Game Day: WINGS AND WALLEYE CANCELLED

Game #12

Kalamazoo (4-6-0-1) at Toledo (10-1-1-0)

10:35 pm | Huntington Center

Watch: ECHL.TV

Listen: 1660 the Fan

Last Time Out:

Kalamazoo got goals from Zach Saar and Aleksandr Mikulovich on Saturday night but Brampton came out on top, defeating the K-Wings 4-2. Saar's tally opened the scoring and gave the K-Wings a short lived lead as the Beast tied the game just under two minutes later. In the middle frame Brampton outscored Kalamazoo 3-1 to give themselves a 4-2 lead heading into the second intermission. Neither team would score in the third, as Brampton handing the K-Wings their second straight loss by a final of 4-2. Zach Saar, in his third game of the season, netted a pair of points, while Justin Taylor did the same with a two assist game. 

Season Series:

Thursday morning will be the third meeting of 12 this season between the Central Division foes. The Walleye, currently riding a nine-game winning streak, have claimed the victory in each of the first two meetings, topping Kalamazoo 3-2 (SO) on Oct. 30, and 5-2 on Nov. 9. Each of the first two meetings came at Wings Event Center. 

The K-Wings have seen four different players score against Toledo this season. Defenseman Jagger Dirk (1g, 1a) is the only K-Wing to record more than one point against Toledo this season. Toledo's Shane Berschbach leads all scorers in the series with five points (1g, 4a) including a four point night, all assists on Friday. Netminders Jake Hildebrand and Kaden Fulcher have started both games for their respective teams. 

Scouting the Walleye:

Toledo heads into Thursday morning's match up with the K-Wings riding a nine-game winning streak, and sitting atop the Central Division and Western Conference. The Walleye's lone regulation loss this season came in the second game of the regular season at the hands of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. Toledo has four skaters who have already jumped into the double digits for points through the first 12 games of the regular season. Shane Berschbach leads the Walleye with 19 points (8g, 11a) so far this season, while TJ Hensick is right behind him with 17 points (5g, 12a). Kaden Fulcher and Pat Nagle have split time between the pipes, while both netminders have posted goals against averages under three, to go along with save percentages above .900.

Winging It On the Man-Advantage:

Kalamazoo has scored a power play goal in each of the last three games,  bringing the power play to 10.2 percent on the season. After being held scoreless in a four game stretch that lasted 21 attempts, the K-Wings power play has converted on 20% of chances in the last three games (3-for-15). All five of the K-Wings tallies with the man-advantage this season have been scored by a different player. In addition, Zach Diamantoni and Kyle Thomas are the only players with more than one point on the man-advantage. Each have two assists. 

Tayls of Scoring:

Linemates Justin Taylor and Zach Saar each recorded multi-point nights on Saturday night, each netting a pair. Taylor leads the K-Wings through the first 11 games of the season averaging a point per game. The forward has notched at least a point in five of his last six games, including two multi-point games. Taylor has three-multi point games so far this season. Saar, who missed the start of the season due to an injury, recorded only the second multi-point game of his career. He also became the 13th player to score for the K-Wings this year with his goal.

Hildebrand Returns:

Goaltender Jake Hildebrand was returned to the K-Wings after being loaned to the Providence Bruins on Sunday. The netminder dressed for one game, appearing as a back up.

Upcoming:

After a three game road-swing the K-Wings return home on Black Friday to host the Ft. Wayne Komets. Only two of the K-Wings final seven games in the month of November will take place at home, however Kalamazoo returns home in December in a big way playing 11 of 15 games at Wings Event Center. After opening December in Wheeling the K-Wings only play three more road games, making trips to Brampton and Ft. Wayne (twice).