Walleye lose to Cincinnati in shootout

3/4/2012

For the third consecutive game the Toledo Walleye went to a shootout.

Toledo had won two straight in shootouts but the Walleye fell short on Sunday, losing 4-3 to Cincinnati.

The Walleye fell behind the Cyclones 3-0 after one period before rallying with three unanswered goals to tie it in regulation.

After a scoreless OT, three Cincinnati players scored and Cyclone goalie Chet Pickard stopped three Toledo shooters to post the win.

Rookie Joey Martin, enforcer Riley Emmerson, and veteran Todd Griffith scored for Toledo during regulation.

The Walleye (26-28-5) came into the game on a two-game winning streak. But a slow start appeared to doom Toledo’s playoff aspirations as the season enters the home stretch.

But the Walleye tied it up on a fine all-around play by Griffith. Griffith intercepted the puck to set up his own tying goal that made it 3-3 with 10:55 left.

Down 3-0 in the second period, Toledo scored two goals just 38 seconds apart to make it 3-2. Emmerson and Martin scored on consecutive shots before a crowd of 6,569 at the Huntington Center.

With his team down, 3-0 Emmerson tipped in a shot by Matt Krug from the point.

Martin then corralled a rebound off of a shot by David Toews. Martin made a move to his forehand and beat Pickard.

Martin leads the team with 42 points (19 goals and 23 assists).

Emmerson, who was acquired in a trade from Utah on Jan. 19, now has four points in 22 games for Toledo. He also had an assist.

Griffith scored his 14th goal of the season on an assist from David Gilbert.

Cincinnati (29-21-8), which had occupied the eighth and final playoff spot in the ECHL Eastern Conference, solidified its spot.

The Walleye have six consecutive games on the road over the next two weeks.