Kalamazoo stretches streak to 13

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Patrick Asselin scored two goals with two assists from linemate Brady Liesenring as the Kalamazoo Wings (32-20-2-4) stretched their regulation unbeaten streak to 13 games on Sunday afternoon, the longest in the ECHL this season. Asselin scored his 22 and 23 goals of the season against division-rival Cincinnati Cyclones (25-25-6-3) in what started as a defensively-tight game, but ended in a rout for the streaking home team. “We had quite a few struggles early on just trying to tweak the team a little bit and it’s coming together a little bit now as we go down the stretch,” Asselin said.The Cyclones held the K-Wings to nine shots in the first period, not allowing a shot to reach goaltender Chet Pickard until the 10:20 mark. Kalamazoo goaltender Ryan Nie made several impressive stops through the first frame while the rest of his team found their legs and stamina following a rare Saturday off. “We had yesterday off and this was their third game, so these games are always a little bit slower than the games on Thursday and Friday,” Asselin said. “I felt a little bit sluggish in the first, but as soon as I got my legs under me I felt better.” Typical for the match up, minor penalties and major fights dotted the landscape of the game before the K-Wings broke the scoreless tie in the second period.Asselin collected a loose puck into the offensive zone, leaving it at the blue line for defeseman A.J. Thelen. Thelen ripped a slap shot on net, where Asselin collected the rebound and swept the puck behind Pickard. Only minutes later, Kalamazoo defenseman Mitch Versteeg skated to the penalty box for holding. Cincinnati took advantage of the extra skater to tie the game with a goal from Jake Hauswirth. Kalamazoo broke open the game in the third period when forward Andrew Fournier scored his league-leading 33 goal of the season during a power play. The K-Wings went one for six with the man advantage.Only 1:22 later, Asselin scored his second goal of the game during a two-on-one break with Leisenring. “Since Taylor‘s been gone, I’ve been helping out, so I’m still trying to find where I’m supposed to be with [Karlander] and [Asselin]. I’m just trying to get those guys the puck,” Leisenring said. Kalamazoo ranks second in the league with 3.62 goals per game. With just under three minutes to play, the Cyclones turned a power play into a six-on-four advantage by pulling Pickard. The risky play proved fruitless when K-Wings forward Trent Daavettila pocketed the empty net goal with 50 seconds on the clock. Kalamazoo‘s only two losses during the unbeaten streak came in the shootout against the Cyclones on February 23 and the Toldeo Walleye on February 19. Since February 10, the K-Wings have earned 24 out of a possible 26 points. Contact the writer: ryan.loren@prohockeynews.com Photos by Larry.Burdick@prohockeynews.com