I call it racehorse hockey, and it was up and down the ice on the fly during the first period. The K-Wings outhustled the Blues during the period and outshot the Blues 18 to 8. Tyler Parks did an excellent job of keeping the Wings out of the goal with several super saves. Neither team was able to score during the first, and it looks to be one of those games where a lucky bounce for goal will win the game. Only one penalty was whistled in the first period and that was a two minute minor on Ben Kramer for a cross check. The Penalty Kill kept the Wings Power Play scoreless and the rest of the period was played at full strength by both teams
Second period was more of the same style of up and down hockey in a hurry. Chris Sitler scored on assists by Kevin Walters and Kyle Cook at 1:19 of the second and that held up until Beauvais took the puck off a face off and put a one-timer past Tyler Parks to tie the score at 18:03. The Blue and Gold picked up the defensive pressure in the period and played with a lot more energy than they did in the first. Both Goalies have been excellent through two periods and have kept their opponents out of the net. Three penalties were called on the Wings to one for the Blues during the second stanza. The Blues led in shots on goal during the second by 12 to 10. The Blues goal was a Power Play Goal. Kalamazoo was 0 – 2 while the Blues were 1 – 3 on Power Play opportunities.
Mistakes again cost the Blues as Kalamazoo scored twice to once again come from behind to take the second game from the Blues. They scored three times as the Blues lost their composure and looked totally lost during the second half of the third. They pulled Parks to get the extra attacker on but to no avail. An empty net goal made the score 5 -1, and the choir began singing loudly. In both games, yesterday and today, the Blues lost their composure in the third period and eventually lost the game as well.
Hopefully the team can regroup this week and be ready to take on Janesville for the three game set next week. Still the grueling road trip saw the Blues take six games out of nine, but they’ll need to find some momentum this week.
