K-Wings drub Nailers, 4-1

KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings (6-5-1-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, poured in three second period goals and cruised to a 4-1 win over the Wheeling Nailers (6-8-0-0) at Wings Event Center Friday.

Raymond Brice (3,4) had a pair of goals, including the game-winner for Kalamazoo, and Evan Cormier (5-3-1-0) was a brick wall in net once again, making 39 saves in the victory.

Kalamazoo exploded in the second to recapture the lead after Wheeling scored once in the first.

The K-Wings got things going on a power play that carried over from the end of the first. On the play, Coale Norris (2) pushed a rebound into the right side of the Wheeling net to tie the game 1-1 at the 1:23 mark. Collin Saccoman (2) and Mason McCarty (6) assisted on the game-tying mark.

Raymond Brice (3) then gave Kalamazoo the lead off of a great feed from Anthony Collins (1) and Justin Taylor (4) at the 10:07 mark. Taylor allowed a Collins pass to scoot right through his legs onto Brice’s stick, who then used nifty stick work to score the goal.

The K-Wings scored their third goal in the period via a Darby Llewellyn (2) backhanded, top-shelf, rebound cash-in at the 15:03 mark. Norris (2) earned his second point in the game with his initial shot and Paul McAvoy (1) got his first professional assist in the books in his K-Wings debut.

Brice (4) rounded out the scoresheet at the 5:31 mark of the third period, intercepting a bad Wheeling outlet pass between the circles and he sniped a shot into the top-right corner.

For Cormier, it was his fourth consecutive game with at least 24 saves and a save percentage over .910.

Kalamazoo immediately heads to Indianapolis for a matchup with the Indy Fuel (9-4-1-0) Saturday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST.

With Kalamazoo Wings