KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings (21-20-3-3), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, iced the game in an overtime thriller, outlasting the Indy Fuel (22-17-7-1) on Friday at Wings Event Center, 4-3.
Zach Okabe (12) sniped the bar-down game winner 4:40 into overtime. On the game-winner, Quinn Preston (26) out-battled defenders against the left-wing boards and launched a loose puck to an awaiting Okabe in the slot, extending his personal point streak to nine games.
The Fuel took the early advantage, scoring a goal at the 2:45 mark of the first.
Andre Ghantous (12) answered with a net front power-play chip to even the score at one at the 11:25 mark. On the goal, Colin Bilek (13) sent a pass from the left dot to Nolan Walker (20) on the right point. Walker then zipped a pass to a waiting Ghantous at the left edge of the crease for the goal.
Powell Connor (2) then gave the K-Wings their first lead of the game, backhanding the puck through the netminder’s pads at the 18:26 mark of the second period. On the play, Josh Bloom (9) dished the puck from center ice to a rushing Ryan Cox (7), who centered to a driving Connor before the defenseman put it home in the crease.
The captain Collin Saccoman (4) then fired a bomb from the top of the right circle that found the back of the net at the 12:00 mark of the third frame. On the setup, Hunter Strand (12) found Quinn Preston (25) in the slot, who diced up the defense and sent a beautiful feed through the legs of a defender to Saccoman for the goal.
Unfortunately, Indy responded with a pair of goals at 13:20 and 19:10 (extra-attacker) to knot the score at three and send the game to overtime.
Tyriq Outen (4-1-0-1) was stout in net, making 31 saves. The K-Wings went 1-for-2 on the power play, 1-for-1 on the penalty kill and took a 39-34 shot advantage in the contest.
