2019 WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI FINAL

TOL – 0
CAL – 2

STARS:
Bobrovsky (30 Saves and the shutout)
Stone (1 G)
Silfverberg (1 G)

California takes the 1-game advantage at home.

TOL – 1
CAL – 2

STARS:
Gaudreau (1 G, 2 Pts)
Grubauer (28 Saves)
Spurgeon (1 G)

California gets the 2-game advantage at home behind some excellent defensive play. On to Toledo …

California sends out Grubauer while the Walleye will have McElhinney in net for this big game.

Instead of the Walleye, its the Regulators who find their offensive swagger early, as a 3 man zone entry catches the Walleye defense off balance and it’s Nelson to Fowler to Nelson to post a tally only 3 minutes into the game. 1-0 California. 8 minutes into the game Faulk is called for holding. The Walleye manage a few shots on goal, but mostly the Regulators are able to knock the Walleye around and keep the puck out of the zone as the PK is successful. A minute later, Barrie gets called for a cross check. The Regulators have the same success as the Walleye on their powerplay, and the period continues on 1-0 California. After each team has a possession, the Walleye find some success on a zone entry and its Mantha to Backstrom to Vanek in front who pokes one in top shelf to level the game at 1 with a little over 3 minutes left in the 1st. California gets a 2 man rush late in the period that is stymied by McElhinney and the period ends tied at 1.

A Huberdeau penalty early in the 2nd gives the Walleye a powerplay, but they show the puck handling skills of a herd of blind walruses and the only good result for the home team is they did not give up a shortie. The offensive woes for the Walleye continues and finally it results in a strong check and steal by Gaudreau which leads to a rush by the visitors and its Staal who makes McElhinney look foolish, and the score goes to 2-1 California with a little over 12 minutes left in the 2nd. A little later a penalty by Daley gives California a chance to increase their lead, but the Walleye are able to crank up the defense and kill it off. A little later the Regulators make a nice entry, finding Nelson open and he puts it in the net, but the goal is waved off due to the net being off its moorings. Panick averted in the Huntington Center …………… for a few minutes, because just before the end of the period, its Fowler to Truba who shoots a low skimmer tipped by Fillpula and the crowd at the Huntington Centre is very quiet looking at a 3-1 lead for the visitors. The Walleye avoid inflicting any more damage on themselves as they make it to intermission down 3-1.

Hope sneaks into the hearts of the Walleye fans when Truba is called for holding early in the 3rd, but the Walleye attack continues to be beat down by the strong defensive effort by California, and another penalty kill is successful for California. Things go from bad to worse when Rodrigues is whistled for a penalty, but at least the defensive PK unit is playing to form and the Walleye thwart the California powerplay keeping the game in reach at 3-1 with just under 14 minutes to go. As the minutes bleed away, the atmosphere in the arena gets more and more desperate until the Regulators smash the hopes of the home crowd with an entry that ends with Truba sending one at goal and Staal getting a nifty deflection into the net to make it 4-1 California with just under 8 minutes left. As more minutes disappear from the clock, the mood is desperate, and just as the clock passes 5, the Walleye find a little magic when Daley fires a rocket from mid range to light the lamp and cut the lead to 2. The Walleye take a go for broke mentality and as the clock passes the 4 minute mark, Krejci finds Barrie at the point, and he pops the puck in, making the score 4-3, and the arena has come back to life. The final 4 minutes sees the Walleye keep the puck in the offensive zone mostly, and as the last minute ticks away, they pull the goalie and get the numbers advantage, but the Regulators are able to clear the zone, and the Walleye finally get in the offenzive zone with only 30 seconds left. A rebound is cleared to the neutral zone, and with one more zone entry the Walleye get a desperation shot by Mantha, stopped by Grubauer, but the rebound goes to MacDonald in front and he finds an opening, popping the puck into the net with only one second left on the clock. Bedlam in the Huntington Centre as the scoreboard reads 4-4. The final second bleeds away on the ensuing faceoff and fortunately for the frenzied fans who did not bail at the 8 minute mark, some time to recover heading to OT.

Overtime does not even come close to matching up to the excitement of the 3rd period, as the Walleye win the faceoff, and the zone entry goes Vanek to Green back to Vanek and the blast into the net at 19:48 of the overtime period, sending the Walleye faithful home ecstatic. 5-4 Toledo in overtime.

1st star – Vanek 2g (GWG)
2nd – Staal 2g
3rd – Barrie 1g1a

Truba and Fowler 2 assists each for CAL
Backstrom 3 assists for TOL

Toledo avoids getting into the 0-3 hole from which no-one can recover with an exciting come from behind overtime win. Game 4 in Toledo coming up shortly.

Both teams come out playing conservatively with not much of a threat on either side until California gets a 3 on 1 rush seven minutes into the game, but McElhinney is up to the challange and a glove save ends the scare with no damage. Its a much less threatening efforts that puts the first mark on the scoreboard when a minute later, the Regulators take a rebound out of their own zone and Rask to Trouba, with a low shot deflected by Filppula into the net puts the visitors up 1-0. The lead is short lived however, as the Walleye convert a zone entry into a penetration shot by Mantha, accompanied by an ESPN worthy deke, that gets the puck into the goal, and erases the zero on the Toledo side of the scoreboard. All tied at 1 with just under 9 minutes left in the 1st period. Both defenses play solid for the next 5 minutes until Sedin is called for hooking. The Walleye get a few shots on goal with no damage until Backstrom takes the puck behind the net and fakes out Bobrovsky with a wrap around into the net just before the penalty expires, making it 2-1 Toledo. The clock runs out with the score at 2-1 Toledo.

The 2nd period sees both teams play conservatively, waiting for the other to make a mistake. But no penalties, no breakaways, and no scores. The teams combine for 30 shots with no goals. And much to the delight of the Toledo crowd, the Walleyes continue to lead the game 2-1.

With a 1 goal game, both teams continue the conservative play until Gaudreau is whistled for elbowing just 2 minutes into the period. Just after Backstrom gets blasted off the puck, Mike Green finds it and an open lane to the net, blasting a slap shot into the net to nudge the lead up to 2 goals with a lot of time left in the 3rd. Toledo continues to play mistake free hockey, while California turns up the pressure with 3 forecheckers. Both teams are able to stay out of the penalty box the rest of the game. The final 3 minutes takes place in the Toledo end with McElhinney stopping shot after when, whenever one of the Walleye can’t throw their body in front of a shot. 23 shots in the period for California and none find the back of the net, allowing the Walleye to hang on for the 3-1 win.

1st star – McElhinney 42 saves, 1GA
2nd – Mantha 1g1a
3rd – Backstrom 1g1a

Bobrovsky 36 saves.

Toledo holds serve with a 3-1 win in game 4 of the series. All tied up at 2 games apiece. Heading out to sunny California for game 5. Goals are all even at 9 after 4 games.

This time, its California that gets the W in OT.

TOL – 2
CAL – 3

STARS:
Sedin (1G, 2 Pts)
Fault (1G, GWG w/ 2:17 left in OT)
Bobrovsky (30 saves)

The series shifts back to Toledo with California up 3-2.

The Walleye sends out Devan Dubnyk, while California sends Philipp Grubauer.

The horn sounds early when Anisimov blasts a slapper into the goal. But when the replay is reviewed, the zebras say “no goal”, and a disgruntled Walleye team try to get back into gear. The ensuing faceoff sees the Walleye run their favorite play and its Krejci to Barrie with a saucer at the net which is deflected by van Riemsdyk into goal. Toledo up 1-0. Play muddles along a few more minutes until the Walleye gain the zone and BAcksrom finds Mantha in the slot, pops it in, and the home team is estatic to be ahead 2-0 only 5 minutes into the game. The period then sees both team commit penalties, 2 each, the rest of the way, with both penalty kill units perform perfectly, and the period ends 2-0 Walleye.

2nd period opens up with another California penalty, and with the Walleye looking to take a commanding lead, the Walruses show up on the ice, turning the puck over for a breakaway by the Regulators, and Silfverberg turns the tables on Toledo, cutting the lead to 1 on a nice shortie. Midway through the 2nd, Toledo gets their act together and sets up Krejci who converts the opportunity to make it 3-1 Toledo. Both defenses then take control, even though the Regulators get 18 shots on goal, controlling the pace of play, they do no more damage and the 2nd period ends 3-1 Walleye.

3rd period sees California turn up the heat, trying for a turnover, but it turns out a simple play run off a neutral zone face off frees up Schmaltz on a zone entry and he takes advantage to blast a howitzer from the point, past Dubnyk, to cut the lead to 1 at the 13 minute mark. A Santini hooking penalty is then killed off by the Walleye getting the game to the 11 minute mark. Shortly after, the Walleye run the same play as the Regulators, and its van Riemsdyk with a slap shot from out side on the zone entry to give the Walleye breathing room, 4-2 with 10 minutes to play. Both teams then play clean the rest of the way, and both goalies are up to the task, keeping the lamp unlit until the end. Game ends 4-2 Toledo.

1st star – van Riemsdyk 2g
2nd – Dubnyk 49 saves, 2 GA
3rd – Krejci 1g2a

Toledo finds a way to take command of Game 6 early and avoid a letdown, behind stellar play of Devan Dubnyk, 49 saves. California has its most impressive game control session, getting 51 shots on goal.

Series is tied 3-3 heading back to California for the big game 7.

coming with just 4:45 on the clock in the 3rd.

TOL – 1
CAL – 2

STARS:
Barzal (1G, 2 Pts)
Dubnyk (49 saves)
Reinhart (1G)