Walleye take 20th straight win for 2-0 series advantage

TOLEDO – The Toledo Walleye defeated the Wheeling Nailers 5-3 on Saturday night at the Huntington Center in game two of the Central Division Finals.

Video Recap

What Happened:

The Fish used five different scorers to take a 2-0 series lead on Labatt Hockey Night in Toledo.

Jan Bednar defended the home net for the Walleye. Jacob Graves and Riley McCourt skated the blue line while Brandon Hawkins, Trenton Bliss and Mitch Lewandowski led the Toledo attack.

Jaxon Castor stood opposite Bednar between the pipes for the Nailers. David Drake and Thimo Nickl manned the defense while Tanner Laderoute, Matthew Quercia and Matt Koopman filled out the Wheeling front.

The Walleye kicked off the scoring with a goal by Jason Willms at 7:25. Lewandowski added a solo assist to the icebreaker.

Wheeling knotted it up at 1-1 when Justin Lee lit the lamp at 17:13. Koopman and Jordan Martel added assists to the equalizer.

The Fish came right back down to reclaim the lead when Lewandowski struck paydirt at 17:50. Graves and Bliss assisted the tally.

That wrapped the first frame with the Walleye leading the Nailers 2-1. Each team recorded 14 shots in the first period.

The Fish started the second period with another score, this time by Matt Anderson at 4:02. Michael Prapavessis and Sam Craggs dished the helpers.

The Walleye were handed a five-on-three disadvantage at 11:01 for 53 seconds and successfully killed off the disadvantage, maintaining momentum.

The Nailers struck back at 13:35 with a score by Isaac Belliveau to bring it within one. Louie Roehl and Quercia assisted the score.

Toledo restored the two-goal lead at 15:47 when Orrin Centazzo found the back of the net, making it 4-2. Brandon Kruse and Craggs picked apples on the score.

That capped the second set of 20 minutes with the Walleye leading the Nailers 4-2. Toledo outshot Wheeling 16-10 in the period and 30-24 through two periods.

Wheeling closed the gap to one goal when Lee hit twine for the second time on the night. Quercia and Davis Bunz assisted the tally, making it 4-3 Toledo.

The Walleye sealed the deal with an empty-netter by Riley Sawchuk at 19:11. Kruse added his second assist of the game on the empty-netter.

That wrapped game two with the Toledo Walleye taking a 5-3 win over the Wheeling Nailers. Toledo outshot Wheeling 12-9 in the period and 42-33 overall.

Three Stars Sponsored by Local 245:

1. Mitch Lewandowski (1G, 1A) – TOL
2. Orrin Centazzo (GWG) – TOL
3. Justin Lee (2G) – WHL

What’s Next:

The Toledo Walleye will head to Wheeling for game three of the Central Division Finals against the Wheeling Nailers on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at WesBanco Arena with puck drop coming at 7:10 pm ET.