WHEELING, WV – Following a 4-2 win Saturday over the Wheeling Nailers (13-11-4-0), the Kalamazoo Wings (9-14-3-0) enter the holiday break riding back-to-back victories against division foes during a four-point weekend.
Kalamazoo’s power play got things going early, when Justin Taylor tipped a point shot from Kyle Blaney past goaltender Emil Larmi on a 5-on-3 man advantage. The K-Wings have scored at least one power play goal in six of their last eight games, and they were not done yet.
After the Nailers answered with a backhand goal from Nick Saracino that flew over the glove of Jake Hildebrand, Kalamazoo scored its second power play goal of the opening period, when Zach Frye fired a one-timer from the point through traffic and into the net.
The K-Wings outshot Wheeling 18-6 in the opening frame, and kept things going through a scoreless second period. Larmi was the busier goaltender again in the middle stanza, stopping all 11 shots, while Hildebrand turned away all nine he saw. Kalamazoo carried its 2-1 lead into the third.
A neutral zone takeaway led to Kalamazoo’s third goal as Friday night’s overtime hero, Matheson Iacopelli, ripped a wrist shot past Larmi from between the circles to make it 3-1 with 8:09 remaining in regulation. That insurance goal turned out to be the game-winner, as Wheeling answered 1:26 later with its second goal scored by Marc-Olivier Duquette. The K-Wings nailed down the win, when Blaney completed a Gordie Howe Hat Trick with an empty-net goal, after assisting on a first period goal and fighting Ryan Scarfo in the second period.
Hildebrand stopped 24 of 26 shots for his fifth win of the season, while the K-Wings generated 40 shots at the other end.
The K-Wings return from holiday break next Friday at 7 p.m. against the Indy Fuel at Wings Event Center. Kalamazoo then hosts the Fort Wayne Komets next Saturday at 7 p.m. for the Wings’ Affiliation Night at Wings Event Center.
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