WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
KALAMAZOO, MI – The Kalamazoo Wings (19-20-4-1) celebrated Hockey Heritage Week in style this weekend. After a week long celebration for the ECHL which was headlined by a two-day visit from the Stanley Cup, ECHL Hall of Fame Induction, K-Wing Alumni Night and other activties, the K-Wings managed to squeeze in two games against the North Division leading Toledo Walleye.
The K-Wings and Walleye faced off for two games at Wings Event Center with the K-Wings earning victories in both contests.
On Friday, the K-Wings were led by Curtis Valk, who scored the first three goals for the K-Wings, for his first career hat trick.
Ludwig Blomstrand and Alex Mallet also scored for the K-Wings as they went on to defeat the Walleye 5-1.
There were only two penalties called, one for each team. Joel Martin made 37 saves while Blomstrand had two assists in addition to his goal. Valk earned his fifth multipoint game of the season.
Picking up where they left off on Friday, the K-Wings hit the scoreboard first on Saturday night.
With the Walleye on the power play, Blomstrand swiped the puck after a miscue by Toledo and put it past netminder Jake Paterson for his 14th of the season. The goal was an unassisted shorthanded goal for Blomstrand.
The Walleye bounced back to tie the game late in the second period and took the lead on their second goal of the night to open the third period.
That was all the Walleye could put past K-Wing goaltender Joel Martin. With Martin and the defense running smoothly, the K-Wings offense went into overdrive, scoring four goals in the final period to defeat the Walleye 5-2.
On the power play, Sacha Guimond took a Blomstrand feed at the top of the point and unloaded a slap shot that beat Paterson, knotting the game at two goals apiece.
Taking the lead later in the period a shot from Tyler Shattock caromed off the body of Justin Taylor and squeaked over the goal line to make it 3-2.
Taking a two goal lead late in the period, David Gilbert came in on a breakaway and slid the puck through the legs of Paterson, but the puck hit the post and bounced out of the crease, where Tanner Sorenson slid it past Paterson, who was caught out of position for 4-2 advantage.
With time winding down and Paterson pulled for a sixth attacker, Taylor scored an empty net goal to seal the victory for the K-Wings.
Notes: Martin picked up two wins over the weekend and made 76 of a possible 79 stops. Blomstrand had five points in two weekend games against the Walleye. Kalamazoo are 3-1-0-1 against Toledo this season and 10-4-2 against the North Division.
The K-Wings travel to Evansville on Friday night for a game against the IceMen. They return home for two games on pink ice on Saturday night against Fort Wayne and Sunday against Brampton.
By: Mark C. McGlothlen
