anderson scored with 3:50 remaining in regulation to give the Mariners a 2-1 lead. The goal Anderson scored was his first since Jan. 2, 2026. With 33 seconds remaining in regulation, Mariners forward Shawn Element iced the game with an empty-net goal. Mariners goaltender Luke Cavallin made 20 saves in the win.
A Look at the Opponent
The Nailers have been resting since last Saturday, when they clinched their series against the Reading Royals in five games. The Nailers finished this season as North Division champions with 98 points, the second-most in the Eastern Conference.
One key player on the Nailers’ roster is goaltender Taylor Gauthier. Against Reading last round, Gauthier recorded three shutouts and has an incredible 0.71 GAA in the 2026 playoffs. Forward Matthew Quercia’s four assists and six points each lead the Nailers in the playoffs. Forwards Blake Bennett, Nolan Renwick, Zach Urdahl, Ryan McAllister, and Quercia each have scored two playoff goals for the Nailers. Renwick scored the series-winning goal in double overtime in the Nailers’ 1-0 win in Game 5 against the Royals.
Competitive Season Series
With the Mariners and Nailers facing each other this round, it’s time to see how the teams fared against each other this season. The Nailers won three of the five games played this season. In the first two games played in Portland back in October, the Mariners won the first and lost the second in overtime.
The Mariners then played two games at Wheeling in November, losing both and being outscored 9-2. The last game between the two teams ended in a 3-2 shootout win for the Mariners in Portland on Jan. 28, with forward Sebastian Vidmar scoring the shootout winner against Gauthier.
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