IHL 2 Kalamazoo Wings

Kalamazoo Wings Week in Review

Published on February 12, 2007 under International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Kalamazoo Wings News Release


Kalamazoo started the week on the road heading to Hoffman Estates, Illinois to battle the Chicago Hounds. Using constant pressure, Kalamazoo grabbed an early lead with a goal from Tyler Willis (5) midway through the opening period. Special teams helped the K-Wings extend the lead. Kory Karlander moved within three points of 500 in his career by tickling the twine for a team high 27th goal this season. With just 13 seconds remaining in the first, Chicago cut the deficit to 2-1, when Steve Cygan (11) crashed the net and tipped a rebound past goaltender Tom Askey. Proving the Hounds could be attack dogs, Chicago registered three unanswered goals in the second period, including two from forward Tim Plett (5,6), to take a 4-2 lead. Goaltender Marty Magers turned away all 19 shots he faced in the final stanza, part of 37 save effort, to close the door on the K-Wings 4-2.

The K-Wings completed a three-game road trip on Friday (2/9) in Fort Wayne against their archrivals, the Komets. Special teams engaged both successful scoring chances in the opening 20 minutes of play. Karlander (28) connected on a power-play slap shot from just inside the right circle 12:39 into the period to give Kalamazoo a 1-0 lead. Three minutes later, Komets Guy Dupuis (7) trickled a shot along the right wall past goaltender Ryan Nie to knot the contest at 1-1. Fort Wayne's J.C. Ruid propelled the Komets ahead in the second period, swatting in his team leading 29th goal of the season. Kalamazoo pulled even midway through the second as Jason Lawmaster scored his fifth of the season on a Nick Bootland rebound. David Hukalo (13) regained the lead for the Komets in the third period scoring from a wrist shot from the right circle. Capitalizing on a bounce, Willis (6) skated around Dupuis and flung the puck in the low slot to Bootland (27), who deflected it past Kevin St. Pierre to tie the game at 3-3. Fort Wayne stormed back with a power-play goal from Martin Gascon (16) to take a 4-3 lead with eight minutes remaining in the game. Showing resiliency, Kalamazoo with the goalie pulled, tied the contest at 4-4 with Lawmaster's (6) second of the night with 1:39 remaining in regulation which forced the battle into a shootout. Fort Wayne edged out Kalamazoo in the extra session, out scoring the K-Wings 2-1 and going onto win the encounter 5-4.

With aspirations of snapping a season high five-game winless streak (0-3-2), Kalamazoo returned home on Saturday (2/10) to battle the Port Huron Flags. After a scoreless opening period, Kalamazoo registered twice on the power-play. Willis continued his dominance over the Flags by scoring his sixth of the season 11:32 into the period. The tally marked the eighth point in the past three games against Port Huron for Willis. With under a minute remaining in the second, Lucas Drake (12) roofed a wrist shot over Port Huron's Dustin Traylen to extend the K-Wings lead to 2-0. Kalamazoo tacked on the final nail in Flags coffin, with a power-play goal by Joe Markusen (3) with 39 seconds remaining in the game. Karlander assisted on Markusen's tally to record his 500th career point. Goaltender Ryan Nie stopped all 21 shots he faced to procure the shutout and the 3-0 victory for Kalamazoo.

Kalamazoo wrapped up the week on Sunday (2/11) with an afternoon tilt against Fort Wayne. Just as the case was on Friday, special teams played a pivotal role in the first period. Daniel Goneau recorded his 14th goal of the season on a 5-3 power-play. Fort Wayne extended their 1-0 lead into the second, scoring twice in the period. Down 3-0, Kalamazoo answered back with less than three minutes left in the stanza with a lamp lighter from Karlander (29). In the third, Jeff Brown capitalized off a Komets' turnover scoring his fourth of the season, but the tally wouldn't be enough, as the Komets escaped with a 3-2 victory over the K-Wings.

Fast Forward

Kalamazoo hits the ice three times this week beginning on Wednesday (2/14), as the K-Wings wrap up a three-game homestand against the Elmira Jackals during the 7th Annual Borgess Pink Ice Game presented by WKFR and WOTV. The K-Wings are 3-1-0 against the Jackals this season; however, Elmira defeated Kalamazoo 5-3 in their last encounter back on January 27th. Elmira sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, three points behind Flint for third and seven ahead of Port Huron for last place.

On Friday (2/16), Kalamazoo goes on the road to face-off against the Port Huron Flags. Kalamazoo defeated Port Huron last Saturday to raise their season record against the Flags to 6-2-1. Kalamazoo heads to Port Huron looking to snap a four-game road winless streak (0-3-1). The K-Wings last road victory occurred January 20th against the Flags.

Kalamazoo concludes the week on Saturday (2/17) with a date in Flint against the Generals. Kalamazoo is 4-3-0 against the Flint, who starts the week in third place in the Eastern Conference. The Generals defeated the K-Wings 5-2 in the team's last encounter back on January 21st in Flint.

Team Leaders: Kalamazoo Wings

Goals: Kory Karlander, Nick Bootland (28 Goals)

Assists: Glenn Detulleo (29 Assists)

Points: Kory Karlander (56 Points)

+/-: Scott Dobben (+11)

Penalty Minutes: Tyler Willis (113 Minutes)

Power Play Goals: Kory Karlander (14 Goals)

Short Handed Goals: Kory Karlander, Nick Bootland (4 Goals)

Game Winning Goals: Nick Bootland (6 GW)

Shots: Nick Bootland (24.7 Shots)

Shooting Percentage: Kory Karlander (14.6%)

Shootout Goals: Nick Bootland (5 Goals)

Shootout Percentage: Mark Versteeg-Lytwyn (71.4%)

Goals Against Average: Tom Askey (2.61)

Save Percentage: Ryan Nie (0.914)

Shutting the Door

Goaltender Ryan Nie denied all 21 shots he faced last Saturday to record his second shutout of the season. Both of Nie's shutouts have come against the Flags. In fact, three of the K-Wings five shutouts this year have been against Port Huron.

Pretty in Pink

A tradition continues this Wednesday night, as the K-Wings host the Elmira Jackals during the 7th Annual Borgess Pink Ice Game Presented by WKFR and WOTV. Kalamazoo is 3-3-0 all-time on Pink Ice.

Winning the Close Ones

Kalamazoo has found a way to win close games this season. The K-Wings are 10-4-5 in games decided by a single goal.

Chasing a Record

Forward Kory Karlander is nearing a K-Wings record. With 29 power-play goals in his K-Wings UHL career, Karlander needs just two more man advantage goals to tie the record currently held by Randy Holmes (31), who played for Kalamazoo from 1999-2002.

The Obscure Stat of the Week

The game following a shutout hasn't been kind for the K-Wings. So far this season, Kalamazoo is 1-4-0 in a contest following a shutout.

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 UHL 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, photos, information about Wings Stadium events, and much much more. Fans of myspace can befriend the official site of Wings Stadium and the Kalamazoo Wings at www.myspace.com/wingsstadium.

Askey and Toneys on the Radio

Come see special guests Tom Askey and Nick Toneys, as they join Head Coach Mark Reeds and the Voice of the K-Wings, Mike Modugno on "K-Wings Live". The show is on Sports Radio AM 1660 Mondays from 6-7 PM at The Cabana Bar and Grille 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 (WLKM 95.9 FM and Sports Radio AM 1660). Join the Voice of the K-Wings, Mike Modugno for all 76 regular season games plus the playoffs. Pre-game coverage begins with the Digital Highway 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

Wednesday, February 14th Vs Elmira 7:00 PM (7th Annual Borgess Pink Ice Game Presented by WKFR and WOTV)

Friday, February 16th @ Port Huron 7:30 PM

Saturday, February 17th @ Flint 7:30 PM

Wednesday, February 21st Vs Rockford 10:30 AM (Education Day #1 Presented by American Village Builders and Culver's)

Check out the Kalamazoo Wings Statistics

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International Hockey League 2 Stories from February 12, 2007


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