Walleye come back to win finale over Komets

FORT WAYNE, IN – The Toledo Walleye defeated the Fort Wayne Komets 4-3 on Sunday evening at the Memorial Coliseum.

What Happened:

The Toledo Walleye headed to Indiana for the 2023-24 regular season finale against the Fort Wayne Komets.

Jan Bednar started between the pipes for the Walleye. Michael Prapavessis and Jacob Graves patrolled the blue line while Sam Craggs, Orrin Centazzo and Brandon Kruse led the Toledo attack.

Tyler Parks protected the home net for the Komets. Jake Johnson and Martin Has manned the defense while Ethan Keppen, Jake Chiasson and longtime Komet Shawn Szydlowski filled out the Fort Wayne front in what could be Szydlowski’s final game.

The Komets started the action at 5:33 when Johnson found the net to break the ice. Alexis D’Aoust and Jack Dugan assisted the initial tally.

Fort Wayne struck again at 7:30, this time Keppen hit twine to put the Komets up 2-0. Chiasson added a solo assist to the score.

That wrapped the first period with the Walleye trailing the Komets 2-0. Toledo outshot Fort Wayne in the period 12-8.

The second period started with the Walleye finding the scoreboard as Jed Pietila buried his first professional goal at 6:32. Craggs and Centazzo assisted the blue-liner’s first pro score.

The Fish knotted the game at 2-2 when Chase Gresock lit the lamp at 15:24. The New Brunswick duo of Brady Gilmour and Jason Willms assisted the equalizer.

That wrapped the second set of 20 minutes with the Walleye and Komets tied at 2-2. Toledo outshot Fort Wayne 9-8 in the period and 21-16 through two periods.

The Walleye came out and took the lead at 3:48 of the third when Trenton Bliss put the Fish in front. Willms added a solo assist for his second helper of the day.

The Walleye added an insurance score at 16:56 when Brendan Michaelian found the net for his first ECHL goal. Pietila and Darian Pilon added assists, each for their second assist of the season.

The Komets brought it back within one at 17:10 when Szydlowski scored the final goal of the Komets’ season in what would be a fitting way to end his career. Ture Linden and Johnson assisted the score.

The horns sounded with the Walleye winning the regular season finale over the Fort Wayne Komets 4-3. The Walleye outshot the Komets 12-9 in the period and 33-25 overall.

The Walleye finish the season at 48-14-4-5 with 105 points and the Central Division crown. Toledo closes out the season on a 14 game win streak, including their last ten on the road and their last nine at home. The overall and home win streaks are season records, while the road winning streak ties the season-high.

Three Stars Sponsored by Local 245:

1. Jason Willms (2A) – TOL
2. Jake Johnson (1G, 1A) – FW
3. Brendan Michaelian (1G, GWG) – TOL

What’s Next:

The Toledo Walleye will now head into their 2024 Kelly Cup Playoff Run, as they will prepare to host the first two games of the Central Division Semi-Final against the Kalamazoo Wings, beginning on Friday, April 19, 2024 at the Huntington Center.