Kestner remains hot as Walleye split home-and-home series with Beast

BRAMPTON, Ontario – Although Josh Kestner moved into a tie for the ECHL lead with an individual 10-game point streak, the Toledo Walleye were held to a split of their home-and-home series against the Brampton Beast in a 4-2 setback on Sunday at the CAA Centre.Kestner factored in both Walleye (7-3-1-0) tallies, as he recorded a goal and an assist to match former Newfoundland teammate Scott Pooley for the circuit’s longest active point streak. Toledo ended a stretch four games in five days by finishing a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill, while capitalizing on one of its seven power play opportunities. David Vallorani opened the scoring for Brampton (7-5-0-0) 2:37 into the contest, but the Walleye pulled even later in the frame when Kestner notched his fourth goal of the season at the 15:43 mark. Brampton carried the play to begin the second stanza, and was rewarded with a pair of unanswered goals. Ben Hawerchuk staked the Beast to a 2-1 lead at 6:53, before Walleye alumnus Daniel Leavens doubled the hosts’ margin at the 11:18 mark.Two consecutive Brampton penalties gave the Walleye a opportunity to rally in the final stanza. After the Walleye held a two-man advantage lasting seven seconds, Zack Phillips cut the deficit to 3-2 on a 5-on-4 power play with 10:20 to go in regulation. However, the Beast eventually restored their two-goal edge when Matt Petgrave added an empty-netter with 15 seconds on the clock.Former Brampton netminder Andrew D’Agostini blocked 25-of-38 shots in his Toledo debut, while Alex Dubeau turned away 28-of-30 in a winning cause after stopping all three shots he faced in relief on Saturday.What’s Next:The Walleye will remain North of the Border as they battle the Newfoundland Growlers on Friday and Saturday in their first meetings since the 2019 Kelly Cup Finals. Both games will start at 5:30 p.m. EST.Three Stars:1. Brampton – Ben Hawerchuk (goal)2. Toledo – Josh Kestner (goal, assist)3. Brampton – Alex Dubeau (W, 28 saves)