WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
The Kalamazoo Wings started the month of December with a 6-10-0-1 record.
Since that time, the K-Wings have won seven of their last eight games to move above the .500 mark and jump into a third place tie with the Fort Wayne Komets in the Central Division standings.
Playing on home ice the entire weekend, the K-Wings won all three games in hard fought battles that were not decided until the final minutes, or in the case of Friday nights game, in overtime.
On Friday night, Tyler Biggs scored a pair of goals and Reid Gardiner netted the game winner in overtime to defeat the Wheeling Nailers. Biggs brought the K-Wings fans to their feet just 20 seconds into the opening period with his second goal since returning to the K-Wings last week.
Brandon Anselmini scored his first of the season just under five minutes later to give the K-Wings a 2-0 lead. The Nailers cut the lead in half later in the period on a goal by Kevin Spinozzi.
Wheeling tied the game midway into the second period on a goal by Cedric Lecroix, but Biggs scored his second of the night late in the period to make it a 3-2 game.
The Nailers came back again in the third to tie the game at 3-3 on a Michael Phillips tally. Neither team could break the deadlock, sending the game into the extra frame. Gardiner scored his seventh of the season on a pass from Tanner Sorenson just 1:28 into OT for the win.
The Brampton Beast came to Wings Event Center for a Saturday night meeting. Former K-Wings David Pacan scored the first goal of the game, but the K-Wings Justin Taylor and Ben Wilson gave the home team the lead with a pair of goals later in the period.
Adrian Carbonara and Erik Bradford scored a pair of goals just over three minutes apart to take a 3-2 lead early in the second. With just under a minute remaining in the period, Gardiner scored his second goal of the weekend to tie the game up at 3-3.
Unlike the previous night, the K-Wings were able to win the game in regulation on a Chris Collins goal with just 1:03 remaining in the game. The goal by Collins was his seventh of the season.
Goaltender Ivan Kulbakov stopped 49 of the 52 shots he faced in the win.
On Sunday, the Wichita Thunder made their only visit to Kalamazoo this season. The two teams will meet again in Kansas later this season.
The Thunder’s Cam Reid put the visiting team on the board first with his first goal of the year. Answering back just 28 seconds later, Eric Kattelus scored his first of the season to make it a 1-1 game. Taking the lead later in the period, Gardiner added his third goal of the weekend to make it a 2-1 K-Wings advantage.
After a scoreless second, Jeremy Beaudry scored a power play goal early in the third period to tie the game at 2-2.
Keeping with the theme of the weekend, the K-Wings Tyler Biggs scored with just under two minutes to go in regulation to take a 3-2 lead. The K-Wings held on for the victory.
Jake Hildebrand 27 of the 29 shots he faced in the win.
The K-Wings are home on Wednesday night as they battle the Toledo Walleye. Game time is set for 7:30 pm.
By: Mark C. McGlothlen
