IHL 2 Kalamazoo Wings

Detulleo's Last Minute Goal Lifts K-Wings Over Generals

Published on March 6, 2009 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Kalamazoo Wings News Release


Kalamazoo, MI - The 2008-2009 Kalamazoo Wings have made habits out of comeback wins and beating the Flint Generals.

Friday night at Wings Stadium, they combined the two and produced a victory that won't soon be forgotten.

The K-Wings, trailing 4-1 to begin the third period, scored four unanswered goals, the last by Glenn Detulleo with 1:01 left, to stun the Generals 5-4. Kalamazoo is now 11-1-0-0 against Flint this season and a perfect 6-0 at home.

After Tommy Lange (18th) slipped a loose puck under Generals goalie Chad Alban during a power play to tie the score at 15:45, Detulleo and rookie defenseman Rob Jarvis worked a pretty give-and-go for the go-ahead score.

Intercepting an errant Flint pass in his own zone, Detulleo rushed back in a three-on-two rush with Jarvis to his right. The Kalamazoo captain then skated to the right circle and one-timed the return pass to the back of the net for his 22nd of the season and team-leading sixth game-winner.

The K-Wings got back into the game with two scores in the opening 3:11 of the third. Lucas Drake's slapshot ticked off a Generals stick and past Alban at 1:29 for his 23rd, then Trent Daavettila, playing his second game with Kalamazoo, jammed his first professional goal by the right post to make it 4-3.

A three-game losing streak and a two-game skid on home ice both ended for Kalamazoo, which moved to within two points of third-place Fort Wayne. Flint has now lost five straight on the road and four in a row overall.

Perhaps the K-Wings underestimated their last place opponent, because the Generals were first to most of the loose pucks after a tentative start. That aggressiveness paid off in the form of a pair of goals from right in front of the Kalamazoo net.

Former Lumberjack Maxime Lincourt (17th) opened the scoring at 10:37 of the first when he directed an AJ Bozoian cross-rink pass into the cage from near the right post. The tally came with the Generals' Paul Holder in the penalty box, Flint's eighth shorthanded goal of the season.

With less than three minutes to go in the frame, Jeff Zehr (17th) caught Kalamazoo goalie Joel Martin leaning the wrong way and slipped a wraparound between his legs for a stunning 2-0 Generals lead after 20 minutes. It was Zehr's first goal in seven games with Flint; the veteran started the season in Port Huron.

Looking for a good start to the second period, the K-Wings got it courtesy of a harmless-looking Rod Aldoff point shot. Lange (17th), who had won the faceoff straight back to Aldoff, drove the net and finessed the rebound around Alban to cut the deficit to one goal. Aldoff's assist was the 299th of his pro career, along with his 399th point.

The pace of the game picked up after it became 2-1, and Kalamazoo seemed poised to tie the score. However, a play following a faceoff would go Flint's way this time, helping the visitors regain their two-goal advantage.

After a neutral-zone draw, Generals leading scorer Greg Bullock (21st) picked off a pass at the K-Wings line, glided to the top of the right circle and rifled a wrister into the top-right corner of the goal at 9:22.

The mountain got a little steeper for Kalamazoo at 18:01 courtesy of Joel Gasper (6th), who banged his own rebound home while Flint was shorthanded for a 4-1 score through two periods. Bullock earned the only assist, his third point of the evening.

For Game Stats: http://pointstreak.com/prostats/gamesheet_full.html?gameid=735833

The K-Wings will conclude their three-game home stand tomorrow night (03/07) with a 7:30 p.m. face-off versus the Fort Wayne Komets on Nulty/Grange Insurance Night.

Single-game tickets for any of the K-Wings 38 regular season home games are currently on sale at the Wings Stadium Ticket Office. Ticket Office hours are Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information, call Wings Stadium Ticket Office during regular business hours at (269) 345-5101.

Check out the Kalamazoo Wings Statistics

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International Hockey League 2 Stories from March 6, 2009


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