Kalamazoo Wings Get Three Out Of Four, Including Two In Shootouts, Over The Weekend

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MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com – K-Wing Recap -

Kalamazoo Vs Elmira (3/28)

Four games in five nights started on Wednesday (3/28) at Wings Stadium versus the Elmira Jackals. Kalamazoo’s first goal resembled a David Copperfield trick, as a Ryan Gillis (6) slap shot disappeared underneath goaltender Zach Sikich. After both teams and refereeing crew believed the puck was under Sikich, it was later found that the puck was in the back of the net. Elmira tied the game at 1-1 late in the second period with a power-play goal from Andrei Lupandin (9). Controlling the third period, Kalamazoo outscored Elmira 3-1 in the final 20 minutes of play to win the game 4-2. Kevin Labatte scored his first professional goal 3:18 into the period. Finishing on a two on one, captain Nick Bootland (38) flung a back hander past Sikich to extend the lead to 3-1. Frank Littlejohn tied the Jackals’ franchise record for goals in single season, scoring his 37th lamp lighter of the year at the 14:26 mark of the period. Kory Kalander (42) put the contest out of reach with an empty-netter with just 32 seconds remaining in regulation. Goaltender Tom Askey saved 30 shots to earn his 26th victory of the season.

Kalamazoo @ Quad City (3/30)

Kalamazoo commenced a four-game road swing on Friday (3/30) against the Quad City Mallards. Luke Stauffacher (38,39) got the Mallards flying high with two unanswered goals in the opening period. With less than four minutes remaining in the second period, Kalamazoo cut the lead in half to 2-1 with a power-play goal from Paul Caponigri (12). Jason Lawmaster (11) tied the game at 2-2 with a wrist shot from the left circle 1:38 into the final period. Stauffacher (40) notched the final goal of the night, capping off a 3-2 victory and a hat trick for the Mallard forward. Quad City goaltender Jason Tapp earned his 29th victory of the season stopping 45 of the 47 shots he faced.

Kalamazoo @ Muskegon (3/31)

It’s was a battle of the two top teams in the Eastern Conference on Saturday (3/31), as the K-Wings traveled to L.C. Walker Arena to face the Muskegon Fury. Kalamazoo jumped ahead 1-0 late in opening period with a historic goal from Karlander. Kory knocked in a rebound to register his 43rd goal of the season, which ties Jim Duhart (99-00) for the K-Wings’ UHL franchise record for most goals scored in season. Early in the second period, while on a power-play, Kevin Cooper (8) finished off an odd man rush by faking Ryan Nie and scoring on the backhand to tie the game at 1-1. No scoring in the final 20 minutes of play forced the contest into a shootout. Kalamazoo outscored Muskegon 2-1 in the shootout, receiving goals from Bootland and Mark Versteeg-Lytwyn, to defeat the Fury 2-1. While the K-Wings won the game; however, the shootout point earned by the Fury clinched the Eastern Conference title.

Kalamazoo @ Port Huron (4/1)

Kalamazoo concluded the week on Sunday (4/1) on the road against the Port Huron Flags. After a scoreless opening period, both teams were able to find the back of the net in the second. Midway through the second, Port Huron ’s Robert Snowball (8) tipped the puck past Nie to give the Flags a 1-0 lead. Nearly six minutes later with 4:40 remaining in the period, Versteeg-Lytwyn (11) snuck a slap shot under the cross bar to tie the game at 1-1. For the second straight night the K-Wings would carry a 1-1 lead through the third period and into a shootout and for the second straight night Versteeg-Lytwyn clinched the victory in the extra session. Kalamazoo outscored Port Huron 4-3 in the shootout en route to a 2-1 win.