Walleye heating up on home ice with 4-2 win over Kalamazoo

TOLEDO, OHIO - Kirill Tyutyayev, Mitchell Heard, and Drew Worrad were key components of a game that helped Toledo find their home groove tonight with a 4-2 win over Kalamazoo.

What Happened:

Tonight's Central Division matchup was the tenth of a 14-game schedule between Toledo and Kalamazoo this season. The Walleye headed into the night with a 5-3-1 record against the Wings this season, as they have taken the last four. 

Toledo got a strong start as they outshot the K-Wings 7-0 in the first 5:31. Late in the tenth minute, however, Kalamazoo's Ole Julian Bjørgvik-Holm broke his stick on a shot that sent the puck trickling toward the crease. Wings forward Raymond Brice tipped the puck further for Justin Taylor to backhand it quickly past John Lethemon. This ended up being the only scoring action in the opening period during which Toledo more than doubled Kalamazoo's seven shots with 16. The only penalty went to Walleye forward Kirill Tyutyayev at 19:05 for hooking, but Toledo got the penalty kill to start the second period. 

The first Walleye power play came after Justin Taylor headed to the K-Wings box for holding the stick of Drew Worrad. With 28 seconds remaining on the Toledo man advantage, Andrew Sturtz approached the Kalamazoo net at full force. Wings netminder Hunter Vorva got the initial stop, but Mitchell Heard was there to finish it off and get the Walleye on the board. Drew Worrad was the second assister on the power play goal. 

Another Kalamazoo penalty, this time against Olivier LeBlanc for hooking, put Toledo on their second power play immediately after Heard's marker. The Walleye took this power play and ran with it as Drew Worrad gave Toledo the 2-1 lead only 14 seconds later. It all started when Mitchell Heard fed the puck to Andrew Sturtz near the top of the right circle in the K-Wings zone. Sturtz's wrist shot was initially stopped by Vorva, but Drew Worrad was there for the rebound to make Toledo 2-for-2 on the power play early in the middle frame. 

Two more penalties came in the remainder of period two, the first to Kalamazoo's Darby Llewellyn for hooking at 12:32 and the second to Mitchell Heard for slashing at 13:16. Toledo's one-goal lead remained after a second period that saw a 17-5 advantage in shots for the Walleye. 

Just under eight minutes into the final third, Kalamazoo's Luke Morgan stopped the game with a hit from behind that sent Mitchell Heard head-first into the boards in the Wings zone. The teams brawled as a result, and it was the Wings that came away with the power play. Mitchell Heard's night came to an end as he picked up a fighting major, instigating minor, and two game misconducts. Adrien Beraldo also served a roughing minor for Toledo. For Kalamazoo, Ryan Cook got the fighting major while Luke Morgan got away with a boarding minor. It was on this Kalamazoo power play that Toledo's lead vanished as Matheson Iacopelli finished from the left circle to tie things up at 9:06. 

Under three minutes passed before Kirill Tyutyayev reclaimed the Toledo lead with a top-shelf goal. Thomas Ebbing and Conlan Keenan were the assisters on the game-winner. Kalamazoo got an opportunity to shake things up after Gordie Green headed to the Toledo box with a high-sticking penalty at 12:16, but the Walleye kept them scoreless on the penalty kill. With Hunter Vorva out of the Wings net at 19:22, Kirill Tyutyayev stole the puck from a Kalamazoo skater at the blue line for an empty-netter that secured the Walleye win. Charlie Curti was awarded the lone assist on the final marker.

Speed Stats:

• With tonight's win, the Walleye have picked up at least one point in their last five games. 
• With 23 saves, John Lethemon extended his winning streak to eight games. For the season, he now has a 2.33 goals against average and a 0.918 save percentage. 
• Kirill Tyutyayev extended his four-game point streak with the final two goals of the night. In his last five games, the forward has totaled ten points (3G, 7A). 
• Drew Worrad and Mitchell Heard extended their three-game point streaks with a goal and an assist apiece. Worrad has tallied five points (2G, 3A) in his last five games along with Heard (3G, 2A).
• With two assists, Andrew Sturtz notched his fourth multi-point game with the Walleye this season.

Three Stars Sponsored by Local 245:

1) TOL - K. Tyutyayev (2G)

2) TOL - M. Heard (1G, 1A)

3) TOL - D. Worrad (1G, 1A)

Up Next:

The weekend will wrap up the weekend at home tomorrow as the Walleye will host Iowa for the first time this season at 7:15 p.m.