K-WINGS WEEKLY - WEEK 8

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 13, 2021

HOOSIER WEEKEND FOR K-WINGS

Kalamazoo visits Fort Wayne, conclude with home-home battle with Indy

OVERALL RECORD:  11-8-0

LAST WEEK:  1-3-0

KALAMAZOO, MI - KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, visit Fort Wayne on Friday night and conclude the week with a home-and-home series with the Indy Fuel that starts in Indy on Saturday.

It was a tough week for Kalamazoo as the K-Wings experienced their first three-game losing streak of the year. Monday saw the Wings shut out for just the third time this season in a 4-0 loss to the Utah Grizzlies. A last-second goal iced Kalamazoo 3-2 on Friday versus Fort Wayne. On Saturday, a tough third period that saw five unanswered Komets goals defeat the K-Wings 7-3.  Kalamazoo would bounce back versus the Indy Fuel in a Sunday matinee in Kalamazoo behind a 4 point performance from Jake Slaker.

The K-Wings will hit the road for their first two games of the week starting in Fort Wayne on Friday for an 8 p.m. puck drop. On Saturday, Kalamazoo will be in Indianapolis to battle the Fuel at 7 p.m. The Wings come home to Kalamazoo to host the Indy Fuel on Sunday at 3 p.m. for Star Trek Night.

RESULTS

Monday, Dec. 6 – Utah 4, Kalamazoo 0 (Maverik Center–Salt Lake City, UT) | Box Score

>> The Grizzlies opened the scoring midway through the first on a shot from the blue line. Utah outshot Kalamazoo 18 to 9 in the first period. The Grizzlies scored twice in the second, including once on a power play. The Grizzlies capped the scoring on a 4-on-4 opportunity to make 4-0. Things got chippy in the final ten minutes as multiple fights concluded the game. Gorsuch stopped 36 of 40 shots he faced in the loss

Friday, Dec. 10 – Fort Wayne 3, Kalamazoo 2 (Wings Event Center–Kalamazoo, MI) | Box Score

>> K-Wings Goalie Trevor Gorsuch stuffed a Komets penalty early in the first period. Wings forward Kyle Blaney found an opening on a rebounded shot to put Kalamazoo on the board with a 1-0 lead in the second period. The action picked up in the final frame, the Komets took the lead on a goal from forward Marcus McIvor. Team Captain Justin Taylor found the net with 1:50 remaining to tie the game at two. Komets Forward Kellen Jones was able to capitalize in a short-handed situation, sneaking in the ultimate game-winning goal with just 17 seconds left. Gorsuch stopped 29 of 32 shots in the 3-2 loss.

Saturday, Dec. 11 – Fort Wayne 7, Kalamazoo 3 (Wings Event Center–Kalamazoo, MI) | Box Score

>> Kalamazoo Forward Erik Bradford beat the goalie with a nice move to push the K-Wings in front 1-0 in a shorthanded situation. K-Wings forward Logan Lambdin tapped a goal top shelf on a nice pass from Kyle Blaney giving Kalamazoo a 2-0 lead. Fort Wayne would respond with a 5-on-3 power-play goal from defensemen Connor Corcoran. The Komets would add another goal to tie it up at two to finish off the period. In the third period, Blaney sent the puck onto the stick of Zach Jordan, who promptly sent a snapper top shelf to give Kalamazoo the 3-2 lead. The Komets would respond with five unanswered goals. Kalamazoo Goaltender Trevor Gorsuch stopped 25 of the 32 shots he faced in the 7-3 loss.

Sunday, Dec. 12 – Indy 2, Kalamazoo 5 (Wings Event Center–Kalamazoo, MI) | Box Score

>> Slaker got the K-Wings scoring started 4:29 into the first period off a nice cross pass from Tanner Sorenson. Ten minutes later, Logan Lambdin sent a snapper from the left circle to make it 2-0 at the end of the first period. With just under five minutes remaining in the second period, some great passing set up Sorenson for the third goal of the game. The K-Wings netted a power-play goal when Justin Taylor redirected a Slaker shot into the back of the net. Sorenson closed out the scoring with an empty-netter assisted by Slaker and Eric Bradford. K-Wings goalie Trevor Gorsuch stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Friday, Dec. 17 – Kalamazoo AT Fort Wayne, 8:00 p.m. EST – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum (Fort Wayne, IN)

Saturday, Dec 18 – Kalamazoo AT Indy, 7:00 p.m. EST – Indiana Farmers Coliseum (Indianapolis, IN)

Sunday, Dec. 19 - Indy AT Kalamazoo, 3:00 p.m. EST - Wings Event Center (Kalamazoo, MI)

ON THE MOVE

12/8 – Forward Max Humitz recalled to Grand Rapids (AHL) from Kalamazoo.

12/7 - Forward Carson Focht was reassigned to Abbotsford (AHL) from Kalamazoo.

FAST FACTS

·               Justin Taylor’s goal on Saturday vs Fort Wayne was his 422 point as a K-Wing, eclipsing Brent Jarrett and taking sole possession of 4th place in franchise history in that category.

·               On Sunday, Head Coach Nick Bootland became just the sixth coach in ECHL history to coach 800 games.

·               Brenden Miller is second among all ECHL defensemen in points in with 18.

TEAM TRENDS

·               Kalamazoo is 3-0 vs Indy, outscoring the Fuel 17-7.

·               The K-Wings are 7-2 when they score first

·               The K-Wings are 6-2 in games played on Saturday

 STATISTICAL LEADERS

POINTS:               20 – Justin Taylor

GOAL:                  9   – Justin Taylor

ASSISTS:             10 – Brenden Miller

PLUS/MINUS:   +10 – Brenden Miller

PIMS:                  40 – Brenden Miller

PP GOALS:          6 – Justin Taylor

SH GOALS:         3 – Erik Bradford

GW GOALS:       2 – Erik Bradford, Tanner Sorenson

SHOTS:                63 – Zach Jordan

WINS:                  6 – Jet Greaves*

GAA:                    2.91 – Jet Greaves*

SAVE %:              .908 – Jet Greaves*

* - currently with Cleveland (AHL)

** currently with Grand Rapids (AHL)

SPECIAL TEAMS

POWER PLAY:    Last Week – 2/20  (10.0%)

                             This Season – 14/72  (19.4%) – 15th in the ECHL                           

PENALTY KILL:   Last Week – 3/11  (72.7%)

                             This Season – 11/55  (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.