Countdown to Face-Off
Published on April 25, 2009 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Kalamazoo Wings News Release
Prepared for their biggest game of the season, the Kalamazoo Wings head back to Wings Stadium for game six of the best-of-seven Turner Cup Semi-Finals versus the Fort Wayne Komets. The Komets regained the series lead at three games to two with a 3-2 overtime victory last night in Fort Wayne.
Facing elimination, the K-Wings return home, where Wings Stadium has been a safe haven. Dating back to the 2006-07 season, Kalamazoo has won six straight playoff games at Wings Stadium, including two game six victories, which avoided eliminations.
On the verge of earning their second straight trip to the Turner Cup Finals, Fort Wayne jumped ahead in the series with an overtime tally from Justin Hodgman. Last season's playoff MVP, Hodgman recorded the cup-clinching goal in overtime as well.
Team Playoff Leaders: Kalamazoo Wings Fort Wayne Komets
Goals Lucas Drake (3 Goals) Mathieu Curadeau, (4 Goals)
Assists Dominic Osman (3 Assists) Sean O'Connor (4 Assists)
Points Justin Cross, Lucas Drake Mathieu Curadeau (6 Points)
Mark Nebus, Dominic Osman (3 Points)
+/- Chris Trick (+3) Sean O'Connor (+4)
Penalty Minutes Blair Stayzer (18 Minutes) Colin Chaulk (12 Minutes)
Power Play Goals Lucas Drake (3 Goals) Mathieu Curadeau (4 Goals)
Short Handed Goals Entire Team (0 Goals) Entire Team (0 Goals)
Game Winning Goals John Glavota, Mark Nebus (1 GW) Justin Hodgman, David Hukalo,
Rick Varone (1 GW)
Shots: Rick Cleaver (24 Shots) Sean O'Connor (31 Shots)
Overtime Goals Mark Nebus (1 Goal) Justin Hodgman (1 Goal)
Shooting Percentage: John Glavota (20.0%) Keith Rodger (20.0%)
Goals Against Average: Joel Martin (1.94) Nick Boucher (1.58)
Save Percentage: Joel Martin (0.957) Nick Boucher (0.950)
All-Time/ Season Series
All-Time Playoff Series: K-Wings Trial All-Time IHL Playoff Series: 15-16
Playoff Best of Seven Series: K-Wings Trail Best of Seven Series Three Games to Two
Last Meeting: K-Wings Lost 3-2 in Overtime on April 24th @ Allen County Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, IN
Next Meeting: Tuesday, April 28th @ Allen County Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, IN (Game Seven, If Necessary)
Power Surge
Forward Lucas Drake has tickled the twine three times in the playoffs, all of which were on the power-play. The three man-advantage tallies places Drake in second behind Fort Wayne's Mathieu Curadeau (4) for most power-play goals in the playoffs.
A Trio at Two
K-Wing forwards Justin Cross, Mark Nebus and defenseman Rob Jarvis enter the night on two-game point streaks. Nebus is also riding a two-game assist streak.
Facing Elimination
In their 35-year history, the K-Wings are 15-20 (IHL: 9-17, UHL: 6-3) in elimination games and 8-11 (IHL: 4-11, UHL: 4-0) with their season on the line at home. In their four previous playoff appearances, which date back to the 2003-04 season, the K-Wings are 6-3 in elimination games and a 4-0 at Wing Stadium.
Home Cooking
Shutting out the Komets 2-0 last Wednesday, in game four, the K-Wings continued their playoff success at home. Dating back to the 2006-07 season, Kalamazoo has won their last six playoff contests at Wings Stadium.
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 IHL 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.
K-Wings Live
Join Head Coach Nick Bootland and the "Voice of the K-Wings" Mike Modugno on "K-Wings Live". The show is on The Classic Hits Station WLKM (95.9 FM) and online through the B-2 Networks through www.kwings.com from 7-8 p.m. at Old Burdick's Bar and Grill inside the Holiday Inn Kalamazoo on South 11th Street.
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 76 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
*Tuesday, April 28th @ Fort Wayne 7:30 PM (Turner Cup Playoffs: Semi-Finals, Game Seven)
(* Denotes Games that Will Only Be Played If Necessary)
International Hockey League 2 Stories from April 25, 2009
- Lumberjacks Win Series 4-2 To Advance To Turner Cup Finals - Port Huron Icehawks
- Komets Rally to Eliminate K-Wings 5-3 in Game Six of Turner Cup Semi-Final - Kalamazoo Wings
- Fort Wayne and Muskegon advance to Turner Cup finals - IHL 2
- Countdown to Face-Off - Kalamazoo Wings
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