CINCINNATI, OH – The Kalamazoo Wings (15-15-2-2), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, erased a 3-goal deficit with three consecutive goals of their own in an electrifying, back-and-forth, 6-5 beating of the Cincinnati Cyclones (16-14-3-0) Monday at Heritage Bank Center.
Kalamazoo’s 2026 All-Star Zach Okabe (9) tallied a high slot wrister for the game-winning goal with 2:40 remaining in regulation. On the go-ahead, Quinn Preston (18) won a left circle faceoff, sending the puck to Okabe, who skated above the slot and sealed the game.
Preston (1g, 2a), in his 200th career ECHL game, was one of five K-Wings to record multiple points along with Okabe (1g, 2a), Hunter Strand (2g), Jayden Lee (1g, 1a), and Colin Bilek (2a).
Cincinnati struck first with a goal at the 1:21 mark of the first period, but Kishaun Gervais (3) responded with his first goal for Kalamazoo at the 5:50 mark. On the play, Bilek (5) passed to a firing Todd Skirving (3) above the left circle. Gervais then collected the rebound that caromed off the netminder’s left pad and sent it inside the left post from the edge of the crease to knot the game at one.
Unfortunately, the Cyclones responded with two goals at the 16:09 and 17:16 marks. Cincinnati then scored again at the 10:02 mark of the second frame, bringing the score to 4-1.
Strand (10) then took advantage of a power-play opportunity and an out-of-position goaltender, lifting a blind-side shot into the top shelf at the 13:39 mark to cut the deficit to two. On the goal, Okabe (16) fired a left-circle pass to Preston (17) on the goal line. Preston’s attempt from the crease sparked an eight-player scrum, and the puck slipped through to Strand at the right-edge of the crease, where he quickly buried it.
Strand (11) started the third period by snapping home a beautiful backhanded shot from the top of the crease to bring the K-Wings within striking distance at the 2:33 mark. Bilek (6) was credited with the lone assist and his second helper of the day.
Kalamazoo then scored its second power play goal of the game to even the game at four, as Lee (4) rushed the length of the ice and sniped a backhander inside the right post at the 9-minute mark. On the play, Jonathan Lemieux (1) picked up his second career ECHL assist, as the netminder left the puck for Lee behind the Kalamazoo net, and the defenseman went coast-to-coast.
Cincinnati responded with its first power-play goal at the 14:44 mark to regain the lead.
However, the K-Wings would respond just 53 seconds later on the power play, as Preston (11) undressed the goaltender down low and wrapped it inside the right post for the equalizer at the 15:37 mark. On the setup, Okabe (17) went low-to-high to Lee (12) from the left wing corner, who then relayed the puck to Preston out front for a season-high third power play strike of the game.
Lemieux (4-4-1-2) was stout between the pipes, making 26 saves in the Monday matinee. The K-Wings took the shot total 40-31, were 3-for-6 on the power play and went 4-for-5 on the penalty kill.
Next up, Kalamazoo stays on the road for a matchup against the Toledo Walleye, at 7:15 p.m EST on Friday, January 23, at Huntington Center
You must be logged in to post a comment.