KALAMAZOO, MI – Twenty-one seconds into overtime is all it took for Justin Taylor to strike, extending the Kalamazoo Wings (11-14-3-0) winning streak to four games with a 3-2 victory over the Fort Wayne Komets (15-10-5-0) Friday at Wings Event Center.
The teams skated through a scoreless first period with Kalamazoo outshooting Fort Wayne 11-7. Dylan Sadowy appeared to score on a wraparound late in the frame, but after video review, there was no way to tell if the entire puck crossed the goal line.
Fort Wayne dominated the second period with 25 shots on goal, but K-Wings goaltender Jake Kielly stopped 24 of them to keep the game within reach. Anthony Petruzzelli snuck a shot past Kielly with 7:12 left in the frame to put the Komets in front 1-0 heading into the third.
Kalamazoo made the most of a 5-on-3 power play early in the final stanza. Matheson Iacopelli picked off a clearing attempt in the slot and spoiled Dylan Ferguson’s shutout 4:23 into the period to tie the game at 1-1. Then as the second Komets penalty expired, Iacopelli set up Taylor for a tap-in from the half wall to the edge of the crease, putting the K-Wings in front 2-1 just 53 seconds later.
The Komets answered, though, with a late power play goal by Jason Binkley out of a scramble in front, tying the score at 2-2 with 4:11 left in regulation to force overtime.
Taylor wasted no time in the extra session, firing a wrist shot from the high slot past Ferguson just 21 seconds in for his second of the game and second overtime goal of the season. Kielly finished with 42 saves in the win, his third 40-plus save performance of the season.
The K-Wings travel to Fort Wayne Sunday for a rematch with the Komets at 5 p.m. at Memorial Coliseum. Catch all the action on 1660AM The Fan or ECHL TV, with pregame coverage starting at 4:40 p.m.
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