The Toledo Walleye defeated the Reading Royals 5-2 before a standing-room-only crowd of 8,368 in their home opener on Friday night at the Huntington Center.
The Walleye improved to 7-6-1 in home-openers, including 5-1-1 in the past seven seasons.
Forward Brandon Hawkins, who set a franchise record with 39 goals last season, scored two goals in a four-goal first period. Rookie Chase Gresock opened the scoring for Toledo, and Kirill Tyutyayev also scored in the first period. Brandon Kruse then added a fifth goal with 5:07 left in regulation.
Goaltender John Lethemon registered his first win of the season, stopping 14 of 16 shots
The Walleye improved to 2-0-1 in the early going, while Reading is now 1-3-2.
Toledo gave up a goal 57 seconds into the game but then scored four unanswered to take a 4-1 lead after one period. Trenton Bliss and Orrin Centazzo each had two assists in the first period.
Gresock scored a power-play goal at 8:04 of the first period. It's also was Gresock's first pro goal.
Hawkins then gave the Walleye a 2-1 lead with 7:12 left in the first period. Hawkins scored just after he exited the penalty box on a perfectly placed shot up high over Reading goalie Nolan Maier.
Hawkins scored his second goal of the first period to put the Walleye up 3-1 with 4:20 to go in the first.
Just 57 seconds into the game, Reading scored on its first shot. Ryan Chyzowski flipped the puck past Lethemon as he sat right on the doorstep in front of the Toledo netminder.
The Royals once again scored on their first shot of a period as Alex Butcher tallied a power-play goal to cut the Walleye lead to 4-2 just 28 seconds into the second period.
The Walleye went 1 of 3 on the power play, and Reading was 1 of 5 on the man advantage.
Toledo finished with a 36-16 edge in shots on goal.
STAT TO KNOW
The Walleye scored on consecutive shots to take a 2-1 lead and tallied three goals in a span of 5:06 in the late stages of the first to seize a commanding 4-1 cushion into the second period.
QUOTABLE
“It over exceeded expectations. The glitz and the glamour and the lights and everything like that. I knew it was going to be loud and there was going to be a lot of energy, but I really appreciate everything that goes into it. It makes it a special, special place to play.” — first-year Walleye coach Pat Mikesch.
UP NEXT
The Walleye host Indy in the second home game of the season at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday.
First Published November 4, 2023, 2:28 a.m.