Last Week's Record: 2-1-0-1       Overall Season Record 34-21-2-5

Game Rewind

Wednesday, March 9th Vs Toledo (Kalamazoo 3-Toledo 4-Shootout)

Kalamazoo, MI- Two streaks came to an end, but another continued for the Kalamazoo Wings in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Toledo Walleye Wednesday night at Wings Stadium. The shootout loss snapped the K-Wings’ season-high overall winning streak of five games and a six-game home winning streak, while Kalamazoo is now unbeaten in regulation in 14 games (11-0-0-3).

Toledo got on the scoreboard first, using their first of two power play opportunities against Kalamazoo in the first period. Kyle Rogers (11th) deflected a slap shot past K-Wings goaltender Riley Gill who has started against the Walleye in two of the last three meetings between the two North Division clubs.

Kalamazoo would strike back early in the second frame as it took just over five minutes for them to get on the board for the first time on the evening. Patrick Asselin took the puck along the right-wing side and skated right past the Toledo defense and walked right in on Walleye goalie Thomas McCollum. Asselin roofed a wrist-shot and tied the game at one. The goal extended Asselin’s goal streak to four consecutive games and also improved his point streak to seven straight.

Toledo would strike back exactly a minute and a half after Kalamazoo got themselves even. Using another man-advantage, Andy Bohmbach found team-leading scorer Mike Hedden on the back-door to bury his 27th of the season.

Answering back with a pair of goals 1:17 apart in the third period, Kalamazoo claimed their first lead of the night. Trent Daavettila (24th) tied the game at 2-2 early in the period to extend his point streak to 10 games. Andrew Fournier also extended his point streak to five games on the marker earning the primary assist.

Off a face-off in the Walleye zone, Brady Leisenring (6th) forged the K-Wings ahead with a wrister from the slot.

The Walleye pulled even with less than two minutes in regulation with Andy Bohmbach’s 22nd of the season.

After no scoring in overtime, Kalamazoo’s shootout woes continued being outscored 1-0 in the five round shootout, with Rogers earning the game-winner in the extra session.

Despite the shootout loss, the K-Wings won the State Line Face-Off Series, presented by AmeriGas, America’s Propane Company, with a record of 9-2-1-2.

Friday, March 11th  @ Wheeling in Johnstown, PA (Kalamazoo 4-Wheeling 1)

Johnstown, PA- Forward Andrew Fournier scored twice, while his line mates of Trent Daavettila and Darryl Lloyd each tacked on three points in the Kalamazoo Wings 4-1 victory Friday night against the Wheeling Nailers at the Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

A highly contested physical opening period led to no scoring despite a combined six power-play between the teams. Kalamazoo went 0-for-2 with the man-advantage, while Wheeling went 0-for-4 earning just two shots in those three attempts. 

Breaking the gridlock in the second period, Fournier knocked in a Lloyd rebound 10:49 into the second period for his 34th goal of the season. With the goal Fournier extended his point streak to six games, while Daavettila, who earned a secondary assist on the tally, pushed his point streak to 11 games with his team-leading 41st assist of the year.

Pulling away early in the third period, Fournier (35th) notched his second goal of the night on a wrist shot from the slot, Lloyd and Daavettila each earned their second assists of the game 1:17 into the stanza.

Five minutes later, Lloyd and Daavettila capped off their three point efforts, as Lloyd found Daavettila for this 25th goal of the campaign.

Wheeling found the back of the net midway in the period on a redirect marker from Andrew Orpik (8th). The goal was the only one surrendered by Kalamazoo’s Ryan Nie, who made 30 saves for the game to earn his team-leading 26th victory of the season.

In the final minute, Kalamazoo added another goal with an empty-netter from Kory Karlander (25th).

Saturday, March 12th  Vs Wheeling (Kalamazoo 4-Wheeling 2)

Kalamazoo, MI- Led by a 3-for-6 performance on the power-play, the Kalamazoo Wings extended their lead in the North Division to 10 points over the second place Wheeling Nailers with a 4-2 victory over Wheeling Saturday night at Wings Stadium. 

After going 0-for-5 the night before with the man-advantage, Kalamazoo needed only two power-play chances to light the lamp. Using tick-tack-toe passing, Kory Karlander and Patrick Asselin used quick touch passes to find Aaron Clarke open on the backdoor for his 17th goal of the season. With the assist, Karlander extended his point streak to five games.

Both teams struggled to get shots on net in the first period, as Kalamazoo was outshot 8-4 in the opening 20 minutes. The goal from Clarke occurred on the K-Wings second shot of the night 10:38 into the first.

Wheeling pulled even midway into the second period, with a goal from Paul Crowder (7th) 10:42 into the stanza.

Entering Saturday night with the highest home power-play percentage in the ECHL at 27.5%, the K-Wings continued to improve on that percentage in the second period tacking on two more man-advantage tallies.

Clarke (18th) tacked on his second goal of the game, deflecting a Mitch Versteeg slap shot 12:46 into the period.

Three minutes later Versteeg (6th) struck with a power-play goal of his own with a wrister from the left circle. Versteeg’s goal gives him four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in his last two games.  

Kalamazoo added some insurance in the third period with a goal from Karlander (30th). Andrew Fournier assisted on the tally, which extended his point streak to seven games.

Trying to rally late, Crowder (8th) added his second of the night to bring the Nailers back to within two goals, but it would be as close as the Nailers would get.

Kalamazoo’s Ryan Nie turned aside 32 shots to earn his league-best 27th victory. Nie has won his last seven starts and is now 10-0-0-1 in his last 11 appearances.

Sunday, March 13th  Vs Wheeling (Kalamazoo 3-Wheeling 5)

Kalamazoo, MI- Unable to sweep the weekend series against the Wheeling Nailers, the Kalamazoo Wings lost Sunday afternoon at Wings Stadium 5-3.

Scoring early and late in the opening period, Wheeling jumped out to a two-nothing lead over Kalamazoo. Scratched the night before, Mikael Bedard (15th) made his presence felt giving the Nailers the lead 4:13 into the contest. 

Wheeling struck again with 4.5 seconds remaining in the period, when Alex Grant registered his third goal of the season on a wrister from the slot.

Keeping momentum on their side early in the second period, Bedard (16th) extended the Nailers lead with his second goal of the night off of a Dan Henningson deflection 3:36 into the period.

Nearly three minutes later, Sebastien Bisallon (6th) gave the Nailers a four-goal lead by scoring on a backdoor power-play pass from Tim Crowder.

Breaking through on the scoreboard halfway through the stanza, A.J. Thelen (6th) answered for the K-Wings with a power-play blast.

Just over five minutes later, Patrick Asselin (25th) scored a four-on-four even-strength goal on a rebound to cut the K-Wings deficit to two goals.

Early in the third period, Kris Vernarsky (4th) reestablished a three-goal lead for the Nailers 3:54 into the third period with a quick wrist shot from just right circle.

Attempting one last comeback with 2:23 remaining in regulation, Trent Daavettila netted his 26th goal of the season on an assist from Andrew Fournier, which extended Fournier’s point streak to eight games.

The loss ended the K-Wings 16 game (13-0-0-3) regulation unbeaten and the first regulation loss for the K-Wings since February 9th, when they lost 2-0 against the Trenton Devils.

The defeat also snapped an eight-game (7-0-0-1) home unbeaten streak for Kalamazoo, who last suffered a regulation loss at Wings Stadium on January 30th , when they loss 5-2 to the Gwinnett Gladiators.

For the Wheeling, the win was just their third in last 16 games.

Fast Forward

Kalamazoo will continue their four-game home stand with the third-leg of the stand this Thursday, March 17th with a 7 p.m. face-off during the South Carolina Stingrays during the 30th Annual “World Famous” St. Patrick’s Day Green Ice Game, presented by 5/3 Bank, WWMT and WRKR. Following March 17th’s contest, the K-Wings will auction off their St. Patrick’s jerseys. On the season, Kalamazoo leads the season series over South Carolina, who starts the week in second place in the South Division, with a record of 3-2-0-0.

On Friday, the K-Wings will conclude their four-game home stand with a 7:30 p.m. face-off versus the Trenton Devils on Celebration! Cinema Night and it will the final Frugal Fan Friday of the regular season, featuring $1 beers and $1 hot dogs. So far this season, the K-Wings are 1-1-0-0 versus the Devils, who start the week in third place in the Atlantic Division.

After having Saturday off, the K-Wings will finish the week on Sunday, March 20th with a 5:05 p.m. encounter against the Wheeling Nailers at the WesBanco Arena. On the season, the K-Wings are 4-3-0-1 against the Nailers, who are in second place in the North Division, eight points behind the K-Wings.

Team Leaders:                             Kalamazoo Wings                                                           

Goals:                                            Andrew Fournier (35 Goals)                                         

Assists:                                         Trent Daavettila (42 Assists)                                             

Points:                                          Kory Karlander (71 Points)                                  

+/-:                                               Trent Daavettila (+25)                                                         

Penalty Minutes:                        Darryl Lloyd (118 Minutes)                       

Power Play Goals:                     Patrick Asselin, Kory Karlander (11 Goals)    

Short Handed Goals:                Aaron Clarke (3 Goals)                 

Game Winning Goals:               Andrew Fournier (9 GW)                    

Shots:                                           Andrew Fournier (201 Shots)                          

Shooting Percentage:              Dean Strong (33.3%)                                  

Overtime Goals:                         Patrick Asselin, Andrew Fouriner, Sam Ftorek, Kory Karlander (1 Goal)                             Shootout Goals:                         Darryl Lloyd (2 Goals)                                      

Shootout Percentage:              Darryl Lloyd (66.7%)                                        

Goals Against Average:          Ryan Nie (2.80)                                                        

Save Percentage:                      Ryan Nie (0.916)                     

Potent Offense

The K-Wings know how to light the lamp. On the season, the K-Wings lead the league in scores scored averaging 3.61 goals a game.

 No “De-Nie”ing It
Goaltender Ryan Nie has been red-hot. Nie, who leads the league in victories (27) and saves (1,408), has won his last seven games and is 10-0-0-1 in his last 11 appearances.

 Eight Isn’t Enough
Forward Andrew Fournier has been on a scoring tear. Fournier is currently on an eight-game point streak.

Road Warriors

Forwards Trent Daavettila and Darryl Lloyd each enter the week on eight-game road scoring streaks. The eight-game streaks are the longest current road scoring streak in the ECHL.

The Obscure Stat of the Week

This Thursday the K-Wings will host the South Carolina Stingrays during the 30th Annual “World Famous” St. Patrick’s Day Green Ice Game, presented by 5/3 Bank, WWMT and WRKR. All-time, the K-Wings are 18-8-0-3 during green ice games.

Tickets! Get Your Tickets!!
Tickets for all K-Wings home games are now on sale. Catch all the action as your K-Wings play the very best the ECHL has to offer. Tickets are on sale now by calling the Wings Stadium Ticket Office at (269) 345-5101.

Get On-Line
This season, the best way to keep track of the K-Wings is to log onto www.kwings.com. The site has player profiles, information about Wings Stadium events, and much, much more.

Puppa and Jurynec on the Radio

Join special guests former NHL goaltender Daren Puppa and forward Bryan Jurynec as they join Head Coach Nick Bootland and the “Voice of the K-Wings”, Mike Modugno this Monday on “K-Wings Live” presented by Miller Lite. The show is on The Classic Hits Station WLKM (95.9 FM) and online through www.kwings.com from 7-8 p.m. at Old Burdick’s Wings West on Sports Drive. 

K-Wings on Radio

Catch all the K-Wings games, home and away, on the K-Wings Radio Network (95.9 FM WLKM & B-2 Networks on kwings.com). Join the “Voice of the K-Wings” Mike Modugno for all 72 regular season games plus the playoffs. Pre-game coverage begins with the Kalsee Credit Union Pre-Game Show 15 minutes prior to face-off. For the most complete coverage of the K-Wings from the opening face-off to the final buzzer, keep your radio tuned this season to the K-Wings Radio Network.

Upcoming Games

Thursday, March 17th                            Vs South Carolina 7:00 PM (30th Annual “World Famous” St. Patrick’s Day Green Ice Game, Presented by 5/3 Bank, WWMT and WRKR)

Friday, March 18                                    Vs Trenton                7:30 PM (Celebration! Cinema Night and Frugal Fan Friday)

Sunday, March 20th                                 @ Wheeling                5:05 PM

Wednesday, March 23rd                         Vs Cincinnati            10:30 AM (Education Day, Presented by RX Optical)