FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 12, 2024
K-WINGS SOLVE WALLEYE AGAIN AT HOME
Kalamazoo stays strong versus Toledo, snaps league-best 14-game point streak with 4-1 victory.
KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings (16-15-1-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, soared out to a 2-0 lead, played 60 minutes of balanced hockey and knocked off the Toledo Walleye (23-5-2-3) at Wings Event Center on Friday, 4-1.
Goaltender Jonathan Lemieux (12-10-1-0) was fantastic and made 33 saves to fend off a late Walleye surge. Lemieux’s efforts to ensure a regulation win helped Kalamazoo snap Toledo’s league-best 14-game point streak.
Kalamazoo has taken points in 10 of its last 14 games and improved to 4-1-1-0 versus Toledo this season.
Ayden MacDonald (5) opened the scoring at the 11:25 mark of the first with a tap-in out front. Cooper Walker (9) fed MacDonald from behind the right post with a touch pass after receiving an endboard cycle from Evan Dougherty (5), who recorded two points in his first game as a K-Wing.
Collin Adams (6) doubled Kalamazoo’s lead at the 15:56 mark by sending a rebound home from outside the blue paint on the left side. Walker (10) and MacDonald (2) each picked up their second point of the contest by assisting Adams’ marker through the chaos in the slot.
Erik Bradford (12) made it 3-0 at the 11:46 mark of the second by finding the back of the net from the left circle on the power play. Chad Nychuk (5) and Brad Morrison (16) assisted the extra-man tally.
Toledo scored a controversial power play marker at the 18:19 mark.
Dougherty (3), a Kalamazoo native, capped off his multi-point night by notching an empty-netter at 19:13.
Kalamazoo finished the game 1-for-4 on the power play and 0-for-1 on the penalty kill. Kalamazoo took the final shot total, 36-34.
The K-Wings are back in action Saturday at 7:15 p.m. EST against the Walleye at Huntington Center.
--
The 3-pack is back. Enjoy Rainbow Ice (Jan. 20), Kids Day (Mar. 17) & Fan Appreciation (Apr. 6) for the low price of $49. Click HERE to secure your 3-Pack today!
Rainbow Ice, presented by Bells Brewery, is drawing toward max capacity. Lock in your tickets now by clicking HERE.
--
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.
###