Wings Weekly: Vol. 45, No. 7

Kalamazoo, MI.- It’s another three-game week for the K-Wings as they host the Wheeling Nailers on Tuesday evening, before heading east for a pair of road games against Reading and Wheeling on Friday and Saturday.

Last Week:

Wed., Nov. 21 – Kalamazoo at Cincinnati, L, 6-3

Fri., Nov. 23 – Kalamazoo vs Fort Wayne, L, 4-2

Sat., Nov. 24 – Kalamazoo at Indy, L, 6-3

This Week:

Tues., Nov. 26 – Kalamazoo vs Wheeling, 7:30 pm

Fri., Nov. 30 – Kalamazoo at Reading, 7:00 pm

Sat., Dec. 1 – Kalamazoo at Wheeling, 7:05 pm

Upcoming:

Tuesday marks the return of Winning Weekdays as the K-Wings host the Wheeling Nailers for the first match up between the teams this season. If the K-Wings win on Tuesday night all fans in attendance can redeem their tickets at the box office for a free ticket to the K-Wings next week day game.

After spending this weekend on the road the K-Wings return home for a three-game home stand from December 7-9, including the K-Wings annual Teddy Toss game on December 8. That night Kalamazoo will also wear specialty jerseys, designed through the Fan Design contest over the summer.

Quick Hits:

New Opponents:

Kalamazoo plays a pair of new opponents this week facing Wheeling and Reading. The Nailers are the last Central Division team to play the K-Wings this season, while the Royals are the second North Division foe for Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo will only play seven games outside of the Western Conference this season, with all coming against the North Division. Friday’s match up is the only meeting of the season between Kalamazoo and Reading, and the first meeting since the 2015-16 season. Kalamazoo won that meeting and holds a record of 7-6-0-1 against the Royals in the last five seasons.

Home and Busy For the Holidays:

December features a heavy slate of home games for the K-Wings as they’ll play 11 of their 15 games at home. After returning from the Dec. 1 game in Wheeling the K-Wings will only travel to Brampton, and Fort Wayne (twice). After the conclusion of December the K-Wings will have played a total of 20 of their 36 home games. The 15 total games played in December is the most games Kalamazoo will play in a single month this season. They repeat the feat with 15 games in March as well. 

Special Teams Surge:

A third period tally from Wade Murphy on the power play gave the K-Wings a power play goal in each of the last three games, and six of the last seven. After starting off the season going a combined 2-for-34 (5.88%) in the first eight games, Kalamazoo has gone 7-for-31 (22.58%) in the last seven games. The recent success has bumped the K-Wings power play to the 22nd ranked unit in the ECHL at 13.8 percent.

Central Division Standings:

1.Toledo, (13-2-1-0), 27 pts

2.Cincinnati, (12-5-2-0),26 pts

3.Indy, (9-8-0-0), 18 pts

4.Ft. Wayne, (8-8-0-0), 16 pts

5.Wheeling, (6-8-1-0), 13 pts

6.Kalamazoo, (4-10-0-1) 9 pts

K-Wings Leaders:

1.Justin Taylor, F, 10g-3a-13pts

2.Chris Collins, F, 5g-6a-11pts

3.Kyle Thomas, F, 3g-8a-11pts

4.Kyle Blaney, F,3g-3a-6pts

Kalamazoo Wings single game and season tickets are available now! More information can be gathered at www.kwings.com/seasontickets.

Wings Event Center, owned and operated by Greenleaf Hospitality Group, is home to the Kalamazoo Wings professional hockey team and a full entertainment venue offering concerts, sporting events, family shows and trade shows. Built in 1974, Wings Event Center values partnerships with the community to bring events and attractions that enrich the lives of residents in the Kalamazoo area.