Walleye News and Notes

Three games, three more wins: A perfect week for the Walleye who started with a bang on Wednesday morning as Evan Rankin posted a hat trick in a 6-2 win over Atlanta. A 3-0 deficit didn’t stop the Walleye on Friday night as they scored three third period goals and took down Kalamazoo 4-3 in a shootout. Saturday night it was Toledo that raced out to the 3-0 lead heading into the final period and used a late spurt of goals to post another 6-2 win. 12 of the first 15: The win on Saturday meant that the Walleye have picked up 12 wins in the first 15 games of the season. The 2014-15 Walleye started the season with 23 points (11-3-1) through the first 15 contests before going on to finish the year with 50 wins. Dan Watson’s club is currently ahead of that pace with 24 points (12-3-0). The 1993-94 Toledo Storm team was 13-2-0 in its first 15 games which were good for 26 points and marks the best in Toledo ECHL history. The king of all: Evan Rankin is the Walleye all-time leader in goals scored with 90 and twice this past week he ruled over the top plays on ESPN. His backhand highlight reel goal in the second period Wednesday was the number two play of the night. He took that again on Friday night posting again the second best play of the night with his game-winning goal in the shootout. Rankin has points in four straight games scoring six goals with two assists in that span. Pack them in: The Huntington Center continues to fill up with Saturday’s standing room only crowd of 8,103. It was the third sellout crowd already this year and third in which Toledo has eclipsed the 8,000 mark. An official sellout crowd is 7,431 and through five home games, the Walleye are averaging 7,100 per contest. Six is the Walleye number: Twice this past week did the Walleye score six goals in a game and it means that in the first 15 games played, Toledo has scored six or more goals six times. More home games ahead this week: Toledo has just two games on tap for this week starting Wednesday night when the Greenville Swamp Rabbits come to town for the only meeting this year. The Walleye won the lone meeting last year 5-2 on February 27 and has an all-time record of 4-12-3 vs. Greenville. Friday night is the first of six meetings this year between Toledo and Fort Wayne. The Walleye have a record of 17-13-6 against their neighbors from the west in ECHL play. Promotions: Friday night is Movember night presented by Great Clips and the first 1,500 fans into the Huntington Center will pick up a foam mustache. It is also a Flashback Friday featuring I Love the 90’s Night. Postgame is a 90’s skating party on the Huntington Center ice. Stop by Hensville on your way to the game and check out Hensville Lights, a 190,000 light display that spans from Monroe to St. Clair Streets.

Walleye Player of the Week: Evan Rankin (4 goals – 2 assists = 6 points)

Walleye Goaltender of the Week: Jake Paterson (2-0-0, 2.00 GAA, .920 save %)