FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 21, 2019

TWO POWER PLAY GOALS SPARK K-WINGS SECOND STRAIGHT WIN

Kalamazoo heads into holiday break after perfect weekend, defeating Nailers 4-2 Saturday in Wheeling.

Box Score

WHEELING, WV – Following a 4-2 win Saturday over the Wheeling Nailers (13-11-4-0), the Kalamazoo Wings (9-14-3-0) enter the holiday break riding back-to-back victories against division foes during a four-point weekend.

Kalamazoo’s power play got things going early, when Justin Taylor tipped a point shot from Kyle Blaney past goaltender Emil Larmi on a 5-on-3 man advantage. The K-Wings have scored at least one power play goal in six of their last eight games, and they were not done yet.

After the Nailers answered with a backhand goal from Nick Saracino that flew over the glove of Jake Hildebrand, Kalamazoo scored its second power play goal of the opening period, when Zach Frye fired a one-timer from the point through traffic and into the net.

The K-Wings outshot Wheeling 18-6 in the opening frame, and kept things going through a scoreless second period. Larmi was the busier goaltender again in the middle stanza, stopping all 11 shots, while Hildebrand turned away all nine he saw. Kalamazoo carried its 2-1 lead into the third.

A neutral zone takeaway led to Kalamazoo’s third goal as Friday night’s overtime hero, Matheson Iacopelli ripped a wrist shot past Larmi from between the circles to make it 3-1 with 8:09 remaining in regulation. That insurance goal turned out to be the game-winner, as Wheeling answered 1:26 later with its second goal scored by Marc-Olivier Duquette. The K-Wings nailed down the win, when Kyle Blaney completed a Gordie Howe Hat Trick with an empty-net goal, after assisting on a first period goal and fighting Ryan Scarfo in the second period.

Hildebrand stopped 24 of 26 shots for his fifth win of the season, while the K-Wings generated 40 shots at the other end.

The K-Wings return from holiday break next Friday at 7:00 p.m. against the Indy Fuel at Wings Event Center. Kalamazoo then hosts the Fort Wayne Komets next Saturday at 7:00 p.m. for the Wings’ Affiliation Night at Wings Event Center. Visit kwings.com for tickets!

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Kalamazoo Wings 3-Packs are now available online! Reserve your tickets for the three biggest games in the best seats with the best eats. Visit kwings.com for more information about all the perks that come with a K-Wings 3-Pack!

The Kalamazoo Wings are a professional hockey team located in southwest Michigan that has been a staple in the Kalamazoo, MI professional sports landscape since 1974. The K-Wings compete in the ECHL and are the AA affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks. Kalamazoo plays their 36 regular season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.

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