The Toledo Walleye stayed perfect in the young ECHL season Saturday night, beating the Wheeling Nailers 4-2 at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia. Toledo improved to 3-0-0-0 with the road win, one night after opening the weekend with a 5-2 victory at Indy.
Toledo struck first when Will Hillman scored at 11:38 of the first period, assisted by Tanner Dickinson and Jordan Ernst. Wheeling answered late in the period, with Logan Pietila tying the game 1-1 at 18:27 off assists from Matthew Quercia and Brent Johnson, and the teams went to the first intermission even.
The Walleye took control in the second period. Colin Swoyer scored at 4:58, assisted by Samu Tuomaala, and Tanner Dickinson made it 3-1 at 14:45 off an assist from Bobby Russell. Dickinson finished the night with a goal and an assist, while Hillman also recorded a goal and an assist for Toledo.
Nolan Moyle added insurance in the third period, scoring on the power play at 14:55, assisted by Nick Andrews, to push the lead to 4-1. Wheeling’s Craig Armstrong answered with a power-play goal at 17:33, assisted by Pietila and Zach Uens, but the Nailers could get no closer.
Toledo goaltender Carter Gylander earned the win with 19 saves on 21 shots. Wheeling’s Maxim Pavlenko took the loss with 20 saves on 24 shots. The Walleye also won the special-teams battle in the closing stages, converting with the man advantage to build the two-goal cushion that held up.
Wheeling fell to 1-2-0-0 with the loss, and Pietila’s goal and assist led the Nailers’ offense. The Nailers scored both of their goals with assists from their top line but could not match Toledo’s balanced scoring, which produced a goal in every period.
Toledo’s 3-0 start gives the Walleye early momentum in the ECHL’s Central Division as the club returns home. The Walleye’s next test comes with the home crowd at the Huntington Center behind them, where Toledo will look to extend the season-opening win streak to four. Through three games, Toledo has outscored its opponents with scoring in every period Saturday, a balance the club will count on as the division schedule tightens in November.
Photo: Joel Washing, CC BY 2.0 — Toledo Walleye at the Huntington Center