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Fort Wayne's Curtis Leonard battles Toledo's Christian Hilbrich for control of the puck.
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Sluggish Walleye drop Game 1 of division finals to Fort Wayne

Blade/Katie Rausch

Sluggish Walleye drop Game 1 of division finals to Fort Wayne

The sluggish Toledo Walleye picked a terrible time to have one of their worst outings of the year Saturday, as they struggled to generate shots and allowed too many chances to rival Fort Wayne.

The Walleye were held to a season-low 15 shots on goal and handed Game 1 of their Central Division final series 5-3 to a determined Komets team before a capacity crowd of 8,000 at the Huntington Center.

Toledo was outshot 36-15, including 21-5 in the first period. But the Walleye still led three times in the Kelly Cup playoff game, including 3-1 early in the second. But Fort Wayne scored three unanswered goals to take a 4-3 lead late in that period and cruised from there.

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Walleye forward A.J. Jenks scored two power-play goals in the first. Defenseman Patrick McCarron then gave Toledo a two-goal lead in the second.

PHOTO GALLERY: Komets 5, Walleye 3

VIDEO: Walleye drop Game 1 to Komets

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However, Fort Wayne forward Dennis Kravchenko then scored two goals, including the game-winner.

With that, the Komets seized a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. Game 2 is set for 5:15 p.m. Sunday at the Huntington Center.

“We got outplayed,” Toledo coach Dan Watson said. “It was a game full of mistakes. There were too many [trouble areas] to just pinpoint one thing. They handled us. That could arguably be one of the worst performances we've had five on five all year long. They were more determined than us tonight.”

The Walleye's previous season-low for shots in a game was 30. Toledo had trouble sustaining any pressure throughout. The Komets held the Walleye to a season-low for shots in a period in the first (5) and second (3).

The previous season low for shots in a period was six, set on April 13 against Indy — also the low for shots in a game (30).

Jenks, who now has three goals in the playoffs, said his team must do a lot better job taking care of the puck.

“We gave them too much easy offense,” Jenks said. “We turned too many pucks over at the blue lines. We just have to make harder plays and be harder on bodies. We didn't generate enough.”

Toledo goaltender Pat Nagle made 25 stops through two periods. Nagle, who suffered his first loss of the postseason, finished with 31 saves.

The Walleye scored on their second shot of the game, when Jenks deflected a shot from the point by defenseman Simon Denis 6 minutes, 8 seconds into the contest.

Fort Wayne tied it on a bouncing puck that eluded Nagle with 11 minutes to go in the first. Marc-Olivier Roy's shot deflected off teammate Ryan Lowney and bounded by Nagle.

Toledo regained the one-goal lead, when Jenks then tipped in another long shot from the point by Denis with 46 seconds remaining in the first.

The two teams then combined for three goals in the first 5:15 of the second.

The Walleye scored on their first shot of the period, as McCarron ripped a slapshot past Fort Wayne goalie Michael Houser 2:01 in as Toledo surged to a 3-1 advantage.

But Fort Wayne made it 3-2 on a goal from Shawn Szydlowski, who led the ECHL in scoring in the regular season. On the very next shot, the Komets’ Garrett Thompson then tied it at 3 with 14:45 remaining in the second, as he beat Nagle under his right arm with a well-placed snap shot.

Fort Wayne then seized a 4-3 lead on a goal from Kravchenko with five minutes to go in the second.

Kravchenko also had two assists, and Szydlowski added two assists.

Fort Wayne coach Gary Graham said he liked his team's resiliency.

“Getting down 3-1 and giving up two power-play goals was not the start we were looking for,” Graham said. “But we did a good job executing. It was a good defensive effort. You don't need skill to play defense. It's a willingness to compete. You have to play a patient game against this team. You sometimes have to play ugly hockey against them.”

Toledo, which eliminated the Komets in 2015 and 2017, is now 2-6-1 against Fort Wayne this season.

“We know it will be hard,” Watson said. “We knew they were offensive. We knew they could score at will and they did that tonight. I think our guys understand now what it's going to be like, especially the young guys that haven't been in this rivalry. So we'll lean on our leadership to get us back into this.”

Watson said the team must shore up their puck management and be able to get out of their own zone cleanly. He also said Toledo must have better puck support, get more pucks on net, and get in on rebounds. He also said the team must be more willing to battle.

Toledo hit the post twice and had several other quality chances that did not result in a shot on goal.

“We were still right there,” Jenks said. “We had some good chances. We just have to execute better. We'll get right back at it with a much better effort tomorrow. It's a new day and it's only the first game of a long series.”

Graham said he expects a huge push-back from the Walleye in Game 2.

“The thing that is always exciting about playing a Dan Watson coached team is that they will be ready to go tomorrow,” Graham said. “They will make adjustments. So let the chess match begin.”

Toledo had eight days off after sweeping Indy 4-0 in a Central Division semifinal series. Fort Wayne had five days of rest after eliminating Cincinnati 4-1 in the other series.

Watson, who said his team was not hurt by the layoff, said he was pleased his team won the special teams battle. Toledo was 2 of 3 on the power play and Fort Wayne was 0 of 2.

“The one thing I do like is that we get to turn the page and get right back at it [Sunday],” Watson said. “It is how quickly we can turn the page and move on.”

FISH TALES: A large contingent of Fort Wayne supporters could be heard during the game as they sported their orange and black gear. ... Walleye forward Shane Berschbach, the franchise's all-time leading point producer, continues to be snake bit in the postseason. He hit the far post with a shot near the midpoint of the first. Berschbach then assisted on Toledo's second goal to post his first points of the postseason.

Contact Mark Monroe at: mmonroe@theblade.com419-724-6354, or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.

First Published April 29, 2018, 2:07 a.m.

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Fort Wayne's Curtis Leonard battles Toledo's Christian Hilbrich for control of the puck.  (Blade/Katie Rausch)
Fort Wayne players celebrate a goal by Dennis Kravchenko, top right, against Toledo's goalie Pat Nagle during Game 1 of the Central Division finals series Saturday at the Huntington Center in downtown Toledo.  (Blade/Katie Rausch)
Toledo Walleye mascot Spike waves the flag at these start Saturday's Central Division finals Game 1 against the Fort Wayne Komets.  (Blade/Katie Rausch)
Toledo's A.J. Jenks scores on Fort Wayne's goalie Michael Houser in the first period of Saturday's playoff game at the Huntington Center.  (Blade/Katie Rausch)
A.J. Jenks, second from left, celebrates his goal for the Toledo Walleye against the Fort Wayne Komets Saturday, April 28, 2018, at the Huntington Center. The Walleye lost Game 1 of the Central Division finals series, 5-3.  (Blade/Katie Rausch)
Toledo's Mike Embach battles a pack of Fort Wayne defenders.  (Blade/Katie Rausch)
Fort Wayne goalie Michael Houser stops a shot by Toledo's Shane Berschbach.  (Blade/Katie Rausch)
Fort Wayne's goalie Michael Houser keeps an eye on the puck as teammate Bobby Shea goes flying off a hit from a Toledo Walleye player.  (Blade/Katie Rausch)
Toledo's Patrick McCarron and Fort Wayne's Jamie Schaafsma get into a grappling match during Saturday's playoff game at the Huntington Center.  (Blade/Katie Rausch)
Walleye goalie Pat Nagle rebuffs a shot by Mason Baptista of the Komets.  (Blade/Katie Rausch)
Blade/Katie Rausch
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