K-WINGS TAKE TWO LAST WEEK, HONOR TAYLOR & OFF TO IOWA THIS WEEK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 12, 2022

K-WINGS TAKE TWO LAST WEEK, HONOR TAYLOR & OFF TO IOWA THIS WEEK

 Kalamazoo plays three games in Xtream Arena against the Heartlanders this week.

OVERALL RECORD:  10-9-1-0

LAST WEEK:  2-1-0-0

KALAMAZOO, MI - The Kalamazoo Wings, proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, play three games in Iowa this week. First, the K-Wings play an Education Day game at the Heartlanders on Wednesday, followed by back-to-back games at Xtream Arena on Friday and Saturday.

Last week, the K-Wings went 2-1-0-0 (6-1, 3-2 (OT), 0-5).

Kalamazoo started the week with a morning game against the Toledo Walleye and dominated. The K-Wings tied a season-high with six goals, including a hat trick by Mason McCarty. Pavel Cajan returned from Cleveland (AHL) and made 35 saves on 36 shots by the Walleye. Justin Taylor scored the first goal for Kalamazoo, and Darby Llewellyn scored the game-winner in the first period. Max Humitz had the K-Wings’ fourth goal in between McCarty’s trio.

On Friday, the K-Wings returned home to finish the home-and-home set with the Walleye for the annual ‘Teddy Bear Toss’ game. Kalamazoo also honored legendary alumni Kevin Schamehorn with a pregame tribute, as he passed away in the late evening hours on Thursday. The K-Wings proceeded to honor Schamehorn with a victory after falling behind 1-0 in the first period. First, Coale Norris made it rain stuffed animals with a goal in the second, followed by Mason McCarty scoring later in the period to give Kalamazoo the advantage. But Toledo struck back with a goal in the third to send the game to overtime. Then, in the final minute of the extra frame, Justin Taylor blocked a shot to set a Raymond Brice breakaway opportunity. Brice proceeded to tucked the puck inside the right post for the win. Pavel Cajan earned ECHL Week’s ‘Flashing the Leather’ award for making 43 stops on 45 shots faced in the win.

Then on Saturday, the K-Wings honored Justin Taylor pregame for his franchise-leading 240 goals scored. K-Wings owner Bill Johnston and General Manager Toni Will presented Taylor, and family, with a customized bronze puck to commemorate the occasion. Kalamazoo then hosted Wheeling and was unable to equal the offensive push from the Nailers, ultimately falling 5-0. Kalamazoo’s penalty kill unit went 4-4 in the loss.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN DETAIL

This week, the K-Wings will play three games in Iowa. After the road trip against the Heartlanders, Kalamazoo will return to Wings Event Center to host Cincinnati.

2-6-9 Night versus the Cyclones is on Wednesday, December 21 at 7:00 p.m. EST at Wings Event Center. Enjoy $2 beers, $6 wing baskets and $9 tickets, and show everyone that’s coming in for the holidays the best family entertainment Kalamazoo has to offer. 

The NYE Ticket Package is also on sale now for the K-Wings annual New Year’s Eve game on December 31 at Wings Event Center. Get 4 tickets, a NYE Mystery Stocking and $20 in concession vouchers for one low price. Plus, don’t worry about missing the football games as they’ll be on display all throughout the arena! Tap the line HERE for more information! 

RESULTS

Wednesday, Dec. 7 – Kalamazoo 6, Toledo 1 (Huntington Center - Toledo, OH) | Box Score

>>  The Kalamazoo Wings (9-8-1-0) scored early and often to beat the Toledo Walleye (7-10-0-1) by a score of 6-1 on Wednesday at Huntington Center. The offensive outburst was led by Mason McCarty (7, 8, 9) earning the K-Wings’ first hat trick of the season. Justin Taylor (4) got the scoring started, depositing a puck into a wide-open net. Just 59 seconds later, Darby Llewellyn (3) camped out on the right side of the crease and Marc Gatcomb (1) found him for the game-winning goal. Toledo drew to within one goal early in the second period, but the K-Wings scored four unanswered to slam the door shut on the hockey game. First, McCarty scored his first goal of the game with a snipe from the top of the right circle. Then, it was Max Humitz (5) scoring off of his own rebound opportunity to make it 4-1 Kalamazoo. It took just 39 seconds for McCarty to find the net again after the Humitz goal. In the third period, just 10 seconds into a power play, McCarty earned the hat trick as he went backhand to forehand in the crease to find the back of the net. In his first game back with Kalamazoo after a stint with Cleveland (AHL), Pavel Cajan (2-0-0-0) was brilliant in net once again, stopping 35 of 36 shots by the Walleye.

Friday, Dec. 9 – Toledo 2, Kalamazoo 3 (OT) (Wings Event Center - Kalamazoo, MI) | Box Score

>>   The Kalamazoo Wings (10-8-1-0) withstood everything the Toledo Walleye (7-10-1-1) had to offer and came out on top in an overtime victory after an emotional tribute to Kevin Schamehorn at Wings Event Center Friday, 3-2. In overtime, Raymond Brice (6) scored on a breakaway after Justin Taylor (6) blocked a shot in the defensive zone to set the stage. Brice skated straight down the slot and waited until he was right at the top of the crease to move the puck to his backhand and send it into the net. Pavel Cajan (3-0-0-0) was outstanding in net for the K-Wings once again, making 43 saves in the game on 45 shots by the Walleye. Toledo opened the game’s scoring at the 15:20 mark of the first period. At the 4:24 mark in the second, Coale Norris (3) made it rain teddy bears and later in the period, and then McCarty intercepted the puck at the top of the slot, drove down and sniped the left corner to give Kalamazoo the lead. At the 3:41 mark of the third, the Walleye pulled even with a power-play goal. With the win, the K-Wings improved on several already-impressive trends this season, moving to 6-0-0-0 when leading after two periods, 3-0-1-0 at home on Fridays and are now 4-0-1-0 against the Walleye this season.

Saturday, Dec. 10 – Wheeling 5, Kalamazoo 0 (Wings Event Center - Kalamazoo, MI) | Box Score

>>   The Kalamazoo Wings (10-9-1-0) were unable to match the offensive production from the Wheeling Nailers (11-10-0-0) on Marvel Night at Wings Event Center Saturday, losing 5-0. The K-Wings penalty kill unit put together a good showing despite the score, going 4-4 in the game. Wheeling was able to find the net three times in the first period, and twice more to round out the scoring on the evening. Neither team scored in the third period. The loss only put a small damper on an outstanding week of hockey for K-Wings, going 2-1-0-0 this week, now winners of six of their last 10 games. Before the game, Kalamazoo honored Justin Taylor (241) in a pregame ceremony celebrating him becoming the franchise’s all-time goal scorer on Nov. 26.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday, Dec. 14 – Kalamazoo at Iowa, 11:35 a.m. EST – Xtream Arena (Coralville, IA)

Friday, Dec. 16 – Kalamazoo at Iowa, 8:00 p.m. EST – Xtream Arena (Coralville, IA)

Saturday, Dec. 17 – Kalamazoo at Iowa, 8:00 p.m. EST – Xtream Arena (Coralville, IA) 

ON THE MOVE

Dec. 5 - Goaltender Pavel Cajan was loaned to Kalamazoo by Cleveland (AHL)

Dec. 5 - Forward Marc Gatcomb and defenseman Quinn Schmiemann were loaned to Kalamazoo by Abbotsford (AHL)

Dec. 7 - Defenseman Olivier LeBlanc was loaned to Kalamazoo by Cleveland (AHL)

Dec. 10 - Goaltender Pavel Cajan was recalled from loan by Cleveland (AHL) 

FAST FACTS

·           In Wednesday’s 6-1 win at Toledo, Marc Gatcomb (0g, 2a) earned his first pro points, while Quinn Schmiemann (0g, 1a) also notched his first pro point.

·           Rookie forward Mason McCarty exploded for five points in the two wins over Toledo, as he recorded a hat trick on Wednesday and scored a goal and an assist on Friday. He is now tied for No. 9 in ECHL rookie points (18).

·           Goaltender Pavel Cajan earned a pair of wins and is now 3-0-0-0 on the season, all against Toledo, in his two stints with the K-Wings this season.

TEAM TRENDS

·      6-1-0-0 when scoring first

·      6-0-0-0 when leading after the second period

·       3-1-0 in overtime

STATISTICAL LEADERS

POINTS:              18 – Mason McCarty

GOALS:               10 – Mason McCarty

ASSISTS:          10 – Brandon Saigeon

PLUS/MINUS:    +7 – Raymond Brice, Ryan Cook

PIMS:                   25 – Justin Murray

PP GOALS:      3 – Matheson Iacopelli, Mason McCarty

PP ASSISTS:        6 –  Justin Murray

SH GOALS:      1 – Raymond Brice

GW GOALS:    2 – Raymond Brice, Max Humitz

SHOTS:           56 – Max Humitz

WINS:                  5 – Evan Cormier

GAA:                   2.90 – Evan Cormier

SAVE %:             .912 – Evan Cormier

* Currently with Cleveland (AHL)

** Currently with Columbus (NHL) 

SPECIAL TEAMS

POWER PLAY:   Last Week – 1/9 (11.1%)

                           This Season – 14/79 (17.7%) – No. 22 in the ECHL                         

PENALTY KILL:   Last Week – 9/10 (90.0%)

                            This Season – 56/71 (78.9%) – No. 17 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 the 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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