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The Kalamazoo Wings (15-10-0-0) sent 2021 out on a high note and ushered in 2022 in grand fashion as they defeated the visiting Tulsa Oilers (14-11-0-1) in both of their games this past weekend.
To kick off the holiday weekend, the two teams battled in the K-Wings Annual New Year’s Eve Game at Wings Event Center.
Following the first twenty minutes, the K-Wings and the Fuel were tied 1-1. Wyatt Trumbley put the Oilers on the board first but the K-Wings Justin Taylor scored his 10th of the season just 29 seconds later to tie the score.
After a scoreless second period, things heated up in the third.
Former K-Wing Dylan Sadowy scored a pair of goals to give the Oilers a 3-1 lead with 5:32 remaining in the game. Down but not out, the K-Wings mounted a comeback bid.
With just under three minutes to go in the game, defenseman Andrew DeBrincat picked a great time to score his first goal of the year. DeBrincat was able to corral a rebound from an Erik Bradford shot to cut the Oilers lead to 3-2.
Just 11 second later, K-Wings Captain Justin Taylor took the face off down the ice, putting the puck in front of the net where Logan Lambdin was able to tuck it in to tie the game 3-3.
Erik Bradford capped off an incredible comeback with his third game winning goal of the year with just 33 seconds left in the game to give the K-Wings a 4-3 win to end the year.
The K-Wings out shot the Oilers 45-31. Both teams came up empty on two power play chances.
After an off day on Saturday, the two teams wrapped up their two-game series with a Sunday matinee.
Starting the game just like they ended the one before, the K-Wings scored three goals in the opening period to take a 3-0 lead. Bradford scored his ninth and tenth of the season while Zach Jordan sandwiched his seventh of the year in between.
Mike McKee put the Oilers on the board just 32 seconds into the second period, but that was all the offense the Oilers could muster.
Logan Lambdin sealed the victory with his tenth of the season in the third period for a 4-1 K-Wings win.
Goaltender Jet Greaves earned his 10th win of the season stopping 38 of the 39 shots he faced.
The K-Wings are off until Friday, January 7th when they face-off against the Toledo Walleye for the first annual “Hockey is for Everyone” night. The teams will play on rainbow colored ice. Game time is 7 pm.
K-Wings News and Notes: Forward Max Humitz was called up to the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins while defenseman Brendan Miller was loaned to the Iowa Wild of the AHL.
The K-Wings announced that they hired Chris Cadeau as the new Voice of the K-Wings and Director of Public Relations. Cadeau spent the last three years with Bally Sports Arizona and both the Arizona Rattlers & Tucson Sugar Skulls of the Indoor Football League. Prior to college, Chris served almost eight years in the United States Marine Corps.
“I couldn’t be more ecstatic to join a first-class organization like the K-Wings and bring my family back to Michigan,” Cadeau said. “I’m overwhelmed with gratitude to continue building professionally with a team that understands the importance of using the game of hockey to positively impact our community.” Cadeau is a native of Canton, Michigan.
By: Mark C. McGlothlen
