Kalamazoo sends Toledo home with 3-2 overtime loss

KALAMAZOO, MI - The Walleye outshot the Wings by more than 15 for the second game in a row, but they just couldn't produce the win as they fell, 3-2, with 23 seconds remaining in overtime. 

Tonight's game in Kalamazoo was the second this week for the Walleye. Victor Brattstrom joined the Toledo squad from Grand Rapids to get the start between the pipes. Pavel Cajan was starting netminder for Kalamazoo.

Toledo got to the penalty box early as they were penalized for too many men on the ice 2:44 into the first. It only took four seconds for Kalamazoo to make it four-on-four hockey as Justin Taylor received a tripping minor right off the draw. Toledo recorded three straight shots in the next two minutes while Kalamazoo had none. 

With just under five minutes remaining in the opening period, Walleye defenseman Tommy Parran fired a shot from the blue line that made its way into the back of Kalamazoo's net. Hawkins earned his first of two points on the night with the first assist and Kirill Tyutyayev recorded the second. 

The first full Walleye power play of the game came several minutes later as Mason McCarty was called for tripping. The Wings secured the penalty kill and went on the power play shortly after when Kameron Kielly headed to the box for interference at the 18:56 mark. The first period came to a close with the Walleye having the one-goal lead. 

Toledo opened the second period with a penalty kill, but it wasn't too long before Kalamazoo got on the board with a Coale Norris goal in the fourth minute. The Walleye responded with five consecutive shots on Cajan, but he continued to come up with the saves. 

At 13:36, Mason McCarty struck for the Wings, giving them their first lead of the game. Toledo had double the amount of shots as Kalamazoo in the second but went into the second intermission still trailing by one.

The first penalty of the final period went to Ryan Lowney just 37 seconds in for hooking. Similar to what occurred early in the first, Kalamazoo received a tripping penalty right off the draw to make it a four-on-four game once again. 

The Wings received a cross-checking penalty just under two minutes later to send Toledo on the power play. With 49 seconds left on the man advantage, Brandon Hawkins fired the puck at the Kalamazoo net, sending it right past Cajan to tie up the game. 

The Wings got a power play 8:37 into the third, but the Walleye earned the penalty kill. Despite outshooting Kalamazoo 17-12 in the final 20 minutes, the teams took a quick break before heading into the seven-minute overtime period. 

It was looking like the game would be decided by a shootout until a Kalamazoo breakaway ended the game as Raymond Brice beat Brattstrom with just 23 seconds remaining. Shots were even after overtime with each team recording three. 

Similar to Wednesday morning's shot advantage of 20, the Walleye outshot their Kalamazoo opponents again tonight as they recorded 17 more than the Wings. Kirill Tyutyayev had a two-point night with assists on both of the Walleye goals. 

Up Next:

Toledo will play at home the next two days as they host Indy tomorrow evening at 7:15 and Fort Wayne on Sunday at 5:15 p.m.