FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 8, 2023
K-WINGS FALL TO HEARTLANDERS, TAYLOR SKATES IN 800TH ECHL GAME
Kalamazoo battles back but drops first of three straight in Iowa.
CORALVILLE, IA – The Kalamazoo Wings (3-4-0-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, saw its all-time leading scorer, Justin Taylor, become the third player in ECHL history to log 800 career games and fell 3-1 against the Iowa Heartlanders (1-4-2-0) at Xtreme Arena Wednesday.
Iowa took a 1-0 lead at the 9:07 mark of the first period before adding another goal and doubling their lead 48 seconds later.
Erik Bradford (3) drew the K-Wings to within one with some clean-up duty after a K-Wings rush to make it 2-1 with 4:56 remaining in the second. Brad Morrison (3) and David Keefer (4) earned assists on the tally.
Goaltender Jonathan Lemieux (3-3-0-0) performed admirably and made 35 saves to keep the K-Wings within one down the stretch. The rookie netminder was pulled for an extra-attacker with 2:10 left in regulation.
The K-Wings generated multiple chances with a man up, but could not find the equalizer. Iowa then scored an empty-netter with 1:35 remaining to seal the Heartlanders first win of the season.
Kalamazoo finished the game scoreless on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. Iowa took the final shot total, 38-25.
The K-Wings will be back in action Thursday at 7:35 p.m. EST, facing Iowa for a second straight night at Xtream Arena.
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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 Vancouver Canucks and the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks. Kalamazoo plays their 36 regular season home games at Wings Event Center from October through April.
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