KALAMAZOO, MI — Justin Taylor scored two goals and moved into first place in the Kalamazoo Wings ECHL record book for career points, and the Wings defeated the Adirondack Thunder 6-3 on Sunday at Wings Event Center.
Minutes into the opening period, the Wings were on the receiving end of a fortuitous bounce from long range. Once crossing over center ice, Ben Wilson knuckled the puck towards the goal, sending it dipping off the ice and skipping over the pads of Thunder goalie Mason McDonald.
Later on in the period and outshooting the Thunder handily, the Wings tallied their second of the night. Charlie Vasaturo handled the puck at the center of the blue line and floated a wrist shot through a web of bodies in front of the goal. The puck carved through the series of screens and into the back of the goal for the seventh goal on the season for Vasaturo.
Just 46 seconds into the second period and operating on a power play that carried over from the first, Kalamazoo added to their lead. A long drive from Blake Kessel was re-directed in the high slot by Taylor for his 28th of the season.
Less than four minutes later and on yet another man-advantage try, the Wings benefitted from a series of crisp passes in the attacking end. Taylor was served up on the back door by Eric Kattelus for an easy tap in, marking his second goal of the game.
Adirondack roared right back in the late stages of the second period and rattled off two goals in a matter of twelve seconds. Back-to-back goals from Patch Alber and J.C. Campagna pulled the Thunder to within a pair of goals after two periods of play.
In the first few minutes of period three, the Wings pulled back ahead by three goals after Cam Darcy’s beautiful forehand-to-backhand finish after a feed from Peter Schneider set up the opportunity on the doorstep.
Brett Pollock tried to keep the Thunder competitive in the third period and cashed in on his 13th of the season after slicing through the Kalamazoo defense and breaking in uncontested on Nick Riopel. Pollock’s quick finish cut the Wings’ lead to two.
Sealing the victory with an empty net on the other end, Brian Hart launched a 140 foot drive from his own zone that zipped down the ice and into the unoccupied goal to cap off a 6-3 victory on home ice for Kalamazoo.
After a well deserved rest, Kalamazoo will return to the ice on Friday, March 10th when the Toledo Walleye visit the Wings Events Center for a 7 p.m. contest.
Notes: Taylor passed Sam Ftorek as the Wings’ ECHL franchise record holder in career points with 272… Taylor has 14 multi-point games on the season… Riopel has won 10 of his last 11 starts… Kalamazoo went 6-1-0 in a stretch that featured seven games in ten days… Darcy has nine points in his seven games since being re-assigned to Kalamazoo… Kalamazoo’s six goals tied a season high for most goals in a single game…
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