K-WINGS WEEKLY: K-Wings Look to Bounce Back with Three Games this Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 8, 2021

K-WINGS LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK WITH THREE GAMES THIS WEEK

Kalamazoo travels to Cincinnati Wednesday, returns home to host Indy Saturday, and heads to Iowa for the first time Sunday.

OVERALL RECORD:  2-3-0

LAST WEEK:  0-2-0

KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, embark on their first three-game week this week, after suffering back-to-back losses to the Toledo Walleye last weekend.

The K-Wings welcomed a sellout crowd of 5,190 to Wings Event Center Friday, yet fell 6-4 to the Walleye. The team then hit the road for the first time this season Saturday, failing to score in a 6-0 loss at Toledo’s Huntington Center.

Kalamazoo travels to Cincinnati for the first time Wednesday for a 7:35 p.m. face-off, before returning home Saturday to host the Indy Fuel at 7:00 p.m. on Military Appreciation Night at Wings Event Center. The first 1,000 fans will received a limited edition red, white and blue K-Wings hat. The K-Wings will wear special jerseys which will be auctioned off following the game, benefiting a local nonprofit.

RESULTS

Friday, Nov. 5 – Toledo 6, Kalamazoo 4  (Wings Event Center – Kalamazoo, MI) | Box Score

>> A goal 21 seconds into Friday’s game from Toledo’s Josh Dickinson set the tone in the first of a home-and-home weekend series between the K-Wings and the Walleye. Rookie Raymond Brice tied the score in the second period, but Toledo made it 2-1 just 1:01 later. Greg Betzold then jammed home a loose puck with 1:11 left in the middle frame, but the Walleye answered in just 28 seconds to go up 3-2 through 40 minutes. Jake Slaker scored just one minute into the third to even the score at 3-3, but again Toledo responded within two minutes. After the Walleye extended their lead to 5-3, Betzold knocked a puck in out of mid-air for his second of the game to bring Kalamazoo within one. However, Matt Berry snuffed out the K-Wings torch with the final marker of the game to complete the 6-4 score.

Saturday, Nov. 6 – Toledo 6, Kalamazoo 0  (Huntington Center – Toledo, OH) | Box Score

>> The K-Wings hit the road for the first time this season in the rematch at Huntington Center, but again the Walleye lit the lamp just 21 seconds into the game. A second quick goal from TJ Hensick just over two minutes later made it 2-0, and Toledo added two more in the second period to extend their lead to four. John Albert, the ECHL’s leading scored found the net twice for his sixth and seventh goal already, and the Walleye added a power play goal late to finish the 6-0 win. Kaden Fulcher earned his first shutout, stopping all 22 Kalamazoo shots.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday, Nov. 10 – Kalamazoo AT Cincinnati, 7:35 p.m. – Heritage Bank Center (Cincinnati, OH)

Saturday, Nov. 13 – Indy vs Kalamazoo, 7:00 p.m. – Wings Event Center (Kalamazoo, MI)

Sunday, Nov. 14 – Kalamazoo AT Iowa, 4:00 p.m. ET – Xtream Arena (Coralville, IA)

ON THE MOVE

11/3 – Forward Max Humitz loaned to Grand Rapids (AHL).

11/4 – Defenseman Olivier LeBlanc recalled from loan by Cleveland (AHL).

11/6 – Defenseman Olivier LeBlanc loaned back to Kalamazoo from Cleveland (AHL).

FAST FACTS

• Greg Betzold scored two goals Friday vs Toledo, his first goals since Oct. 26, 2019 (741 days).
• Justin Taylor had three assists Friday, tying Neil Meadmore for ninth in franchise history (194).
• Raymond Brice recorded his first ECHL goal in Friday’s game at Wings Event Center.

TEAM TRENDS

• Kalamazoo allowed the first goal 21 seconds into both Friday and Saturday’s games vs. Toledo.
• The K-Wings have not had a single major penalty through the first five games.
• Kalamazoo’s sellout crowd of 5,190 Friday was the team’s largest since Nov. 2, 2019.

STATISTICAL LEADERS (PRESEASON)

POINTS:               5 – Justin Taylor

GOALS:                 2 – Greg Betzold, Max Humitz**

ASSISTS:               4 – Justin Taylor

PLUS/MINUS:    +3 – Brenden Miller, Justin Taylor, Giovanni Vallati*

PIMS:                   12 – Justin Taylor

PP GOALS:          1 – Michael Davies, Justin Murray

SH GOALS:          1 – Erik Bradford, Collin Saccoman

GW GOALS:        1 – Brenden Miller, Justin Murray

SHOTS:                15 – Zach Jordan

WINS:                   1 – Trevor Gorsuch, Jet Greaves

GAA:                     3.40 – Jet Greaves

SAVE %:               .896 – Jet Greaves

* - currently with Cleveland (AHL)

** currently with Grand Rapids (AHL)

SPECIAL TEAMS

POWER PLAY:    Last Week – 0/3  (0%)

                             This Season – 2/12  (16.7%) – 19th in the ECHL                      

PENALTY KILL:   Last Week – 3/4  (75.0%)

                             This Season – 12/15  (80.0% - 17th in the ECHL

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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 Columbus Blue Jackets and American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters. Kalamazoo plays their 36 regular season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.

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