The Toledo Walleye have a 3-0 series lead against the Kalamazoo Wings in the first round of the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs. While forward Brandon Hawkins continues his offensive surge, the goaltending duo of John Lethemon and Jan Bednar have shut the door and allowed little as the Wings look for answers.
Walleye’s Lethemon, Bednar both shine between the pipes
Toledo has outscored Kalamazoo 14-6 in the three games played and looks to eliminate the Wings in game four on April 26 at the Wings Event Center. Lehtemon and Bednar have been tremendously good between the pipes, making saves look easy and tossing pucks aside at every opportunity. Both goaltenders are stopping nearly every shot they face and are giving up few second chances due to the overall team defensive play in front of them.
Lethemon is 2-0 with a 1.97 goals-against-average and a .931 save percentage in the playoffs, while Bednar is 1-0 with a 2.00 GAA and a .917 save percentage. Their hot play continues after a successful regular season that allows the duo to prepare for the postseason. The team as a whole is playing excellent hockey and that is the reason they are up 3-0 in the series with a chance to close it out on the visitors home ice.
While Lehtemon is assuming number one goaltender status, Bednar is right there with him. If one falters or has a bad game, the other steps right in and plays well. Toledo can safely say they have two number one goaltenders and two that give the team a chance to win every night. The goaltending duo of the Walleye is full of confidence, and the team feeds off of that, giving them an extra dose of momentum as they head into game four. The Walleye are riding high right now because of the play by Lehtemon and Bednar. Toledo knows if they make a mistake, they have a brick wall in the net. Toledo is capable of big things this postseason, but knowing they have Lethemon and Bednar as their goaltenders raises playoff expectations.
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