K-WINGS LOSE TO KOMETS IN OT, EARN HUGE POINT DOWN THE STRETCH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 26, 2022

K-WINGS LOSE TO KOMETS IN OT, EARN HUGE POINT DOWN THE STRETCH

Kalamazoo’s caught by ECHL's hottest team at end and lost in OT, 5-4.

BOX SCORE   

KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings (31-29-1-0) took a 4-2 lead into the final minutes of the third period, but the Fort Wayne Komets (34-20-6-1) tied the game and won it in overtime on Saturday at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum,  5-4.

With the extra attacker on the ice - the ECHLs leader in points (73) - Will Graber (21,22) - scored two goals for Fort Wayne in 25 seconds - starting at the 18:41 mark - and the Komets completed the come from behind win at the 2:47 mark of overtime. 

Up until that point, the K-Wings were in control for most of the hockey game on the road, and were mostly the aggressors against the ECHLs hottest team. 

The first goal of the game came off the stick of defenseman Ryan Cook (2) at the 1:17 mark. Cook wristed his first shot as a Wing into the back of the net from about four feet inside the blue line. Kyle Blaney (24) and Matheson Iacopelli (13) assisted on the goal. 

Then Erik Bradford (17) scored from the left circle on the power play at the 9:20 mark to put the K-Wings up 2-0 heading into the second period. Justin Murry (17) and Jake Slaker (16)assisted on the goal. 

The K-Wings went up 3-0 on the first shift of the second, as Jake Slaker (17) caused the Komets goaltender to turn the puck over on a dump in. Slaker immediately found Tanner Sorenson (17) on the doorstep for the wide open goal.

The lead stayed intact until the 10:18 mark of the second. That’s when the Komets scored two straight goals in 2:31 to pull to within one. 

The K-Wings continued to push and scored their last goal of the game with 15 seconds remaining in the second period. Jake Slaker (13) notched his third point of the night, scoring the K-Wings fourth goal, off the initial Erik Bradford (24) shot, on the doorstep. Justin Murray (18)added the second assist on the goal. 

Jake Kielly (0-1-1-0) was stout in net for Kalamazoo throughout, making 39 saves in the OT loss. 

The K-Wings penalty kill also finished a perfect 3-3 in the contest. 

The K-Wings head to Indy (27-29-2-3) to finish the weekend road trip against the Fuel on Sunday. Puck drop is scheduled at 5:00 p.m. EST at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. 

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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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