ECHL Kalamazoo Wings

K-Wings Weekly

Published on November 7, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Kalamazoo Wings News Release


Game Rewind

Friday, November 4th @ Wheeling (Kalamazoo 6-Wheeling 5)

Wheeling, WV- The two top teams in the ECHL's Eastern Conference battled on Friday night and the dust settled the Kalamazoo Wings (5-1-0-0) outlasted the Wheeling Nailers 6-5 and in the process handed the Nailers (5-1-0-0) their first loss of the season.

Entering Friday night, Wheeling averaged a league-best 4.40 goals-a-game, while Kalamazoo was second in ECHL averaging 4.00 goals-a-night. With the two highest scoring teams in the ECHL squaring off, it should have come to a surprise to no one that the first period had its fair share of lamp-lighters.

Needing only 1:17 to register on the scoreboard, Kalamazoo took the early lead when Dean Strong (1st) lifted a backhander over the shoulder of Patrick Killeen.

Responding 28 seconds later, Wheeling knotted the contest with a blue line slap shot from Nick Plastino (2nd).

Following a Wheeling penalty midway into the period, Kalamazoo took advantage with a power-play marker from Sam Ftorek (1st), who extended his point streak to four games with the tally. Patrick Asselin, who earned a secondary assist on the goal, extended his point streak to five-games with the point.

Just 13 seconds following Ftorek's go-ahead goal, Kory Karlander (2nd) extend the K-Wings lead to 3-1 with a wrister just below the circles.

The Nailers cut the lead to a single goal late in the period with a power-play tally from Zack Torquota (2nd). After Riley Gill stopped an initial Zach Hansen slap shot, Torquota jammed in the rebound.

The scoring barrage kept going in the second period, as Asselin netted his team-leading sixth goal of the season with a five-on-three power-play marker 6:16 into the period.

For the second-time in tonight's game, the Nailers responded to a K-Wings goal less than a minute later (52 seconds), this time with a shorthanded breakaway tally from Denver Manderson (1st).

Kalamazoo's special teams kept lighting the lamp in the stanza as Brandon Svendsen (5th) and Trent Daavettila (1st) each netter power-play goals 10 seconds apart in the period to push the K-Wings lead to 6-3.

Assisting on each of the goals were Asselin and Mike Matczak. Asselin's helpers gave him a game-high of four points, while Matczak, who was making his K-Wings debut, earned his first two points as a professional.

In the third period, the Nailers made the game close with goals from Plastino (3rd) and Mikael Bedard (4th), but in the end it was the K-Wings that hung on to the one goal victory to extend their winning streak to three games.

Saturday, November 5th @ Elmira (Elmira 4-Kalamazoo 2)

Elmira, NY- Two of the more prolific scoring teams in the ECHL tangled in a defensive battle, as the Elmira Jackals defeated the Kalamazoo Wings 4-2 Saturday night at the First Arena.

Neither team was able to generate any offense in the first period of play. Kalamazoo outshot Elmira, who didn't get a shot on goal until 8:11 remaining in the period, 11-4 in the opening stanza.

The only power-play chance in the first period was created on a penalty by Elmira's Kyle Reeds, who is the son of former K-Wings head coach and current Ottawa Senators assistant coach Mark Reeds.

Capitalizing on both of their power-play chances in the second period, Elmira jumped ahead 2-0. Evan Barlow (5th) earned his team-best third goal with a man-advantage knocking in a rebound 2:16 into the middle stanza.

Eight minutes later, Mike Radja extended the Jackals lead registering his fifth-goal of the season on a power-play rebound that laid to the left of Riley Gill.

Kalamazoo cut the deficit in half late in the period, when Justin Taylor pushed a pass from between the circles to Taylor Ellington (1st), who skated up the left wing and beat Timo Pielmeier with a quick wrister.

Barlow (6th) regained a two-goal lead for Elmira midway in the third period, finishing on a Dustin Gazley give-and-go pass.

Not going down without a fight, Kalamazoo's Dean Strong (2nd) scored with 10.7 seconds to go to cut the lead back to a single goal; however, Jean Bourbeau (2nd) tacked on an empty-netter with 2.7 seconds remaining to close out the scoring.

The Jackals victory ended a four-game losing streak, as well as snaped a three-game winning streak for the K-Wings.

Sunday, November 6th Vs Chicago (Kalamazoo 7-Chicago 2)

Kalamazoo, MI- Led by a strong special team effort, which generated five goals, the Kalamazoo Wings gained sole possession of first place in the North Division with a 7-2 victory over the Chicago Express.

Kalamazoo struck first as Dean Strong notched his third on the season when he blasted home a rebound off a Joe Charlebois wrister from the point. The goal was the third in as many games for Strong, who extended his active point streak to five games.

Just under three minutes later, Kalamazoo would add to their one-goal lead. Patrick Asselin scored his team leading seventh of the season when he jammed in a second-chance opportunity from the right wing. Trent Daavettila added an assist on the tally, leaving him one away from 100 in his professional career and extending his point streak to five games, which ties him with Asselin and Daavettila for the team season-high.

Chicago only needed 51 seconds of the second period to elapse before they found the score sheet for the first time on the afternoon. Kyle Ostrow netted his third of the season (all against Kalamazoo) when he buried a rebound chance at the top of the crease.

Just after the five minute mark of the second period, and being released from the penalty box for his hooking minor, Brandon Svendsen received a rink-long stretch pass from Kory Karlander and got behind the Chicago defense for a shorthanded breakaway. His deke to the backhand was good enough to beat Express goalie, Rob Nolan.

While working on their second power play of the game, the K-Wings would find the back of the net for the fourth time on the afternoon. Justin Taylor let a rocket of a wrister go from the top of the right circle that beat the glove of Nolan and lit the lamp. The goal was the fourth on 16 Kalamazoo shots, enough for Chicago to pull Nolan in favor of Paul Dainton.

Five minutes into the third period and trailing by three, Chicago decided to clog the crease area and create traffic in front of Zapolski. It proved to be beneficial for the Express as they tallied their second of the afternoon with Tyler Johnson's first of the season and first of his career.

The common theme of the game was creating traffic in front of the net. Svendsen reaped the benefits of a clogged slot area when he scored his second goal of the night on a rebound opportunity off a Daavettila shot. The primary assist was credited to Daavettila, as it was his 100th career helper.

Mike Matczak added his first of the season with less than five minutes to go when he tickled the twine on the power play. The goal was his first of his professional career. The goal extended his three game point streak (1g, 3a).

It was an afternoon of firsts at Wings Stadium, as Nick Sirota scored his first goal of the season in his first game of the season when he blasted a quick wrist shot from between the circles that beat the glove of Dainton.

In his first professional regular season game, goaltender Ryan Zapolski was brilliant making 29 saves to earn the victory.

Fast Forward

Kalamazoo will continue their three-game home stand with the middle leg this Friday, November 11th, as the K-Wings host the Trenton Titans on Military Appreciation Night, presented by SportClips Haircuts. The K-Wings are offering special prices tickets for their Veteran's Day game to any Military, Police, Fire or EMT's with proper ID. November 11th is also a Frugal Fan Friday, featuring $1 Beer's and $1 Hot Dogs. This will be the very first meeting between the K-Wings and Titans, who start the week in fourth place in the Atlantic Division.

The K-Wings will conclude the home stand this Saturday, November 12th with a 7:30 p.m. face-off versus the Chicago Express during Scout Night and a Saturday "Celebrity" Series, featuring Kalamazoo's very own fishing icon, Kevin Van Dam. Chicago is in second place in the North Division, two points behind Kalamazoo. On the season, the K-Wings are 2-1-0-0 versus the Express.

Team Leaders: Kalamazoo Wings

Goals: Patrick Asselin, Brandon Svendsen (7 Goals)

Assists: Trent Daavettila (11 Assists)

Points: Brandon Svendsen (12 Points)

+/-: Sam Ftorek, Joe Sova (+8)

Penalty Minutes: Darryl Bootland (51 Minutes)

Power Play Goals: Brandon Svendsen (4 Goals)

Short Handed Goals: Brandon Svendsen, Justin Taylor (1 Goal)

Game Winning Goals: Brandon Svendsen (3 GW)

Shots: Brandon Svendsen (26 Shots)

Shooting Percentage: Nick Sirota (50%)

Overtime Goals: Entire Team (0 Goals)

Shootout Goals: Entire Team (0 Goals)

Shootout Percentage: Entire Team (0.0%)

Goals Against Average: Ryan Zapolski (2.00)

Save Percentage: Ryan Zapolski (0.935)

Home Sweet Home

The K-Wings have loved playing at home this season. So far this season, the K-Wings are 4-0-0-0 at Wings Stadium.

Nearing the Century Mark

Forward Patrick Asselin is closing in on impressive milestone. Asselin needs only one more assist to reach 100 for his career.

Scoring in Bunches

Kalamazoo has four players (Patrick Asselin, Trent Daavettila, Kory Karlander and Brandon Svendsen) that have reached 10 or more points this season. The four players gives the K-Wings the most double-digit scores in the ECHL.

Streaking Along

Forwards Trent Daavettila and Dean Strong each enter the week on K-Wings' season-high tying five-game point streaks. Strong is also riding a season-high three-game goal streak.

The Obscure Stat of the Week

Being outshot by their opponents hasn't been a bad thing for the K-Wings. So far this season, Kalamazoo is 4-0-0-0 when they finish a game with less shots than their opposition.

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 the team's brand new website at www.kwings.com . The site has player profiles, video on your hometown team, and much, much more.

Bootland and Strong on the Radio

Join special guests Darryl Bootland and Dean Strong as they join Head Coach Nick Bootland and the "Voice of the K-Wings" Mike Modugno this Monday on "K-Wings Live". The show is on The Classic Hits Station WLKM (95.9 FM) and online through www.kwings.com from 6-7 p.m. at Old Burdick's Wings West.

K-Wings on Radio

Catch all the K-Wings games, home and away, on the K-Wings Radio Network (95.9 FM WLKM & 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

Friday, November 11th Vs Trenton 7:30 PM (Frugal Fan Friday and Military Appreciation Day, Presented by SportClips Haircuts and WRKR)

Saturday, November 12th Vs Chicago 7:30 PM (Scout Night and a Saturday "Celebrity" Series featuring Fishing Legend Kevin Van Dam)

Wednesday, November 16th @ Trenton 7:00 PM

Friday, November 18th @ Elmira 7:35 PM

Saturday, November 19th @ Elmira 7:35 PM

Check out the Kalamazoo Wings Statistics

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ECHL Stories from November 7, 2011


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