Photo Courtesy of the Toledo Walleye [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/b3a0ad2c-5529-4912-bc9e-6391ac7b90f6.png] Photo Courtesy of the Toledo Walleye The Toledo Walleye [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/latest-news/walleye-receive-echl-hockey-operations-department-of-the-year-award]took complete command of the Western Conference Finals Thursday with a dominant 4-1 victory over the Kansas City Mavericks [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/game-day/down-but-not-out-mavericks-cut-western-conference-finals-deficit-in-toledo]at the Huntington Center. With the win, Toledo now has a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Mavericks fought hard in the opening frame, but neither team could score despite the Walleye having a 15-3 shot advantage. Kansas City, who was 5-for-9 on the power play over the last two games, couldn’t take advantage of six minutes’ worth of Walleye penalties, including a double minor. It would prove to be their undoing. The Fish, who came into the game 6-0 in the post-season when scoring first, put up three goals in the middle frame. Colin Swoyer got the scoring started for Toledo at 3:13 for a 1-0 lead. Brandon Kruse and Dylan Moulton got the assists on the opening goal. The Walleye followed that up with a tally by Conlan Keenan at 8:14 on a breakaway to increase the lead to 2-0. Billy Moskal and Will Hillman had the apples. At 12:02, after taking a penalty, Nick Andrews went on another breakaway as penalty time expired and scored his first professional goal. The sole assist went to Sam Craggs. The Walleye led 3-0 after two and once again thoroughly dominated in the shots-on-goal category 20-5. Trenton Bliss scored the Fish’s final goal of the night at 14:02 to make it 4-0 with a tip-in goal off a shot from Brandon Hawkins [https://thehockeynews.com/echl/players/toledos-hawkins-wins-mvp-award-for-second-consecutive-year]. The secondary assist went to Swoyer, his second point of the evening. With the primary assist, Hawkins tied the franchise record for playoff assists with 50. The Mavericks finally got on the board just over a minute later, when Luke Loheit scored on the power play at 15:30. Landon McCallum and Nathan Dunkley each picked up an assist. It was too little, too late, however. The Mavs face elimination in the series, and the Walleye will try to close it out Saturday night at the Huntington Center. Puck drop is set for 7:15 Pm ET.
