Toledo Walleye goalie Billy Christopoulos skates onto the ice during team introductions before Game 2 of the ECHL Kelly Cup finals. (Matt Buchanan/Huntington Center, downtown Toledo, Ohio)
Goose!
The best part of Game 2 of the Kelly Cup finals may indeed have been the introductions. This show never gets old.
tags: toledowalleye hockey echl toledo
photo posted by matt in Saturday, June 4, 2022
We went to Game 2 of the ECHL Kelly Cup finals last night. The Walleye continued to struggle, spanning four periods between goals (going back to Game 1). The team is struggling all around - passing is less crisp and guys are just not in the positions they should be, leading to missed opportunities and turnovers. The first two games of this series are not representative of Toledo hockey, but, unfortunately, we've got to live with it. Hopefully they can start a rally in Game 3...on the road.
tags: toledowalleye hockey echl
postposted by matt in Saturday, June 4, 2022
Walleye win 5 to 1, clinching a trip to the Kelly Cup finals. And I watched the entire game.
tags: toledowalleye echl hockey
postposted by matt in Saturday, May 28, 2022
Greatest comeback in Toledo hockey history?
tags: toledowalleye hockey echl
posted by matt in Friday, May 27, 2022
I broke a long-standing vow of mine yesterday.
Well, kind of.
Long ago, as a freshman at Ohio State, I left a football game in the fourth quarter as my beloved Buckeyes trailed LSU by 13 points. The game looked hopeless to me and my mates, so we decided to pack it in and head home early. When I eventually made it to my dorm room, I noticed my roommate glued to the tiny television in our common room. He glanced at me and my friends and gave us a simple "you're not going to believe this." We knew right away that the Buckeyes had somehow made a game of it, and then sat and watched—on television—the last few seconds of what is considered one of the greatest games ever played in Ohio Stadium.
I missed it. And I vowed right then and there to never again leave a game early.
And I haven't. Whenever we go to a sporting event, we stay to the end, no matter what. Usually we even stay a bit longer, especially for hockey games—you've got to see the three stars, after all.
Well, I broke that vow last night. Sort of.
Our beloved Toledo Walleye are playing in the ECHL Western Conference Finals. I watched the first period at Renee's parents' house, and it was awful. It's probably the worst twenty minutes of hockey I've ever seen a Walleye team play. They were down 0-4 at the end of the first, and I packed it in. Hopeless, I said, and left.
I couldn't watch the game at home (it's minor league hockey…streaming is a bit of a challenge), but checked the score later as I was headed to bed (they're playing in Utah, so the game was on relatively late). 2-4 half way through the third period.
Interesting.
I checked again with five minutes to go.
Tied.
Again.
Overtime.
Again.
Still tied.
Again.
Walleye win 5-4, about five minutes into the overtime period.
Damn! Probably one of the greatest comebacks in Toledo hockey history, in a playoff game no less, and I missed it!
But, technically, I wasn't at the game, so I didn't break my vow to never again leave a game early.
Right?
Anyways, the Walleye play again tonight and could win the series on the road. I'll be at Renee's parents' house again, and there's no way I'm leaving early.
No matter what.
tags: toledowalleye hockey echl sports ohiostatebuckeyes
postposted by matt in Saturday, May 28, 2022