Goals were very hard to come by on Friday night at Huntington Center, as the Wheeling Nailers and Toledo Walleye opened their Central Division Final Series at Huntington Center.
Jordan Martel gave Wheeling a 1-0 lead in the second period, which was held until Mitchell Lewandowski forced overtime for the Walleye. In the extra session, Brandon Hawkins delivered the 2-1 home win for Toledo with a high wrist shot from the right circle.
The Nailers and Walleye will continue the Central Division Final Series in Toledo with Game Two this evening at 7:15 p.m.. The series will then shift to WesBanco Arena for games three, four, and five (if necessary) on May 8th, 10th, and 11th, with all home contests starting at 7:10 p.m.
With only one head-to-head meeting since the start of December, the first period served as an opportunity for the teams to reintroduce themselves, as neither side found the back of the net on just 14 combined shots on goal.
Wheeling finally broke through at the 12:23 mark of the middle frame off of a Walleye turnover. A Toledo player attempted to swing the puck back to the blueline, but the pass didn’t connect, and ended up springing a 2-on-1 rush for the Nailers. Justin Addamo carried the puck in on the left side, then delivered a pass over to Jordan Martel, who roofed a wrist shot from the right side of the slot.
The score stayed 1-0 until 5:10 remained in the third period, when the Walleye benefitted from a bounce. Matt Anderson chipped the puck to the low slot, where Mitchell Lewandowski spun and batted the puck out of the air for the equalizer.
The teams exchanged chances in overtime, but the final chance went Toledo’s way at the 10:51 mark. Brandon Hawkins maneuvered his way to the bottom of the right circle, where he lifted a wrist shot into the top-right corner of the cage to give the Walleye the 2-1 win. The goal was Hawkins’ second overtime tally of the playoffs, and it came on his 13th shot of the night.
John Lethemon picked up the win for Toledo, as he made 25 saves on 26 shots. Jaxon Castor gave Wheeling a terrific effort in the crease, as he stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced in the overtime defeat.
To purchase tickets for the home playoff games or for any questions or concerns about ticketing, please visit wheelingnailers.com or call (304) 234-GOAL. The Wheeling Nailers, considered one of the top things to do in Wheeling, West Virginia, provide affordable family entertainment for fans throughout the Ohio Valley.
