FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 31, 2022
K-WINGS STAND UP TO GROWLERS, COME UP JUST SHORT ON NYE
Kalamazoo outshoots North leader Newfoundland, drops hard-fought battle in front 4,322 at Wings Event Center on New Year’s Eve, 2-1.
KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings (12-13-3-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, went blow-for-blow with Newfoundland (20-8-1-0) in the annual New Year’s Eve game on Saturday at Wings Event Center, but the Growlers scored the go-ahead goal in the final minutes to earn the 2-1 victory.
Newfoundland scored the only goal of the first two periods on the power play at the 15:08 mark of the first. The two teams skated to an 11-11 shot total after one, and the K-Wings poured it on in the second, outshooting the Growlers 17-5.
Kalamazoo continued the offensive pressure in the third and scored the equalizer on the power play at the 6:15 mark. Tyler Irvine (3) gobbled up a rebound after the initial shot by Justin Taylor (8) and stuffed it in on the right side of the crease. Max Humitz (10) tied his career-long point streak at five games with the secondary assist, and Taylor tied Mike Wanchuk for No. 4 all-time in assists in K-Wings history (228).
The K-Wings killed off two big penalties down the stretch and threatened to go-ahead multiple times, but the Growlers scored the game-winner at the 17:52 mark of the third.
Evan Cormier (5-10-2-0) was phenomenal throughout and made 25 of 27 saves in the contest.
Kalamazoo starts the new year with a trip to Toledo (12-12-4-1) on Friday, Jan. 6 to face the Walleye. Puck drop is set for 7:15 p.m. EST.
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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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