TOLEDO OH (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo Wings (3-4-1-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, out gritted the Toledo Walleye (4-3-0-1) and earned their first road win of the season Saturday at the Huntington Center, 3-1.
The game-winning goal came at the 7:51 mark of the third, as Mason McCarty tipped in a blue line shot off the stick of Ryan Cook to give Kalamazoo the 2-1 lead. Coale Norris was credited with the second assist on the goal.
Pavel Cajan’s K-Wings debut was spectacular, earning the game’s second star. Cajan made 30 of 31 stops against the Walleye, including several impressive efforts on point-blank Toledo opportunities. He also nullified a breakaway chance, while Kalamazoo was on the powerplay in the first period to keep the game scoreless.
Kalamazoo scored its first goal on the power play (1-for-4) to tie the game just 3 minutes and 28 seconds after Toledo opened the game’s scoring at the 16:14 mark of the second. On the play, Tyler Irvine scored his first goal as a K-Wing, slamming home a loose puck that was left on the doorstep after McCarty’s initial shot. Olivier LeBlanc earned the second assist on the goal.
The exclamation point came off the stick of Max Humitz at the 19:27 mark of the final frame with the Toledo net vacated, sending home a blue line shot. In the final minutes, the K-Wings defense executed to perfection keeping the Walleye from any sustained pressure. Carson Focht and Irvine assisted Humitz.
Kalamazoo’s penalty kill was a perfect 2-for-2 on the evening, and the K-Wings are now 2-0-1-0 against the Walleye in their first three of 14 matchups this season.
The K-Wings return home for a matinee matchup with the Indy Fuel (5-2-1-0) on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. EST. It’s ‘Camp K-Wings’ and the first 1,000 fans in the door will receive a FREE K-Wings mug. Also, fans skate the ice with the players after the game, with skate rentals available for $3 per person or you can bring your own.
The game will be broadcast on a tape delay on 590/106.9 WKZO, playing immediately following the Lions’ game.
THIS REPORT WAS WRITTEN BY CHRIS CADEAU, VOICE OF THE KALAMAZOO WINGS
