Wings Weekly: Vol. 45, No. 2

Kalamazoo, MI.- The Kalamazoo Wings (2-1-0-0) are looking to build off of a two-game sweep of the Ft. Wayne Komets as they head into a home-and-home set with the Cincinnati Cyclones this weekend.

Last Week:

Fri., Oct. 19 – Wings vs. Ft. Wayne, W, 2-1

Sat., Oct. 20 – Wings at Ft. Wayne, W, 5-3

This Week:

Fri., Oct. 26 – Wings at Cincinnati, 7:35pm

Sat., Oct. 27 – Wings vs. Cincinnati, 7:30pm

Upcoming:

Nickelodeon and Orange Ice:

Everything turns orange on Saturday night for the annual Orange Ice night, as the K-Wings host the Cincinnati Cyclones. Saturday will also be Nickelodeon Night as the K-Wings will wear Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Jerseys, which will be auctioned off after the game on the ice. In addition fans will be able to meet the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, trick-or-treat on the concourse, or participate in a first intermission costume contest.

Quick Hits:

Down to the Wire:

Both Friday and Saturday night the K-Wings and Komets were tied late in the third period. Friday night Kyle Thomas netted the game-winning goal with 5:14 left in regulation for the K-Wings, while it wasn’t until the final three minutes of play that Kalamazoo scored the game-winning goal on Saturday night. Thomas factored in on both game-winning goals, recording an assist on Justin Taylor’s game-winner on Saturday night. The former Komet finished the weekend with three points (1g, 2a) against his former squad.

Hot Starts and Career Nights:

Defenseman Ben Betker, a fourth year pro, set a career high for points on Saturday night scoring once, and adding two assists. The former Edmonton Oilers draft pick had recorded a two-point game on six separate occasions throughout his career, but had never surpassed that.

Two assists on Saturday night gave Kyle Thomas a point in each of Kalamazoo’s first three games this season. The forward, who leads the team with four points (2g, 2a) recorded a point in each of the final two games last season, giving him points in five consecutive games.

Staying Out of the Box:

Three games into the regular season Kalamazoo is the fifth least penalized team in the ECHL. The Wings average just under ten (9.67) penalty minutes a game. Allen currently leads the league averaging 28.00 penalty minutes per game. The Wings have only taken one major penalty so far this year.

Central Division Standings:

1.Indy, (3-1-0-0), 6 pts

2.Cincinnati, (2-1-0-0), 4 pts

3.Kalamzoo, (2-1-0-0), 4 pts

4.Toledo, (1-1-1-0), 3 pts

5.Ft. Wayne, (1-3-0-0), 2 pts

6.Wheeling, (0-2-0-0), 0 pts

K-Wings Leaders:

1.Kyle Thomas, F, 2g-2a-4pts

2.Justin Taylor, F, 3g-0a-3pts

3.Ben Betker, D, 1g-2a-3pts

4.Brendan Bradley, F, 0g-3a-3pts