Kaden Fulcher turned aside a career-high 35 shots between Toledo’s pipes, but was unable to deny Chase Stewart with 59 seconds remaining in overtime as the Walleye dropped a 3-2 decision to the Fort Wayne Komets on Friday at the Memorial Coliseum.
The Walleye (13-2-2-0) broke the scoreless tie 12:59 into the opening period, as Charlie O’Connor netted his fourth goal of the campaign. After receiving a lead pass from Kevin Tansey at the Fort Wayne (10-8-0-0) line, O’Connor split the defense and placed his breakaway attempt between the pads of Zach Fucale.
Toledo carried the play for much of the second stanza and was rewarded at the 10:35 mark when Shane Berschbach set up Ryan Obuchowski to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage. Making his return to the lineup after missing the previous six games due to injury, A.J. Jenks was credited with the secondary assist on the sequence.
One night before the Walleye are set to host their own Teddy Bear Toss night, Fort Wayne needed almost two full periods before its fans could let their donations fly. While Tyler Spezia served the waning seconds of his slashing minor, Marc-Olivier Roy sent a pass out of the left corner to J.C. Campagna in the slot for a one-timer at 17:54 that trimmed the Komets’ deficit to 2-1 heading into the second intermission.
The hosts seized the momentum to begin the third and created an equalizer with 18:21 remaining in regulation. Ryan Lowney kept Fulcher’s clearing attempt in the Toledo zone and fired a shot that grazed off the stick of Roy in front to knot the score at two apiece.
The Walleye were granted an opportunity to capture both points when Ryan Siiro was called for delay at game with 5:49 left in the third, but could not record a shot on goal as the game headed into overtime. The Komets capitalized in the extra session on an eventual 2-on-1, as Stewart gained the zone and used Anthony Petruzzelli as a decoy before sending a wrist shot from the right circle inside the left post at the 4:01 mark to complete the comeback.
Fort Wayne ended the night 1-for-2 on the power play while Toledo was unable to convert on three opportunities. Fucale blocked 37-of-39 shots to garner third-star accolades.
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