Toledo, OH – The Toledo Walleye took a 3-2 overtime win over the Fort Wayne Komets, killing off six Fort Wayne power plays, including one that carried into overtime. Reilly Funk scored two goals, including the game winner as a part of his first professional multi-goal game. Garrett Van Wyhe scored, Mitch Lewandowski had two assists, and Carter Gylander stopped 36 of 38 Fort Wayne shots in the win. 

How it Happened:

The Komets went on the game’s first power play after a slashing minor to Dylan Moulton 2:50 into the first period. The Walleye killed it off and went to their first power play of the day soon after, as Alex Aleardi was called for a hook at the 8:01 mark of the period but did not convert on the chance. 

Riley McCourt went to the box at the 14:04 mark of the third for Fort Wayne’s second power play of the night. The Komets didn’t score on that chance, but Carson Bantle was called for a hook just over a minute after McCourt’s penalty expired. 

Reilly Funk got the Walleye on the board with just seven seconds to go in the first, giving the Walleye the critical 1-0 lead with his second goal of the playoffs. Will MacKinnon and Mitch Lewandowski got the assists on the goal. 

As the first period came to a close, a scrum started by the benches that earned Fort Wayne’s Tyson Fiest a roughing minor, setting Toledo up on a power play at the beginning of the second period. The Walleye led in shots on goal 16-9 over the Komets at the end of the first. 

Alex Aleardi took a tripping minor at the 10:16 mark of the second, but Logan Nelson took an additional roughing minor after the play, leading to a 5-on-3 chance for Toledo. The Komets killed off both penalties.

Toledo went back to the penalty kill soon after, as Colin Swoyer took a tripping minor at the 12:49 mark of the second. The Walleye killed off, but Swoyer took another cross-checking minor with just under three minutes to go in the period for Fort Wayne’s fifth power play of the day. Toledo killed that one as well, finishing the second period with a 31-18 shot advantage.

The Walleye got the first chance at a power play in the third period with Austin Magera taking a high-sticking minor at the 4:51 mark of the period. Garrett Van Wyhe capitalized, scoring at the 6:32 mark of the period to add to Toledo’s two-goal lead. Riley McCourt and Tanner Dickinson got the assists on the goal that put the Walleye up 2-0 over the Komets. 

Austin Magera got the Komets on the board with his sixth goal of the playoffs at the 10:32 mark of the third, bringing the Komets back within one. Assists came from William Dufour and Kirill Tyutyayev.

Josh Bloom tied the game at two goals each with his second goal of the playoffs, scoring it with seven minutes to go in regulation. Tyler Imamoto got the lone assist on the tying goal. 

Brandon Hawkins took a tripping minor with 1:30 to go, putting Fort Wayne on the power play for the sixth time on the night. The game went to overtime with 30 seconds to go on the power play, Toledo leading 41-35 in shots on goal. 

The Walleye killed the rest of the penalty to start the overtime period, and Reilly Funk buried the overtime winner 4:14 into the extra period, his second goal of the game and his third of the playoffs. Mitch Lewandowski and Micheal Milne got the assists on the game-winning goal. 

Local 245 Three Stars:

1 – F Reilly Funk, TOL (2 G, OT GWG)

2 – F Josh Bloom, FW (1 G)

3 – F Garrett Van Wyhe, TOL (1 G)

What’s Next:

The Walleye will look to give themselves more life in game five, set for tomorrow night at the Huntington Center. Puck drop is set for 7:15 PM.