Walleye Watch: Toledo has three-game weekend homestand

2/8/2018

vs. Kansas City

■ When: Friday, 7:15 p.m.

■ TV: BCSN

■ Radio: 1230 AM

■ Breakdown: Toledo (30-12-4), which opens a three-game weekend homestand, continues to lead the Central Division by two points over rival Fort Wayne. The Walleye have won five in a row and seven of their last 10. Kansas City (25-21-1), which has lost two in a row and is 5-5-0 in its last 10, sits fourth in the Central (13 points behind Toledo). The Walleye have the third-most points in the ECHL (64) behind Florida (69) and defending Kelly Cup champion Colorado (66). … Toledo and Kansas City, who meet Friday and Saturday, will have played each other six times since Jan. 13. Toledo won the first meeting here 6-1 and the second meeting 3-0 in K.C. However, the Mavericks won the next two games, 3-1 and 4-2, also in Kansas City. … Toledo is 17-4-0 at the Huntington Center. K.C. is 14-9-0 on the road. … The Walleye rank 10th in goals scored per game in the ECHL at 3.28. The Mavericks rank 24th (2.83). Toledo is second in goals allowed at 2.46 per game, while KC is 14th (3.19). … Newly acquired F Mike Embach is off to a hot start with four points in his first two games in a Walleye uniform. Embach had the game-winning goal and an assist in his debut (a 4-2 win at Indy), then had a goal and an assist Tuesday in a 6-2 win at Wheeling. … Rookie G Matej Machovsky (10-7-1) leads the ECHL in goals-against average (2.01), while veteran G Pat Nagle (20-4-3) leads the league in wins and has the eighth-best GAA (2.45). The tandem has alternated starts in 32 straight games, starting Nov. 18. … The Walleye have 10 players with 20 or more points. F Erik Bradford leads with 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists). Christian Hilbrich has scored a team-high 17 goals and ranks second with 33 points. … F Mark Cooper leads K.C. with 30 points (14 G, 16 A). G Mason McDonald (10-10-1) has a 3.22 GAA. … Friday is “I love the 80s night,” which features a postgame, on-ice, dance party and a fleece blanket giveaway for the first 1,500 in attendance. The team hosts Wichita on Sunday for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles night. For more info go to toledowalleye.com.