Muskegon Lumberjacks @ Kalamazoo Wings ... 2-27

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Kalamazoo Wings beat Muskegon Lumberjacks 4-3

IHL/Game Stats -
http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/boxscore.html?gameid=735272

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K-Wings Website -
http://www.wingsstadium.com/news/2009/02-27_gamerecap_Muskegon.htm

CROSS CHECKED

Justin Cross Nets Two to Lead Kalamazoo Over Muskegon 4-3

Mike Modugno-Director of Public Relations and Broadcaster

February 27, 2009

Kalamazoo, MI – The best player on the ice doesn’t always make the game-deciding play, but justice was served Friday night at Wings Stadium as Justin Cross (5th) buried the go-ahead goal late in the third period, his second of the game, to boost the Kalamazoo Wings over the Muskegon Lumberjacks 4-3.

Muskegon had taken its first lead early in the final frame courtesy of Chad Costello (14th) only to watch Kalamazoo charge back on a Glenn Detulleo deflection at 9:21 to make it 3-3. Cross then stepped out from the left wall and beat goalie Clayton Pool through the legs for the game winner at 15:53.

The comeback victory cut down the Lumberjacks six-game overall wining streak and an eight-game road unbeaten streak, a run that included two wins at the K-Wings’ expense. Kalamazoo, a winner at home for the first time in four, now moves to within five points of second-place Muskegon and within seven of the IHL’s top team, Port Huron.

With two assists, Lucas Drake ran his point streak to six straight contests, one ahead of Detulleo’s current five-game run. Mark Nebus also enjoyed a solid night, picking up primary helpers on both Cross tallies.

Entering the game, the K-Wings were 20-2-0-0 when scoring first, so punching one in early figured to go a long way toward ending their season-high three-game winless streak (0-2-1-0) on Wings Stadium ice. They would do just that, as Nebus threaded a saucer pass from the right circle onto the tape of Cross (4th) for a 1-0 lead at 2:22.

The Lumberjacks, who had nine wins on the season when the opponent jumps on top first, were undeterred and struck for the equalizer 90 seconds later. Billy Collins (15th) one-timed a Costello feed past the blocker hand of Jason Tapp to draw even.

Playing one of their best opening periods in recent memory, the K-Wings continued to push the pace and were rewarded at 8:58, when Rick Cleaver (21st) pounced on a loose puck in the crease. The play was set up by John Glavota’s point shot, which caromed off Drake and eluded Pool.

The Lumberjacks possess the most potent power play in the IHL, and they put it to use midway through the second period to knot the game once more. Robin Bouchard (28th) nailed his 11th man-advantage goal in 25 games when he tossed a 30-foot wrister over Tapp’s right pad. League-leading scorer Todd Robinson earned the primary assist, giving him 71 helpers on the season.

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Kalamazoo Newspaper -
http://www.mlive.com/kwings/index.ssf/2009/02/shakeup_creates_chances_for_kw.html

Shake-Up Creates Chances For K-Wings' Cross

by Pam Shebest | Kalamazoo Gazette

February 27, 2009

KALAMAZOO -- In spite of scoring two goals in the Kalamazoo Wings' 4-3 win against the Muskegon Lumberjacks Friday night, Justin Cross isn't q uite ready to spring for dinner for linemate Mark Nebus.

Nebus set up both Cross tallies after coach Nick Bootland tweaked the lines a bit.
"We'll see how the weekend goes," Cross said. "We have to finish it off, right? Then he might be in line for dinner."

Goals have been at a premium for Cross, who now has five in 33 games.

"The first one was a good pass to him," Nebus said. "He buried it. It was a great shot. The second one was all him.

"It's a new feel with a new guy out there. Normally it's the lefty (Rick Cleaver) I'm passing to, so it paid off that we had the right-handed shot in front for the one-timer. ... A great game by him today. It was a big win against a first-place team."

The K-Wings (32-21-1-0) knocked the 'Jacks (32-16-3-3) out of first place in the International Hockey League and are now in a third-place tie with the Fort Wayne Komets, the team the K-Wings host tonight.

Cross sandwiched his goals around all other scoring, tallying 2:22 into the game and with 4:07 left in regulation.

"It was nice to finally happen again," Cross said of finding the net. "I had a lot of chances lately and finally found some holes.

"I think it's attributed to all the hard work I've been putting in lately. The line (with third forward Tommy Lange) seemed to work well tonight, so hopefully it can continue and we can continue chipping in for our part."

Bootland moved Cross to that line from a line with K-Wings captain Glenn Detulleo and Lucas Drake.

"He was up on that top line and they didn't produce anything there for a while. so I tried to make the change," Bootland said. "He didn't take it as a demotion, he took it as an opportunity. He stepped up his game, was very tenacious, was on pucks first, forechecked hard and played gritty tonight."

Cleaver and Detulleo also scored for the K-Wings, with Detulleo deflecting a Rob Jarvis pass past goalie Clayton Pool to k not the game 3-3 midway through the final period.

For Muskegon, Billy Collins and Robin Bouchard (power play) scored the first two goals and Chad Costello was given credit for what was actually an own-goal by a K-Wings defenseman past goalie Jason Tapp.

"It's been a tough stretch for me there for a bit," said Tapp (19-13-1-0), who takes a two-game winning streak into tonight's contest, "I think with the Fort Wayne game (a 5-3 win last Saturday), I got my confidence back and I feel a lot better in net right now."

Bootland uses a "win, you're in" system and "It was tough for me because I'm so used to playing every night," Tapp said. "So it's a bit different when Marty (goalie Joel Martin) and I can both get on runs and play really well. Both of us want to be in net every night."

STREAK SNAPPED: The loss snapped the Lumberjacks' six-game winning streak and also their eight-game road streak, where they had not lost in regulation for eight games (7-0-0-1).

STREAK CONTINUES: With his assist on the Cleaver and Detulleo tallies, Lucas Drake extended his points streak to six games (5 goals, 6 assists). Detulleo has 2 goals, 5 assists) has a five-game points streak.

HOME IS SWEET: The K-Wings have an IHL-best 18-6-1-0 record at Wings Stadium, in spite of losing their previous three (0-2-1-0) at home.

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Muskegon Newspaper -
http://www.mlive.com/lumberjacks/index.ssf/2009/02/jacks_winning_streak_ends_with.html

Jacks Winning Streak Ends With Loss to Wings

From local report

February 27, 2009

The Muskegon Lumberjacks saw their six-game winning streak come to an end on Friday night in a 4-3 loss to the host Kalamazoo Wings.

Justin Cross scored what proved to be the game-winning goal with 4:07 remaining to break a 3-all tie. Cross also opened the game's scoring early in the first period.

Muskegon received goals from Billy Collins, Robin Bouchard and Chad Costello, who also drew an assist to finish with two points. Bouchard's goal was a power-play goal that came at 10:36 of the second period.

Besides two goals from Cross, Rick Cleaver and Glenn Detulleo for the Wings. Lucas Drake and Mark Nebus had two assists each for Kalamazoo.

Goaltender Clayton Pool suffered the loss for the Jacks with 37 saves on 41 shots. Jason Tapp was the winning goaltender for the Wings. He stopped 25-of-28 shots.

The loss puts the Lumberjacks back into second place after Port Huron defeated Bloomington.