Morellis Cleaners Game Preview: Fuel at Walleye
Game 55
Sunday, February 26, 2017
5:15 p.m. – Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio
Broadcast Info: CBS Sports 1430, ECHL.TV, @IndyFuel
After dropping the first two legs of a 3-in-3 set, the Indy Fuel (15-35-2-2) close out their weekend Sunday when they visit the Toledo Walleye (38-12-2-1) at Huntington Center. The 5:15 p.m. ET puck drop will be broadcast live on CBS Sports 1430, as well as online through ECHL.TV. Those back in Indianapolis can catch the action at Squealers Barbeque Grill in Castleton for the official road watch party, with food and drink specials in store for Fuel fans.
With only one win in their last 12 games (1-10-1-0), the Fuel must try to find a way to upend a Toledo team that has won six in a row. After falling 5-1 on home ice Friday to the Fort Wayne Komets, Indy staged a better performance Saturday in Cincinnati, but the club could not reverse a third period deficit in an eventual 3-2 loss to the Cyclones. Tyler Barnes and Travis Armstrong supplied the Fuel goals, while goaltender Eric Levine stopped 33 of 36 shots in the setback.
Entering the final quadrant of its 2016-17 schedule, Indy looks to finish strong despite being all but out of the Central Division playoff position. With 18 games left to play, the Fuel are two points back from the sixth-place Wichita Thunder, and 22 points back from the Kalamazoo Wings for the all-important fourth spot in the Central. The top four teams in each division qualify for the Kelly Cup Playoffs. After Sunday’s game in Ohio, Indy will play six of their next eight games at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
Meanwhile, Toledo finds itself in a battle not for a playoff position, but for the top spot in the Western Conference. Atop the Central standings with 79 points, the Walleye look to catch the streaking Colorado Eagles (80 points) for first place in the West and the entire ECHL.
Entering Sunday on a six game winning streak, Toledo welcomes Indy to close a tripleheader at home, after defeating the Wheeling Nailers 7-0 Friday and 4-3 in overtime Saturday. The Walleye has been dominant on both sides of the puck this season – ranking first in the league in team scoring with 4.17 goals per game, while their defense sits in second with 2.81 goals allowed per game. During their current tear, Toledo has outscored opponents by a 31-8 margin.
Inside the Matchup: Sunday is only the second of five encounters between the Fuel and Walleye this season, and the first of three at Huntington Center. Toledo grabbed a 4-1 victory at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Jan. 20 to begin the 2016-17 campaign, the Walleye’s seventh straight victory over Indy dating back to last year. The Fuel hold a 1-10-0-2 record all-time against the Detroit Red Wings affiliate, with the lone victory coming in a shootout to open the 2015-16 season, back on Oct. 16, 2015.
Who to Watch: With Indy’s first goal Saturday in Cincinnati, Tyler Barnes (5g, 10a) has now recorded points in eight of his last 10 games. The forward has a total of four goals and four assists over that span … Alex Wideman picked up two assists Saturday, giving the All-Star forward four helpers in his last three games. Wideman leads all Fuel players with 26 assists on the season.
Toledo rookie Tyson Spink enters Sunday’s game with goals in six straight games, the longest active streak in the ECHL. Spink has tallied eight goals and two assists since Feb. 12, with his 29 goals and 61 points overall this season both tops among all Walleye skaters … Tyson’s twin brother Tylor has racked up 10 points (3g, 7a) over his previous six outings … Forward A.J. Jenks has three goals and three assists over his last three games, including a four point performance (1g, 3a) Friday against Wheeling.
Worth Noting: Indy enters Sunday with a 1-7-0-0 mark in the third game of 3-in-3 series this season … Toledo is 23-3-1-0 this season when scoring the first goal of the game … With only 18 games left to play, the Fuel are officially three-quarters of the way through their 2016-17 schedule. Through 54 games, Indy’s 34 points is 20 off the pace they set in 2015-16, where they held a 26-26-2-0 record … Tyson and Tylor Spink rank first and second in league scoring among active rookies with 61 and 56 points respectively … Indy has only outshot opponents 10 times this season, showing a 2-7-1-0 record in those games … Walleye goaltender Jake Paterson leads the ECHL with 26 wins … The Fuel rank 27th in the league in team defense, surrendering 3.93 goals against per game … Toledo forward Shane Berschbach’s 25 power play points is third-most in the ECHL.
–ECHL MEDIA KIT–
The post Fuel visit streaking Walleye Sunday afternoon appeared first on Indy Fuel Hockey.