CINCINNATI, OH – The Kalamazoo Wings (35-29-3-3), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, rode a second-line offensive explosion in an electrifying victory, secured with just 15 seconds remaining, against the Cincinnati Cyclones (35-31-4-1) Friday at Heritage Bank Center, 5-4.
Kalamazoo’s Jackson Kunz (1g, 3a), Nolan Walker (1g, 2a) and Zach Okabe (2g) dominated, accounting for four of the K-Wings’ five goals and eight of the team’s nine points in the nail-biting last-minute victory.
Walker (20) took the game’s initial momentum, firing a shot inside the right post from the slot at the 1:50 mark of the first period. On the play, Kunz (8) won a battle for the puck against the offensive zone endboards and centered a pass to Walker all alone in the slot for the goal.
Zach Okabe (17) kept the momentum rolling with a breakaway dangle and dime, depositing the puck around the left flank of the netminder at the 7:32 mark. On the goal, Walker (28) collected a defensive rebound and led a pass to Okabe at center ice, who broke free and won the 1-on-1 with the goaltender to give the K-Wings a 2-0 advantage.
Colin Bilek (22) kick-started the second frame with a left-circle wrister that found the back of the net at the 4:50 mark. On the setup, Kunz (9) intercepted a neutral zone pass and skated into the high slot before finding Bilek in the left circle for the toe-drag snipe.
Unfortunately, the Cyclones finished the second period with a goal of their own at the 17:07 mark. Cincinnati then hit for a pair of goals to start the third period. The first came at the 4:27 mark on the power play and then even-strength at the 10:01 mark.
Okabe (18) then scored with a net-front chip shot at the 13:32 mark for his first multi-goal performance of the season. On the play, Kunz (10) deflected the puck to a firing Walker (29) in the left circle that rebounded to Okabe at the right edge of the crease.
The Cyclones then tied the game with a goal at the 17:06 mark.
That’s when Kunz (11) called game, finding himself on a 2-on-1 rush before launching the game-winning snipe off the right post with 15 seconds remaining in regulation, skating 4-on-4. On the game-winner, Kunz intercepted a Cincinnati pass at the defensive zone blue line and skated the length of the ice alongside Walker before firing home the unassisted goal to ice a 5-4 victory for the K-Wings.
Aku Koskenvuo (11-10-0-0) was stout between the pipes, making 40 saves in the contest. Kalamazoo went 0-for-1 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Next up, the K-Wings stay in Cincinnati for the season-series finale against the Cyclones at 4:05 p.m. EDT Saturday at Heritage Bank Center.
