The Toledo Walleye will meet the Kalamazoo Wings in a battle of Central Division Rivals in the opening round of the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Veteran ECHL writer Justin Cohn breaks down the series and tells you what you need to be watching out for.

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Central Division Semifinals

No. 1 Toledo Walleye (48-14-9) vs. No. 4 Kalamazoo Wings (38-30-4)

• Game 1 – Friday, April 19 at 7:15 p.m. ET at Toledo
• Game 2 – Saturday, April 20 at 7:15 p.m. ET at Toledo
• Game 3 – Wednesday, April 24 at 7 p.m. ET at Kalamazoo
• Game 4 – Friday, April 26 at 7 p.m. ET at Kalamazoo
• Game 5 – Saturday, April 27 at 7:15 p.m. ET at Toledo (If Necessary)
• Game 6 – Tuesday, April 30 at 7 p.m. ET at Kalamazoo (If Necessary)
• Game 7 – Wednesday, May 1 at 7:15 p.m. ET at Toledo (If Necessary)

Toledo And Kalamazoo Top Scorers

Toledo’s Brandon Hawkins had 40 goals (1st in ECHL) and 93 points (1st in ECHL) during the regular season; Kalamazoo’s Erik Bradford had 30 goals and 87 points (2nd in ECHL)

What You Need To Know About The Toledo Walleye

The home-ice advantage is big here. Toledo is 23-7-6 at the Huntington Center, one of the loudest, toughest places to play in the ECHL, though the Walleye is only 3-4-0 against the Wings at the Bank Tank. While Toledo’s offense is what everyone talks about, and deservedly so with a lineup that includes Hawkins, Trenton Bliss and Sam Craggs, the defense has been terrific lately. During its current 14-game winning streak, Toledo has allowed more than two goals only three times.

What You Need To Know About The Kalamazoo Wings

The Wings dominated the regular-season series with a 9-3-1 record against the Walleye. That’s no small feat, since no one else could consistently figure out the speedy, opportunistic Walleye. Kalamazoo did it by playing a defensive-minded, physical game against Toledo, epitomized by rugged defenseman Chaz Reddekopp. Kalamazoo hasn’t been to the postseason since 2019 and hasn’t won a playoff series since 2012, but coach Joel Martin has gotten his team to buy into the blue-collar style of play; no one other than Bradford has more than 50 points.

Two Players To Watch In Toledo-Kalamazoo Series

Toledo’s Riley McCourt cemented his status as one of the ECHL’s top offensive defensemen with eight goals and 52 points during the regular season. Toledo is especially dangerous on the power play – it ranked second at 25.6% efficiency – and McCourt totaled one goal and 20 assists with the man-advantage. Kalamazoo forward Josh Passolt, meanwhile, has become a dynamo at even-strength play. Of his 25 regular-season goals, only three were scored on power plays, and his performances lately – five goals and 11 points over the his last 12 games – have greatly taken the pressure off Bradford.

X-Factor For The Toledo-Kalamazoo Series

Goaltending. The Toledo goaltending tandem of John Lethemon, the ECHL’s Goaltender of the Year in 2022-23, and Jan Bednar was suspect early in the season, but they’ve looked terrific the past month. Presumably, Kalamazoo’s Game 1 starter will be Jonathan Lemieux, who’s on an AHL contract with Abbotsford, but the scariest goalie in this series may be Kalamazoo’s Hunter Vorva, who can flat take over games. Against Toledo, he had a 5-1-0 record with a 2.07 GAA and a .938 save percentage during the regular season, easily the best stats of the four goalies in the series.

Toledo Walleye Vs. Kalamazoo Wings Predictions

It’s tough to throw out what I saw in the regular season, which was Kalamazoo dominance, but Toledo is rolling along nicely, hasn’t faced Kalamazoo since March 10, and a 2-2-1-1-1 format to this benefits the Walleye. Toledo wins in six games.

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