Photo Courtesy of the Indy Fuel [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/13a90a3b-44ac-465f-b8a3-616d61a7e734.jpeg] Photo Courtesy of the Indy Fuel One part of the Central Division Finals is now set, following the Toledo Walleye’s [https://www.toledowalleye.com/]4-2 victory over the Indy Fuel [https://indyfuelhockey.com/]Tuesday night. Toledo swept the seven-game series in four games and will meet the winner of the Fort Wayne Komets-Iowa Heartlanders series. Regardless of the opponent, the division finals will begin at the Huntington Center in Toledo starting May 2. The Walleye got off to a slow start, as Indy did not allow a shot on goal until after the 10:00 mark of the opening period. The Walleye move on to the Central Division Finals. Matt Anderson got Toledo on the board at 11:29, going coast-to-coast and finishing bar down for a 1-0 lead. Goaltender Carter Gylander had the sole assist on the opening tally. The Walleye scored their only power-play goal in eight attempts when Mitch Lewandowski potted a goal at 7:08 of the second period. At the beginning of the third, Indy went on the 5-on-3 man-advantage after a controversial call on Carson Bantle, followed by a high-stick by Colin Swoyer. As the Fish killed Bantle’s infraction, he went on a breakaway after stepping out of the sin bin and scoring a shorthanded goal at 4:48. It proved to be a pivotal point in the game. Indy followed it up with their own power-play tally 30 seconds later to make it 3-1. The Fuel then narrowed the margin to 3-2 at 17:03 of the third period and continued to peck away in hopes of staying alive. However, Sam Craggs dashed Indy’s playoff hopes with an empty net goal with 10 seconds remaining in regulation for the 4-2 final, sending the Fuel home and advancing the Walleye to the division finals. Here’s a look at other Kelly Cup Playoff action from Tuesday night. HEARTLANDERS PULL OUT DOUBLE OVERTIME WIN In the other Central Division semifinal matchup, the Iowa Heartlanders [https://iowaheartlanders.com/]outdueled the Fort Wayne Komets [https://komets.com/]3-2 in double overtime. Iowa pulled even in the series 2-2. Photo Courtesy of the Iowa Heartlanders [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/fe7adc1a-9943-4060-8746-c8ef2c843b87.png] Photo Courtesy of the Iowa Heartlanders Heartlanders defenseman Zeteny Hadobas scored the game-winning goal [https://x.com/GoHeartlanders/status/1914893409766068235]at 7:07 of the second overtime to earn the hard-fought victory. It was the longest game in Iowa’s franchise history at three hours and forty-five minutes. Hadobas earned his first ever playoff point with the top-shelf goal. Matthew Sop recorded three assists on the evening. Jack O’Brien scored once and earned the primary helper on the OT winner. Mike Koster opened up the scoring 13 minutes into the opening period with his first professional goal. Sop and Dakota Raabe were credited with the assists. In the final minutes of the period, O’Brien notched a back-door, power-play goal to extend Iowa’s lead to 2-0. Koster and Sop earned their second points of the game with the assists. In the second period, Alex Swetlikoff slashed the Heartlanders lead to 2-1 on the power play. Odeen Tufto tied the game at two with another power-play goal in the final seven minutes of the third to force OT. William Rousseau made 32 saves in the victory for his first playoff win. Nathaniel Day stopped 35 shots in the defeat. Game 5 is Thursday at Xtream Arena, with puck drop set for 7:05 Pm CT. MAVERICKS TAKE SECOND STRAIGHT GAME IN MOUNTAIN DIVISION SEMIFINALS After dropping the first game of their division semifinal series with the Tulsa Oilers [https://tulsaoilers.com/], the Kansas City Mavericks [https://kcmavericks.com/]have won two straight following a 5-1 triumph in Game 3 at the BOK Center in Tulsa. Photo Courtesy of the Kansas City Mavericks [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/4914f3fd-8a75-43a6-9601-3da3991705b2.jpeg] Photo Courtesy of the Kansas City Mavericks The Mavericks’ Cade Borchardt opened the scoring for the second consecutive game, jumping on a loose puck for a breakaway tuck 12:11 into the contest. Damien Giroux increased KC’s lead to 2-0 with a tip off a David Cotton shot 9:01 into the middle frame. Zack Trott, Charlie Wright and Cotton added three goals in a 2:36 span to send Kansas City up 5-0 through two periods. Mike McKee scored the Oilers’ only goal of the night, spoiling Jack LaFontaine’s shutout with 3:59 remaining in the game and closing the score 5-1. The Oilers look to even the series when they host the Mavericks for Game 4 on Thursday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 Pm CT.
