From the Toledo Walleye and the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe:
2018 Kelly Cup Playoffs schedule
DIVISION SEMIFINALS: Best-of-Seven Series
- Game 1: Friday, April 13 at 7:35 p.m. | Walleye vs. Indy Fuel |
- Game 2: Sunday, April 15 at 5:15 p.m. | Walleye vs. Indy Fuel |
- Game 3: Wednesday, April 18 at 7:05 p.m. | Walleye at Indy Fuel
- Game 4: Thursday, April 19 at 7:05 p.m. | Walleye at Indy Fuel
- Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, April 21 at 7:35 p.m. | Walleye at Indy Fuel
- Game 6 (if necessary): Tuesday, April 24 at 7:35 p.m. | Walleye vs. Indy Fuel
- Game 7 (if necessary): Wednesday, April 25 at 7:35 p.m. | Walleye vs. Indy Fuel
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: Best-of-Seven Series | April 27 to May 9
CONFERENCE FINALS: Best-of-Seven Series | May 11 to May 23
KELLY CUP FINALS: Best-of-Seven Series | May 25 to June 6
End of the first period, Indy leads Kalamazoo 2-0.
Again the @ToledoWalleye will face the winner of that game in the Central Division semifinals. Game 1 is Friday at the HC.— Mark Monroe (@MonroeBlade) April 8, 2018
Here’s something of a scouting report from Monroe and Walleye coach Dan Watson:
Toledo is 8-1-0 against Indy this season, including a stunning 5-4 win in overtime at Indy on Saturday night. The Walleye are 23-2-1 all-time versus the Fuel.
“We’re excited to get ready for playoffs,” Walleye coach Dan Watson said. “We know Indy can be very dangerous. They won out. We know they will be tough. I think we were 6-0 in their building. But the playoffs are not the regular season. The slates are wiped clean.”
The Walleye were 2-1 at home against the Fuel and 6-0 on the road.
Indy (36-30-6) needed to secure two points in its season finale on Sunday against Kalamazoo. The Fuel took a 2-0 lead. But the Wings, who also could have earned the final spot with a win, scored in the third period to make it 2-1. However, the Fuel held on before a crowd of 3,603 at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
Watson said he watched the Indy/Kalamazoo game intently on Sunday. He said the players also were keeping close tabs on the contest.
“It was a well-played game by both sides,” he said. “Indy got off to another quick start. Kalamazoo made a push. Indy did a good job of capitalizing on mistakes like they always do.”
Several ECHL playoff spots were not determined until the 72nd and final game of the regular season on Sunday.
“It just shows how good our league is and how close these races really are,” Watson said. “Any team can win on any given night. That’s why you want to collect as many points as possible by getting points on the road and taking care of home ice. We got a spot early but the other races were so tight. It’s great for hockey and great for the league that these games do mean something.”
I really dislike the 2-3-2 format. I understand that they do this to save on travel but a split in the first 2 games really gives the lower seed an advantage.