Central Division Finals Preview
April 28, 2017 - ECHL (ECHL)
Toledo Walleye News Release
Central Division Finals
Toledo Walleye vs. Fort Wayne Komets
Schedule for Best of Seven Series (All Times Eastern)
Friday, April 28 vs. Fort Wayne at 7:35 p.m. (7 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN) Saturday, April 29 vs. Fort Wayne at 7:35 p.m. (7 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN) Wednesday, May 3 at Fort Wayne at 7 p.m. (7:15 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, 7:30 p.m. BCSN) Friday, May 5 at Fort Wayne at 8 p.m. (7:45 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, 8 p.m. BCSN) Saturday, May 6 vs. Fort Wayne at 7:35 p.m. (7 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN) *If Necessary Monday, May 8 at Fort Wayne at 7:30 p.m. (7:15 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, 7:30 p.m. BCSN) *If Necessary Wednesday, May 10 vs. Fort Wayne at 7:35 p.m. (7 p.m., Fox Sports Radio 1230, BCSN) *If Necessary
2016-17 Regular Season Meetings vs. Fort Wayne (Toledo record 5-1-0)
November 25, 2016 - Walleye win 7-1 in Toledo December 6, 2016 - Walleye win overtime game 5-4 in Toledo December 31, 2016 - Walleye win 3-1 at Fort Wayne January 8, 2017 - Walleye win overtime game 4-3 in Toledo April 2, 2017 - Komets win 2-1 in Toledo April 5, 2017 - Walleye win 6-1 at Fort Wayne
For the latest news on the Toledo Walleye visit www.toledowalleye.com
Walleye Notes
Every Game Matters: In the fifth game seven played by the Walleye over the last three years, Toledo advanced past the Kalamazoo Wings with a 3-1 win Tuesday night in front of a standing room only crowd of 7,473. For the second time in Walleye history, a full seven game series went by with the home team winning every game (2015 playoffs vs. Fort Wayne). Evan Rankin scored the game-winning goal in game seven Tuesday and finished the series vs. Kalamazoo with five goals and four assists. Kyle Bonis (6G, 5A) and Tyson Spink (4G, 7A) led the Walleye in the first round with each collecting 11 points.
Huntington Center Jammed: With two sellout crowds in the four home games played in the series Kalamazoo the Walleye currently lead the ECHL in average attendance with 6,902 per contest. That is not far from the regular season number of 7,074 that ranked as the best in Toledo hockey history.
Welcome in a Close Friend/Foe: The closest rivals in the ECHL (106 miles from Huntington Center to Memorial Coliseum) meet for the second time in the last three years during the postseason. Toledo took the previous meeting during the 2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs in seven games to advance to the then Eastern Conference Finals. The winner this time will head to the Western Conference Finals against either Allen or Colorado.
Stats during the Year: Toledo finished the regular season with a record of 5-1-0 (3-1-0 at the Huntington Center and 2-0-0 at Fort Wayne), outscoring the Komets 26-12 in those contests. However Toledo outscored Fort Wayne 13-2 in two of contests but only 13-10 in the other four games. Special teams were huge in the series with Toledo owning a power play percentage of 41.9% (13-31) while stopping 15 of the 16 power plays that the Komets had (93.7%). Fort Wayne outshot Toledo during the season in the head to head matchups 181-179.
Komets Rolling In: Fort Wayne was one of the first teams to advance quickly dispatching the Quad City Mallards four games to one. They took a commanding 3-0 series lead before the Mallards won a game. That comes on the heels of a strong finish to the year that saw the Komets go 7-2-1 over the final ten games, including a 2-1 win at Toledo. Mike Cazzola leads the Komets with three goals and four assists in the playoffs. Cazzola had 76 points during the regular season that included 30 goals and 46 assists.
Come Cheer on Your Walleye: Tickets are available for games 1 and 2 of the Division Finals at the Huntington Center by calling 419-725-9255 or by visiting www.toledowalleye.com/playoffs.
Watch and Listen Live: All home and away games will be televised on BCSN Buckeye Broadband Channel 8 or 608 (HD). Fans can listen live to all the Walleye broadcasts on Fox Sports Radio 1230 AM WCWA.
Watch Online: Fans can also catch the Walleye on ECHL.TV's streaming video webcast, powered by Neulion. To watch online visit ECHL.TV, create an account, choose the $39.99 Toledo vs. Opponent package, and enter promo code GOWALLEYE17. Live streaming is offered to our fans courtesy of Huntington Bank, ProMedica, Wendy's and Bud Light.
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