As the Toledo Walleye take to the road for the first time in the Kelly Cup playoffs, the intensity and competitiveness of Toledo's first-round series with the Indy Fuel is expected to amp up even more.
The Walleye protected home ice with two wins at the Huntington Center last weekend to take a 2-0 lead in the Central Division semifinals. But both contests went right down to the wire, including a tense 4-3 win for the Walleye in double overtime of the playoff opener last Friday.
Toledo and Indy have played 11 times this season and seven of the games have been decided by just one goal. The Walleye edged the Fuel 4-3 once again on Sunday to go up by two games in the best-of-7 series. Faceoff for Game 3 is set for 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday in Indianapolis.
Walleye coach Dan Watson said he expects the Fuel to double down on their effort, while his team looks to drive a nail in the coffin.
“It's going to ramp up because now you have a team that is down 0-2 and they will be desperate and be hungry to win on their home ice. And we're up 2-0 and we want to make sure we go in there and put pressure on them and take that 3-0 series lead,” Watson said shortly before the team boarded the bus bound for Indianapolis on Tuesday afternoon.
Toledo improved to 10-1-0 this season against the Fuel, and the Walleye went 6-0-0 this season at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
VIDEO: Walleye hit the road for Game Three
But Walleye defenseman Kevin Tansey said the lopsided results are not indicative of the tightness of the series.
“If you watch the first two games, there's been hitting and guys going at it,” Tansey said. “They are a good team. They know how to put the puck in the net. We've done our job winning here at home. Now we just have to do keep doing a good job [on the road].”
Walleye goaltender Pat Nagle, who is 2-0 in the series with a 2.54 goals-against average, said his team is eager to continue to match Indy's effort level.
“We're looking forward to it. It's going to be a challenge,” Nagle said. “It's never an easy time on the road. They will be excited to be back home. They're sleeping in their own beds and eating their own meals. They'll have their crowd behind them. But for us we'll have to keep it simple and battle and keep the mistakes to a minimum. They will take advantage of those.”
Walleye forward Christian Hilbrich, who has scored a team-high four goals, said the series is far from done.
“It's tough to win on the road and it will be tougher than the two games we played here,” Hilbrich said. “Each game is harder than the last, so we will turn the page. They say the 2-0 lead is the most dangerous lead in hockey.”
Hilbrich joined Tyler Barnes and Kyle Bonis to form a potent line on Sunday. Barnes leads the team with six points in the series, while Bonis has five. The trio has accounted for 15 of the team's 24 points.
But Hilbrich said Indy can score in bunches too. Both teams averaged 3.36 goals per game during the regular season.
“We will focus in,” said Hilbrich, who leads the ECHL with his quartet of playoff goals. “They shoot a lot of pucks and they have guys that can score. They're a dangerous team. It continues to be tough. It will come down to the final seconds.”
The last two times the Walleye played at Indiana Farmers Coliseum, they had to crawl out of early deficits before posting dramatic wins in overtime. In the regular-season finale, Toledo trailed 4-3 with just 15 seconds left when A.J. Jenks tied it up. Patrick McCarron then tallied the game winner 1:31 into OT.
On March 17, Toledo trailed 3-0 after the first period. The Walleye then rattled off four unanswered goals, including Bonis' game winner 16 seconds into overtime.
“I think we can use that as things to look back on and learn from,” Watson said. “They were desperate to win those last two games, too. We battled back and then won in OT. We know they do get off to good starts in their building. Overall we have the mindset and mentality to know we can win in that building.”
Nagle is 9-0-0 against the Fuel this season, including 5-0-0 on the road.
“We've played in that building a decent amount of times and that's huge for us,” Nagle said. “We've had a couple big comebacks over there. But you try not to look too much at the regular season stats. They've improved so much. They are very tough to play in their building. We have to play a good road game. We hope to come out with a couple wins. Every game is going to be tight. It will be the last team that makes a mistake.”
The Walleye wrapped up the regular season with eight straight wins on the road.
“We've been comfortable on the road as of late,” Watson said. “But it's about doing the things the right way. There's no distractions on the road. You're going from the hotel right to the rink and away you go. You have to be comfortable quick on the road.”
Tansey said the team has built camaraderie on the many long road trips the team has endured.
“You're playing cards in the back, watching movies together, or just kind of hanging out,” Tansey said. “Half of our season is spent on the bus.”
Toledo, which has outscored the Fuel 44-32 in the 11 combined games, finished with a 22-10-4 record on the road, but Indy was 20-14-2 at home. Game 4 is in Indy on Thursday and Game 5 would also be played at Indy on Saturday, if necessary.
“It's nice to be 6-0 at their rink,” Nagle said. “But the playoffs are a completely new season. They will have good crowds. You have to keep an even keel. If bad things happen, you keep even. If good things happen, you can't get too excited. You just make sure you stick to the process.”
Contact Mark Monroe at mmonroe@theblade.com, 419-724-6354, or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.
First Published April 17, 2018, 11:09 p.m.
