Despite losing 2-0 to the conference champion Reading Royals, the Toledo Walleye clinched a spot in the ECHL playoffs with a little help from the Wheeling Nailers on March 24.
The Nailers held on and defeated the Kalamazoo Wings, who were ninth in the standings and trailed the Walleye by seven points.
Despite gaining a point from a shootout loss, the Wings could at best tie Toledo in total points, but the Walleye would have the advantage in the tiebreaker.
According to the ECHL website, the first tiebreaker is total wins excluding shootout victories. If the Wings were to win their final three games, they would have 31 wins. Toledo already has 35 and no shootout wins.
Walleye head coach Nick Vitucci said the March 24 loss was “bittersweet.”
“I was excited, our effort was night and day compared to last night and that’s a top team in the conference and we ran right with them, thrilled about out last 70 minutes of hockey against this hockey club here.”
Vitucci said he knew after the second period about Kalamazoo’s shootout loss but waited to spread the news until trainer Brad Fredrick could confirm it — from his cellphone on the team bench during the final stanza.
Vitucci then told his captain Kyle Rogers and alternate captain Randy Rowe.
Later in the period, the final was announced and the 7,071 attendees gave the team a standing ovation for clinching the playoffs for the second time in Walleye history.
Despite the pressure of making the postseason being lifted, Rogers said there is still some work to be done before the playoffs start, which could be as soon as April 3.
“It’s a great feeling; maybe loosen up the hands a little bit and maybe the guys will play a little better,” he said. “We can’t sit back, we have to go hard and practice and go harder actually to get better and to improve so we don’t get four-and-out in the first round.”
Defenseman Wes O’Neill noted one adjustment will need to be the team’s power play, which is 18th in the ECHL at 15.2 percent (70-of-256). Only two other playoff-bound teams have worse execution with a man advantage.
The Walleye have been in playoff contention for most of the year and during the NHL lockout the team had the depth and talent to potentially take the North Division crown. Once the lockout ended in January, however, the Walleye — who had a share of first place in the division — lost five players in a 24-hour span. The five called up to the American Hockey League, including playmakers Byron Froese, Ben Youds and Terry Broadhurst, combined for 84 points. Froese and Youds would intermittently find themselves on the Walleye roster and Youds finished the season in Toledo.
Vitucci said he is unsure whether the AHL affiliates will send any players down to help the Walleye’s playoff run.
While the Walleye were looking to fill their roster, they signed Nino Musitelli on Jan. 15 and he remained with the team, scoring 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 31 games.
The Walleye took advantage of having Trevor Parkes in the lineup when he was sent down from the Grand Rapids Griffins. Parkes’ presence is especially felt on special teams, accounting for six power play goals in 17 games with the Walleye.
For some players, such as 32-year-old Rowe, this could be one of the last postseason appearances.
“Might be my last year, might not; I don’t have too many more years left at all,” Rowe said. “[Making the playoffs is] really important, especially with the group of guys we have here because I respect all these guys and it’s a good group of guys and if there’s a
team to do it, I think we’ve got a good bunch of guys to do it.”
Rogers said he would “want to try to do everything I can for him to get into the playoffs this year.”
O’Neill said while the team is happy to clinch a playoff spot, the players’ goals are high.
“We want to win it. We’re not just happy to get there, we’re going to hopefully play hockey for a couple more months,” O’Neill said. “Once we get there, we have to step up our game
another notch.”
