TOLEDO – The Toledo Walleye eliminated the Fort Wayne Komets on Saturday night at the Huntington Center, winning 3-1.
What Happened:
The Toledo Walleye hosted the Fort Wayne Komets for the last home regular season game of the season on Labatt Hockey Night in Toledo.
John Lethemon defended the home net for the Walleye. Jacob Graves and Riley McCourt protected the blue line while Brandon Hawkins, Trenton Bliss and Conlan Keenan led the Toledo attack.
Ryan Fanti split the iron for the visiting Komets. Jake Johnson and Noah Ganske manned the defense while Jack Gorniak, Shawn Szydlowski and Jake Chiasson filled out the Fort Wayne front.
A quick-and-quiet scoreless first period saw Toledo be outshot by Fort Wayne 12-15.
The Komets started the second period with a goal by Carl Berglund at 1:22 to give the Komets the first lead of the game. Ethan Keppen and Jack Dugan added assists to the icebreaker.
The Walleye tied the game at 1-1 when Matt Anderson deflected a shot into the net at 18:31. Hawkins and Bliss added helpers to the equalizer.
That wrapped the second period with the Walleye and Komets tied at 1-1. Toledo tied the franchise record for “Most Shots in a Single Period” with 26 in the period to Fort Wayne’s 10.
The Fish took the lead at 4:55 in the third when Orrin Centazzo lit the lamp. Brandon Kruse and Jed Pietila assisted the go-ahead score. The goal marked the 150th ECHL point for Centazzo, while Pietila’s 1st professional point.
Keenan sealed the deal with an empty-netter at 19:55 from Kruse and Bliss to give the Walleye a 3-1 win over the Fort Wayne Komets, officially eliminating the Komets from the playoffs. The assist by Kruse marked the 100th point of his pro career.
John Lethemon took his 75th pro win in net, saving 31 of 32 shots on goal.
Toledo outshot Fort Wayne 9-7 in the period and 47-32 overall.
Three Stars Sponsored by Local 245:
- Orrin Centazzo (1G, GWG) – TOL
- John Lethemon (W, 31/32 SV) – TOL
- Ryan Fanti (L, 44/46 SV) – FW
What’s Next:
The Toledo Walleye will head to the War Memorial Coliseum tomorrow, Sunday, April 14, 2024, to close out the 2023-24 regular season against the Fort Wayne Komets with puck drop coming at 5:00 pm ET.
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