KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo Wings (6-5-1-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets, poured in three second period goals and cruised to a 4-1 win over the Wheeling Nailers (6-8-0-0) at Wings Event Center Friday.
Raymond Brice had a pair of goals, including the game-winner for Kalamazoo, and Evan Cormier was a brick wall in net once again, making 39 saves in the victory.
Kalamazoo exploded in the second to recapture the lead after Wheeling scored once in the first.
The K-Wings got things going on a power play that carried over from the end of the first. On the play, Coale Norris pushed a rebound into the right side of the Wheeling net to tie the game 1-1 at the 1:23 mark. Collin Saccoman and Mason McCarty assisted on the game-tying mark.
Raymond Brice then gave Kalamazoo the lead off of a great feed from Anthony Collins and Justin Taylor at the 10:07 mark. Taylor allowed a Collins pass to scoot right through his legs onto Brice’s stick, who then used nifty stick work to score the goal.
The K-Wings scored their third goal in the period via a Darby Llewellyn backhanded, top-shelf, rebound cash-in at the 15:03 mark. Norris earned his second point in the game with his initial shot and Paul McAvoy got his first professional assist in the books in his K-Wings debut.
Brice rounded out the scoresheet at the 5:31 mark of the third period, intercepting a bad Wheeling outlet pass between the circles and he sniped a shot into the top-right corner.
For Cormier, it was his fourth consecutive game with at least 24 saves and a save percentage over .910.
Kalamazoo immediately heads to Indianapolis for a matchup with the Indy Fuel (9-4-1-0) Saturday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST.
Broadcast time on 590/106.9 WKZO is 6:35 pm.
THIS REPORT WAS WRITTEN BY CHRIS CADEAU, VOICE OF THE K WINGS
