KALAMAZOO- Last Saturday it was 200 area children from the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and the K-Wings Kidz Club that made the Wings Stadium ice into the largest art canvas; one week later it was Kalamazoo Wings goaltender Joel Martin that had a masterpiece of his own. Earning 29 saves, Martin rewrote K-Wings ECHL history by recording his sixth all-time shutout in a 3-0 victory over the Cincinnati Cyclones during Kids Paint the Ice Night presented by the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.
Jumping out early, the K-Wings lit the lamp with a Dane Fox (7th) deflection. Eric Kattelus found space across the blue line and fired a shot towards the net that Fox was able to change the puck’s direction with the end of his stick. Nathan Longpre also picked up an assist on the tally; both he and Kattelus extended their point streaks to five games with the assists.
Coming into Saturday, the Cyclones outscored their opponents 41-17 this season in the second period, but the K-Wings continued to apply the pressure in middle frame. Matt Caria (7th) put the K-Wings up by two goals midway through the stanza. Ludwig Blomstrand found Curtis Valk streaking through the neutral zone, creating a two-on-one with Caria. Valk completed cross-rink pass to Caria for the one-timer.
Kalamazoo tacked on a late goal with an empty-netter from Blomstrand (7th).
The victory gives the K-Wings a season-long three-game winning streak. With the win, Martin earned his second shutout of the season. Besides rewriting K-Wings ECHL history with his sixth shutout, it was also his 21st overall shutout and the 16th in a K-Wings uniform (ECHL, UHL, IHL).
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