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Solar Bears' Jarrett Lee attempts to stop Walleye's Trenton Bliss.
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Walleye drop second straight to Orlando despite 41-22 edge in shots

BLADE/REBECCA PARTICKA

Walleye drop second straight to Orlando despite 41-22 edge in shots

In a rubber match at the Huntington Center on Sunday, Orlando goaltender Alexis Gravel stopped plenty of rubber pucks off the sticks of the Toledo Walleye.

Gravel stymied the Walleye for the second straight game, making 39 saves on 41 shots to lead the Solar Bears to a 3-2 overtime win.

Toledo out-shot Orlando 12-7 in the first period, 16-6 in the second, and 13-3 in the third. But the Solar Bears' Tyler Bird scored on their sixth shot in overtime to win the three-game weekend series. Gravel made 32 saves in Orlando's 4-2 win over Toledo on Saturday.

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“It wasn't enough,” Walleye coach Pat Mikesch said of the shot total. “We missed the net with probably more of our quality shots. Their goalie still had to make some good saves. But we didn't have enough second chances and prime scoring opportunities.”

The Walleye held a 1-0 lead early on a goal by leading scorer Brandon Hawkins and then tied the game at 2 on a goal by Trenton Bliss midway through the third. But a bad sequence deep in the Walleye end led to the game-winner by Bird, who beat a prone Toledo goalie Carter Gylander (22 saves).

“We could have gotten frustrated but we kept going at it,” Bliss said. “Anytime you have 40 shots in a game, you've played a good game. You'd just hope to score more than two goals, especially with the type of skill we have.”

Toledo (10-4-2) is now 4-3-1 on home ice.

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“We haven't done what we want to do here,” Mikesch said. “We've had good starts but we haven't scored at home like we have on the road. I believe in what we're doing here. We just haven't gotten the full performances here.”

Toledo had taken Friday's home game 5-2 over Orlando as its power play went 2 for 5. However, the Walleye went 0 of 10 with the man advantage the next two games. They were 0 of 6 on Sunday, including two 5-on-3 advantages.

“I liked a lot of the looks we had tonight. But they have a good penalty kill and protected their net extremely well,” Mikesch said.

Bliss knotted it up a 2 with 10:09 left in regulation, showing great patience before launching a shot up over the catching glove of Gravel. Toledo evened it on its 37th shot of the game with an assist from Hawkins.

“Anytime you can tie a game up in the third is big,” Bliss said. “Maybe we need to be a bit more gritty and have gotten in to the blue paint more. We've just got to figure out a way to get it done.”

Hawkins, who leads the ECHL in scoring with 24 points in 16 games, was injured late in the game and did not return to the ice. The reigning ECHL MVP, who has 11 goals and 14 assists, called it a minor injury.

“I'll skate Tuesday. I'm not too worried about it. I'm built old-school,” he said. “I didn't want to put the team in jeopardy over my own pride.”

Hawkins had a game-high 10 shots on goal.

“I think we had our quality opportunities. I think we just couldn't pot it. It was just one of those nights. You tip your cap to [Gravel],” Hawkins said. “But we still have to find a way to be better.”

Toledo killed off four of five Orlando (8-9-1) power plays, including one in OT.

Hawkins scored on an assist from Colin Swoyer as the Walleye grabbed a 1-0 lead 7:02 into the game. Swoyer did a great job at the blue line keeping the puck from going out of the zone for an offsides call. The defenseman then sent a quick shot on net, and Hawkins deflected the puck past Gravel.

Orlando evened the game at 1 on a long shot by Ryan Verrier from the point as the puck somehow trickled through the leg pads of Gylander to make it 1-1 with 6:54 left in the first.

The Solar Bears then grabbed a 2-1 lead on a power-play goal from Brayden Low with 8:06 remaining in the second period.

Toledo had a golden opportunity on a quick pass from Hawkins to Bliss in the slot early in the second, but the connection just missed. Hawkins then was all alone in the slot midway through the third, but his shot was stopped by Gravel, who also stopped the follow-up from Mitchell Lewandowski.

Lewandowski joined Hawkins and Bliss on Toledo's top line in place of Tyler Spezia, who was a healthy scratch.

Mikesch said the team needs more secondary scoring.

“We need other guys to take that next step and create some opportunities for themselves,” he said.

The Walleye play at Wheeling on Wednesday before hosting Kalamazoo on Friday.

FISH TALES: The crowd of 7,711 marked the 42nd consecutive sellout at the Huntington Center. The last non-sellout came back on Dec. 3, 2023. … Orlando did not get its first shot of the game until 10:54 left in the first period. … The Walleye went 0 of 4 on the power play, including a 5-on-3 advantage that lasted 40 seconds, over the first two periods.

First Published November 25, 2024, 3:05 a.m.

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Solar Bears' Jarrett Lee attempts to stop Walleye's Trenton Bliss.  (BLADE/REBECCA PARTICKA)
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Walleye's Trenton Bliss takes possession of the puck.  (BLADE/REBECCA PARTICKA)
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BLADE/REBECCA PARTICKA
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