ECHL hockey: Florida Everblades blown out by Toledo Walleye

The Toledo Walleye scored the game's first seven goals in an 8-2 victory over the Florida Everblades at Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio, on Saturday night.

Despite the loss, the Everblades still clinched a playoff spot on Saturday by virtue of Cincinnati's 1-0 loss at Fort Wayne.  The Blades become the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a spot in the 2017 Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Toledo scored the opening goal 6:46 into the first period on a shot by Tylor Spinks. The Walleye added another goal 13:43 in on a shot by Simon Denis. Toledo found the net again with under two minutes left on a shot by Charlie O’Connor.

The Walleye kept the momentum going in the second, with a goal by Matt Caito, 15 seconds in. Spinks followed with his second goal 1:01 in. Caito scored his second goal 2:21 later. Toledo’s seventh goal came 6:11 in on a shot by Matt Pohlkamp.

Florida found the net 43 seconds into the third on a shot by Matt Berry. Berry scored again 2:02 later.

Spinks scored the Walleye’s final goal with just under 10 minutes left, giving him a hat trick.

Jake Paterson picked up the win for Toledo, stopping 31 of the 33 shots he faced. Alex Nedeljkovic took the loss for Florida, stopping 11 of 17 shots.

The Everblades (41-19-2-3) travel to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to play the Fort Wayne Komets on Sunday at 5 p.m.