Game two goes to Walleye in old-school affair

TOLEDO, OH— The Kalamazoo Wings and Toledo Walleye played an old-school slugfest on Saturday night which saw the Walleye earn a 4-1 victory on home ice at the Huntington Center and take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Central Division Semi-Finals series.

The Walleye put forth an inspired first period effort, and their quick-strike attacked shined in the first twenty minutes. Just 3:34 into the contest, Kyle Bonis got the Walleye ahead by a goal after scooting in behind the Wings’ defense and lifting a top-corner-seeking wrister that beat Joel Martin.

Continuing their red-hot pace in the opening period, Toledo doubled their lead less than two and a half minutes later. Tyson Spink poached a loose puck at the side of the goal and belted it into the net to help propel the home team to a 2-0 edge.

The Walleye’s high-scoring first period continued two minutes later, as Evan Rankin wrapped around the back of the net, and after it was poked away, Rankin swatted the puck out of mid-air and tucked it into the goal, giving Toledo a three-goal lead at the first intermission.

After a physical first period, things calmed down as the second period progressed, and the Walleye tacked on to their lead midway through the period. Rankin found a way behind the Kalamazoo defense and he carried towards the goal unmarked. Rankin slipped a wrist shot past the left leg of Martin and earned a 4-0 lead for Toledo.

Rankin’s goal was the only strike of the second period, and the Wings went into the break after two periods facing a four-goal deficit.

Evening out the play in the third period, the Wings would tally the only goal of the final stanza with less than three minutes remaining and while killing a penalty. Tyler Biggs drove the puck deep into Walleye territory and dished in front of the goal for Peter Schneider, who swung the puck past Toledo goalie Jake Paterson to break up the shutout and get Kalamazoo on the board.

Schneider’s late marker was too little too late for the Wings, who dropped game two of the best-of-seven series by a 4-1 final.