Komets Rally Comes Up Short Against Gems

The Fort Wayne Komets (15-11-0-1) attempted another bold rally in the third period at home Tuesday night versus the Dayton Gems (13-14-3-1), but came up a goal short. The Gems got on the board at 11:59 of the opening frame when forward Dan Lapointe found the net off an assist from forward Matt Auffrey. Dayton forward Jonathan Ornelas picked up a boarding call at 15:38, and Fort Wayne was able to knot the score at 1-1 on the resulting power play. Forward P.C. Drouin put the puck past Gem's goalie Derek MacIntyre with defenseman Guy Dupuis and forward David Hukalo being awarded the helpers on the play. Dayton pulled ahead again in the second period. At 5:15, forward John Snowden netted a power play goal of his own with Drouin in the penalty box for roughing. Forwards Corey Courturier and Tim Hartung picked up the assists. But the Gems were soon in penalty trouble themselves. At 7:43 defenseman Joe Van Culin was whistled for cross-checking, and at 8:57, defenseman Preston Briggs joined him in the box for the same offense, giving the Komets a 5-on-3 power play. At 9:30, Fort Wayne cashed it in when Dupuis tallied to bring the score to 2-2. Hukalo and Drouin were awarded the assists. Dayton began the third period in a big way -- netting 3 consecutive goals. The outburst began at 3:40, when Ornelas put a shot past Komets goalie Nick Boucher, restoring Dayton's lead. Forwards Sam Bloom and Mike Vaskivuo assisted. Just 16 seconds later, Snowden got his second goal of the evening on a breakaway off an assist from Courturier to make it a 4-2 contest. A fight broke out at 6:07 between forward Brad MacMillan for the increasingly frustrated Komets and Gem's forward Derek Parker. But even that didn't go as hoped when both received 5 minute fighting majors but MacMillan was also given a game misconduct and removed from the game for taking off his elbow pads prior to the bout. At 8:16, Auffrey netted what would be the game winning goal on another breakaway, bringing the tally to 5-2, with an assist going to Lapointe. The Komets showed their character by attempting to get back into the game, regardless. At 16:07, forward Lincoln Kaleigh Shrock broke through thanks to assists from defensemen Keith Rodger and Brandon Warner. At 17:36, forward Leo Thomas got Fort Wayne within 1, making the comeback seem suddenly more likely. Rodger and Dupuis had the assists. But with the clock running down, the Komets had little choice but to pull Boucher for the extra attacker, and the Gems dashed their hopes at 19:27 when Vaskivuo put a shot into the empty net. Assists went to Coururier and Hartung. At the same time, Thomas was whistled for elbowing, effectively putting the final nail in the Komets defeat. Boucher stopped 14 of 19 shots in the loss. MacIntyre made 32 saves on the 36 shots he faced for the win.

Notes: Announced attendance was 7903 for the first Komets home game after the Christmas break. Fort Wayne outshot Dayton in all three periods with 36 to 20 SOG. The Komets were 2 for 5 on the power play. The Gems went 1-3 with the extra man. With the loss, the Komets have lost 2 in a row and 3 of their last 4 games. With the win, the Gems snapped a 3 game losing streak and moved within 1 point of the 4th place Komets in the IHL standings. Prior to the win, they had lost 6 of their last 7 games. Forward Tomas Klempa returned to the Komets line-up after missing 2 games due to bad weather in Omaha, Nebraska, where he had traveled for the holidays. Forwad David Hukalo was also back in the line-up after missing a game due to a back muscle strain. Forward Colin Chaulk missed the first of 3 games following a death in his family.

Komets Win the Fight, Lose the War Against Generals

One night after an impressive beat-down of top rival Muskegon, The Fort Wayne Komets (15-10-0-1) dropped a game to the Flint Generals (10-17-1-2) in Flint, MI early Sunday evening. The Generals got on the board first when, at 12:54 of the opening period, forward Pascal Rheaume scored a power play goal on a deflection in front of the net. Komets forward Colin Chaulk had been whistled for tripping at 11:58, giving Flint the man advantage. It was the only penatly call referee Ryan Hutchinson made during the first period. Defensemen Steve Silver and Brandon Gentile picked up the assists. The Komets evened the score at 8:25 of the second when forward Sean O'Connor got the puck past Flint goalie Rob Nolan just 1 second after a hooking penalty against Gentile had expired. Chaulk and forward Konstantin Shafranov were awarded the helpers on the play. Nolan would be impenatrable for the rest of the way. The Generals regained their lead at 19:36 of the middle frame when forward Nathan Ward picked up a drop pass in front of the net after the Komets failed to clear the puck. Forwards Alec Kirschner and Matt Moffat assisted. In the third period, Flint forward John Mori netted a goal off a backhand shot at 13:23 to make the score 3-1. Silver got the assist. Then at 14:49, forward John Ronan tallied with a wrist shot low on Boucher's stick side from roughly 25 feet out to cap the scoring at 4-1. Gentile picked up the assist. Tempers flaired as the final minutes of the third period ticked down. A fight broke out between Chaulk and Gentile at 17:46, with Chaulk eventually getting the upper hand in the bout. Both picked up 5 for fighting with Chaulk getting an additional 2 minutes for slashing. Then at 19:13 a lesser skirmish occurred between Fort Wayne defenseman Bobby Phillips and Generals forward Rick Smith. They were given coincidental roughing penalties for the display. Nolan stopped 35 of 36 shots for the win. Boucher made 26 saves on 30 shots in absorbing the loss.

Notes: Announced attendance was 1569. The Komets went 0-4 on the power play. Flint was 1-3 with the man advantage. Fort Wayne outshot the Generals 15 to 6 in the second period and 36-30 overall. Flint is 15-8-5-2 at home this season, but only 2-12-1 away from home. Komets forward David Hukalo was unable to play due to a strained back muscle. Forward Tomas Klempa also missed the game due to bad weather preventing his return from a holiday trip to Omaha, Nebraska.

Komets Jump 'Jacks 7-2

The Fort Wayne Komets (15-9-0-1) got the jump on the top-seeded Muskegon Lumberjacks (19-6-0-3) on Saturday, the day after Christmas, with their best offensive performance of the season so far despite an extended holiday leave that allowed many players to spend the holidays at home for the first time in several years. The win snapped the Lumberjacks 4 game winning streak. The Komets wasted little time getting their first goal, as forward Colin Chaulk netted a shot just 59 seconds into the opening frame. Fellow forwards David Hukalo and Konstantin Shafranov assisted on the tally. Forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock made it 2-0 at 10:37 with assistance from defenseman Kevin Bertram, and Schrock proceeded to fight Muskegon forward Mark Cody, who was no doubt hoping to wake his team up, just 1 second after the score. It didn't work, as the Komets scored 4 more unanswered goals. At 11:53, Muskegon's Robin Bouchard was sent off for slashing, which led to a a Komets notching a power play goal courtesy of Chaulk and assisted by forward P.C. Drouin and defenseman Guy Dupuis making the score 3-0. At 17:42, Leo Thomas made his mark by putting the puck past Muskegon goalie Sebastien Centomo, bringing the count to 4-0 to close out the period. The Komets outshot their opponents 13-3 in the frame. Drouin and defenseman Bobby Phillips received the helpers on the play. Two more fights broke out in the final seconds of period 1, this time between defenseman Keith Rodger and Muskegon forward David Rohlfs while Schrock took on Lumberjacks defenseman Russ Smith. Each picked up 5 penalty minutes for fighting. Rodger and Rohlfs also received 10 minute misconducts while Schrock and Smith got matching 2 minute roughing penalties. Centomo was replaced by back-up goaltender Matt Lundin at the start of the second period, but the result was much the same, with Fort Wayne stretching their lead to 5-0 at 5:50 when Hukalo got a goal of his own. Shafranov and Chaulk were awarded the assists. Then, as if to underscore the Lumberjacks ineffectiveness, at 8:34 with 13 seconds remaining on a hooking penalty to Phillips, Schrock scored a shorthanded goal that brought the tally to 6-0. The Lumberjacks finally got on the board at 10:43 on a subsequent power play. Defenseman Matt Woodard was whistled for tripping at 10:38 to set up the play that resulted in the goal by defenseman Matt Krug. An assist went to forward Damian Surma. Muskegon scored again at 18:38 of the middle frame. Forward J.T. Dahlinger got a shot past Komets goalie Nick Boucher to cut Fort Wayne's lead to 6-2. Defenseman Jason Lawmaster and forward Brian Bicek got the assists. In the third period there were no further penalties for either team to exploit, and despite the fact that Muskegon outshot the Komets 10-6, it was Fort Wayne that netted a goal to cap the scoring. At 17:19, defenseman Frankie DeAngelis slipped the puck past Lundin to bring the final score to 7-2. Rodger and Chaulk picked up the assists. Boucher made 26 saves on 28 shots in the victory. Centomo stopped 9 of 13 and Lundin 17 of 20.

Notes: Announced attendence was 3875 despite harsh wintery conditions affecting the area. Prior to this meeting, the Komets had lost 5 of 8 and had lost 3 in a row to Muskegon. Their last victory over the lumberjacks had been at home on Halloween. Fort Wayne forward Brad MacMillan did not play as he was serving a 1 game suspension for accidentally hitting an opponent with his own helmet during a fight at Bloomington the previous Sunday. Forward Tomas Klempa was also unable to attend the game due to severe weather in Omaha, Nebraska. The Komets were 1-5 on the power play. Muskegon was 1-4 with the extra man.

Jason Marquardt to Appear on "Fans in the Stands"

Nine-year-old Jason Marquardt will be Wendy Bartle's guest for "Fans in the Stands" on the next airing of the Komets Game of the Week broadcast. Jason has been a Komets fan for three years and plays hockey himself in a local mite league as a defenseman. He has worked with several Komets players who volunteer their time to help instruct young people interested in the sport of hockey. On the night the interview was taped (Friday, December 18) his team was on the verge of it's own championship playoff run and the Christmas holidays were right around the corner. So remember to tune in to Comcast 55 or Verizon Fios 25 on December 30 at 8 PM or December 31 at 4 AM or 12 Noon for some holiday cheer with Wendy and future Komet Jason Marquardt.

Mitch Woods to Return to Komets Fold

The Fort Wayne Komets announced Tuesday that right wing Mitch Woods would be rejoining the team in team in January. Woods played with the Komets throughout most of the 2007-2008 season after attending training camps in both the AHL and ECHL. A gritty forward, master agitator and brawler, Woods quickly became a favorite amongst fans, winning the "Mr. Hustle" award at the end of a season which saw the Komets shatter records for most consecutive home wins and most points in a season. He topped it off by playing a crucial role in the team's Turner Cup win that spring. Woods left the Komets the following summer to play for the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. He also attended training camp with the AHL's Wilkes Barre-Scranton Penguins, then coached by Dan Bylsma who went on to win the Stanley Cup the following spring as coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite his success, Woods was never happy in Cincinnati and left the team to return to Canada after playing in only 12 games. His subsequent suspension prevented him from joining any other teams in 2008-2009. Woods decided to move on with his life and took a job mentoring young people back in his native Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. In the summer of 2009, it was announced that he had re-signed with the Komets for what he stated would probably be his last season of professional hockey, but a few days prior to the start of training camp, fans were disappointed to learn that he would not be coming after all. Due to job cuts, Woods was unable to secure the necessary leave of absence from work, and not wanting to risk losing a job he enjoyed, was forced to cancel his return to the Komets. It was suggested at the time, however, that he might be able to make his much anticipated comeback later in the season. Woods had 15 goals and 21 assists for 36 points in 73 regular season games and 1 goal and 5 assists for 6 points in 13 playoff games for the Fort Wayne Komets. He had 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points in 12 games for the Cincinnati Cyclones. He will be returning to Fort Wayne on January 11 with his first game expected to be roughly 2 weeks later.

Komets Fall to Prarie Thunder

The Fort Wayne Komets (14-9-0-1) made a gallant come back attack but failed to top the Bloomington Prairie Thunder (13-8-1-2)in Illinois on Sunday evening. Bloomington got on the board early when Brett Holmberg netted a power play goal at 2:41 of the opening frame. Fort Wayne defenseman Keith Rodger had been whistled for tripping at the 47 second mark to give the Prairie Thunder the extra man. Bloomington forward Zach Pearson and defenseman Jason Lepine picked up the assists. The Prairie Thunder went up 2-0 at 12:19 when defenseman Matthew Spiller got a shot past Fort Wayne goalie Nick Boucher. Right wing Zach Pearson assisted on the play. The Komets finally got on the scoreboard with 8 seconds to go in the period. With Spiller in the box for cross checking, Konstantin Shafranov tallied, cutting Bloomington's lead in half, with the helpers going to forwards P.C. Drouin and Colin Chaulk. Fort Wayne continued to press as the second period began. At 3:23, forward David Hukalo put the puck by Prairie Thunder goalie Andrew Martin to even the score. Assists were awarded to Chaulk and defenseman Frankie DeAngelis. But the tie was short-lived. At 3:50, forward Leo Thomas was sent off for roughing, giving the Prairie Thunder another power play. At 4:26, Bloomington made it count on a shot from forward Jon Booras. Spiller and Lepine helped set up the play. Fort Wayne forward Brad MacMillan, recently returned from a 15 league-issued suspension, got into a fight Bloomington defenseman Justin Sawyer just 15 seconds later, as both players hoped to spark their teams to victory, but it would be the Prairie Thunder who netted 3 consecutive goals to finish out the period. At 5:32, Holmberg made it 4-2. Forwards Craig Macdonald and Travis Banga assisted. Matt McIlvane got in on the action to make it 5-2 at 14:29 with assistance from forwards Booras and Bill Bagron. And with teammate Sawyer in the box serving a double minor high sticking penalty, Lepine potted a short-handed goal that would prove to be the game winner at 18:31. Pearson and Booras picked up the helpers. The Komets rallied in the third, netting 3 consecutive goals of their own. At 1:13, former Bloomington player Thomas started the comeback bid with assists going to forward Justin Chewdoruk and defensemen Kevin Bertram. MacMillan got into a second fight at 7:29, this time with Spiller, but the result wasn't what he had in mind. During the brawl, MacMillan pulled off Spiller's helmet and the equipment was still on his hand when he threw a subsequent punch. He discarded it when he discovered it, but it was too late. Both players were given fighting majors, but MacMillan was also whistled for attempting to injure his opponent. If the Komets were discouraged by the misfortune, it didn't show. Thomas proceeded to cut the Prairie Thunder's lead to 6-4 at 10:35 when he tallied again with assistance from Drouin and defenseman Bobby Phillips. And at 16:50 defenseman Guy Dupuis made it a 1-goal game at 6-5. Assists went to DeAngelis and Hukalo. But despite pulling goalie Nick Boucher, Fort Wayne was unable to even the score in the final 3:10. Bloomington hung on for the victory, which moved them into a tie with the Komets for 3rd place in the IHL standings. Martin made 30 saves on 35 shots for the win. Boucher stopped 32 of 38.

Notes: Announced attendance was 1767 in the last game for both teams before the holidays. Fort Wayne was 1-6 on the power play. Bloomington went 2-7 with the extra man. On the following Tuesday, it was announced by the league that Brad MacMillan would receive a 1-game suspension for his accidental use a helmet during the fight against Matthew Spiller. Spiller was not injured in the brawl and agreed that MacMillan's mistake was an honest one after the incident.

Komets Top Mallards on Road 3-1

The Fort Wayne Komets (14-8-0-1) completed a two game home and home sweep of the Quad City Mallards (6-12-3-1) on Saturday night when they downed their rivals 3-1 in front of 3803 fans in Moline, IL. Fort Wayne is 5-0-1 versus Quad City this season. The Komets improved to 6-6 on the road, ending a 3 game road losing streak. The Mallards got on the board first after Komets defenseman Danko Mironovic was sent to the box for roughing at 4:28 of the opening frame. At 6:09, Juris Stals netted the power play goal, with assists going to Shane Lovedahl and A.J. Bozoian, to take the lead 1-0. Fort Wayne was finally able to tie the game at 12:49 of the second. Forward Colin Chaulk put the puck past Mallards goalie Jerad Kaufmann while forward Justin Chwedoruk and defenseman Guy Dupuis picked up the assists. A slew of penalties at 17:06 of the middle frame resulted in a Fort Wayne power play that the Komets were able to cash in on to take the lead. Fort Wayne defenseman Keith Rodger and Mallards defenseman Jacques Perreault tangled, with each picking up fighting majors. Meanwhile, Komets forward Sean O'Connor and Quad City forward Joel Gasper were each slapped with double minors for roughing. But the Mallards were saddled with an extra penalty -- Marc Rechlicz for interference -- giving the Komets the extra man. At 18:54 forward Leo Thomas made them pay for it when he gave Fort Wayne a 2-1 lead. Defensemen Brandon Warner and Frankie DeAngelis were awarded the helpers on the tally. The Mallards did have four power plays of the their own in the second period, but could muster only 3 shots in the frame to Fort Wayne's 10. Quad City had hopes of tying the game in the third after Warner was whistled for slashing at 16:16. Lovedahl found the net on the power play, but referee Craig Welker disallowed the goal due to a hand pass. Still trailing by a point as the final seconds ticked down, Quad City pulled Kaufmann, but it was the Komets who wound up icing the victory when Chaulk put the puck into the open net, his second tally of the night, with an assist going to forward Brad MacMillan. Fort Wayne goalie Nick Boucher made 21 saves on 22 shots for the win. Kaufmann stopped 30 of the 32 he faced.

Notes: The Komets improved to 11-2 when they score 3 or more goals in a game. They went 1-4 on the power play. Quad City was 1-9 with the man advantage. Fort Wayne radio announcer Bob Chase was feeling under the weather and did not make the road trip. It was announced that he would miss the Komets game in Bloomington, IL on Sunday as well.

Komets Top Mallards at Home with 3-2 Overtime Win

The Fort Wayne Komets (13-8-0-1) defeated the struggling Quad City Mallards (6-11-3-1)at the Memorial Coliseum on Friday night. In addition to the victory, Komets fans were celebrating the return of three players who had seen extended absences -- goalie Nick Boucher (coming off a 30 day IR layoff for a broken finger), Konstantin Shafranov (following a concussion he suffered on November 14 and subsequent facial surgery), and Brad MacMillan (suspended since October 31 for leaving the penalty box and pushing a linesman during an altercation on the ice). Shafranov was wearing a cage as a precaution. Meanwhile, the crowd didn't have to wait long to see MacMillan in action again. At 5:46 of the first period, he took on Quad City forward Marc Rechlicz in what eventually became a convincing victory. Fans roared their approval with more enthusiasm than when the Komets opened the scoring at 16:09 of the period. Defenseman Kevin Bertram got his first goal of the season, assisted by forward Colin Chaulk, when he blasted a shot from just inside the blue line while forward David Hukalo screened Mallards goalie Jerad Kaufmann. The Komets stretched that lead to 2-0 early in the second after Quad City forward Mike Zbriger was whistled for slashing Chaulk at 1:04. On the resulting power play just 10 seconds later, forward P.C. Drouin fired a shot past Kaufmann to pad Fort Wayne's lead. Sean O'Connor and Frankie deAngelis were awarded the helpers on the play. At 10:42, Brad MacMillan dropped the gloves a second time for the night, this time taking on the Mallards' Jason Goulet. Though Goulet appeared to have the upper hand in the tilt, the crowd cheered afterwards anyway to show their appreciation for MacMillan's physical contribution to the contest. Quad City was outshot 17 to 11 in the first and 12-9 in the middle frame, but fought back in the third. Outshooting the home team 9-5 for the period, the Mallards netted two goals just 31 seconds apart to erase the Komets lead. The outburst began at 3:22 when Joel Gasper got behind the Komets defense to deflect the puck past Boucher to cut the lead to 2-1. Defensemen A.J. Bozoian and Ryan Palmer picked up assists on the goal. Then at 3:54, forward Terry Harrison got the equalizer on a breakaway after the puck was misplayed by both Fort Wayne defensemen, Kevin Bertram and Bobby Phillips. Mallards forward Patrick Levesque and defensman Shane Lovdahl assisted on the play. But at 19:23, Quad City's attempts to get a go ahead goal was dealt a blow when Chris Lipsett was sent to the penalty box for holding Chaulk. Fort Wayne didn't cash in with the extra man as regulation ended, but the power play carried over into the overtime. With the teams playing 4 on 3, Hukalo retaliated for a cross check from the Mallards Jacques Perreault that knocked him to the ice with a slash of his own. The move gave Hukalo a couple of feet of space that allowed him the room he needed to lift a pass from Chaulk past Kaufmann for the game winner. Referee Jim Hawthorne declined to call either penalty, so the goal stood. Boucher had 27 saves on 29 for the win. Kaufmann finished with 34 saves on 37 shots.

Notes: Announced attendance was 8465. With the victory, the Komets snapped a 2 game winless streak. They had lost 4 of the last 5 entering the game. Fort Wayne's record improved to 9-1 in games in which they lead heading into the third period. Fort Wayne went 0-6 on the power play. Fort Wayne was 2-5.

Andy Rice to Appear on "Fans in the Stands"

Andy Rice will be the guest for next week's Game of the Week "Fans in the Stands" interview with Wendy Bartle. Andy went to Fort Wayne Komets games a child, and got back into following the team in recent years. He is also an avid roller hockey player and has had the privilege of playing with a few members of the Komets over the year, including Justin Hodgman and 2009 addition, Fort Wayne native Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock. He also knows Larry Schmitt, the Komets P.A. announcer, though his participation in the sport. Don't forget to tune in on Wednesday, December 23 at 8 PM or Thurdsday, December 24 at 4 AM or 12 Noon to hear Andy discuss his experiences as a Komets fan as well as some of the key differences between roller hockey and ice hockey.

Komets Shut-Out by Ice Hawks 2-0

The Fort Wayne Komets (12-8-1) lost for the second time in 2 games to the Port Huron Ice Hawks (15-6-1) on Saturday, and were shut-out for the second time this season and for the second consecutive road game since November 2004. The game began as a mostly defensive battle starring the two teams' goaltenders -- Larry Sterling for Port Huron and Tim Haun for Fort Wayne. Despite having their players pick up 3 of 4 first period penalties, the Ice Hawks outshot the Komets in the opening frame 8 t0 6. Fort Wayne's production picked up in the second and third, when they fired 10 shots on goal to Port Huron's 5 and 17 shots to Port Huron's 12 respectively, but nothing was going in the net for either team. It wasn't until 9:22 of the third that the Ice Hawks got exactly the sort of fluky turn of events they needed to break through. Haun came out of the net to play the puck, lost an edge and fell to the ice. Meanwhile, Port Huron's Nick Lindberg, his team short-handed due to a high sticking penalty on forward Bradon Naurato, was able to pick up the puck and put it into the empty net for a 1-0 lead. Tensions begame to mount in the final 10 minutes of play, and Haun was whistled for roughing at 17:32. His penalty was followed by a cross checking call on Bobby Phillips at 18:36 and a tripping penalty on Justin Chwedoruk at 18:59. Skating 5-on-3, Port Huron's Derek Patrosso netted an insurance goal to cap the scoring at 2-0. The tally was assisted by Lindberg and Naurato. Soon after that, the wheels completely fell off for Fort Wayne, much to the delight of the 1586 Port Huron fans in attendance. At 19:29 Patrosso received an interference penalty in addition to a 10 minute misconduct. Haun, who had swung his stick at Patrosso like a baseball bat, received a match penalty as well as being called for a high stick with attempt to injure. When Ice Hawks goalie Sterling skated across the ice to fight Haun, both netminders received 5 minute fighting majors. Additionally, Sterlng was slapped with a minor penalty for leaving his crease. Haun was suspended indefinitely as a result of the turmoil, and it is expected that he will face additional discipline from the IHL. Fort Wayne defenseman Kevin Bertram was also called for a 10 minute misconduct as a result of the fray. Fort Wayne's emergency back-up goaltender Parris Duffus finished out the final seconds of the game but faced no shots. Sterling had 23 saves in the victory. Haun stopped 23 of 25.

Notes: Fort Wayne has now lost 4 of their last 5 games. Port Huron has won 4 straight after dropping 2 in a row. The Komets are averaging 2.61 goals per game so far this season. The Komets record for fewest goals per game in a season is 2.83 in 1956-1957. Fort Wayne goaltender Nick Boucher is expected to return from IR this week.

Master Sgt. Steve Kingsley to Appear on "Fans in the Stands"

Master Sgt. Steve Kingsley will be Wendy Bartle's guest for "Fans in the Stands" on the next broadcast of the Komets Game of the Week. In addition to being a longtime Komets fan, Kingsley has participated in all four years of the Komets Kare Package program, along with the News Sentinel's Komets beat writer Blake Sebring. The Komets Kare project allows fans to donate varous items, from baby wipes and chapstick to DVDs and board games, to show their appreciation to members of the U.S. armed services currently serving their country overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. The broadcast was taped on Sunday, December 6, 2009, which was the last day to drop off donations for this year's Komets Kare Package, but Kingsley discusses the program and explains some of the project's newest features. Remember to tune in on Wednesday, December 16 at 8 PM or Thursday, December 17 at noon to learn more about the Komets Kare Package program and one of the men behind it, Master Sgt. Steve Kingsley.

Ice Hawks Fly Past Komets 4-2

The Fort Wayne Komets and Port Huron Ice Hawks entered into their Wednesday night game with identical 12-6-1 records and tied for second place in the IHL standings. Only one could retain that position at evening's end, and it was the Ice Hawks who staked their claim. Prior to the start of the game, the Fort Wayne crowd was delighted to learn that one of their favorite nemeses, goalie Larry Sterling, would be in net for the tilt, and some fans got in a few preliminary taunts, chanting his name derisively as he took the ice. Initially, it did seem like it would be a long night for the Ice Hawks as the Komets jumped out to a 2 goal lead within 13 minutes. First Fort Wayne forward Colin Chaulk shot the puck into the top of the net after picking up a drop pass from teammate Matt Syroczynski in front of the net at 8:33. Syroczynski had recently been released from his tryout with the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL and was playing in his first game for the Komets since October 24. At 12:55, Brzezinski got a goal of his when he crashed the net and swept in a rebound off a Justin Sheetrock stuff attempt. Defenseman Kevin Bertram also picked up an assist on the play. Soon after, though, the Komets luck began to change. At 15:10 referee Curtis Marielle whistled the Komets David Hukalo for elbowing, negating a Fort Wayne power play that had resulted from Port Huron's Mickael Bedard picking up a roughing penalty at 13:45. At 15:32 Matt Woodard joined Hukalo in the box for slashing, giving the Ice Hawks a 4-on-3 power play. With all the open ice, it took Port Huron only 10 seconds to capitalize. Forward Tab Lardner ricocheted a shot off the pad of Komets goalie Tim Haun from behind the goal line, cutting the deficit to 2-1 at 15:42. The second period also belonged to Port Huron as they scored 2 more unanswered goals. Mickael Bedard got the equalizer at 9:34 when he stole a pass from Komets defenseman Guy Dupuis along the left boards. On a 2-on-1 rush, Bedard put a wrist shot over Haun's glove just under the crossbar. At 15:27, the Ice Hawks took the lead when Haun got caught out of position trying to intercept a dump in behind his net. Ice Hawks forward Kerry Bowman beat him to the puck and passed it out front to teammate Brandon Naurato for the easy score. Defense man Adam Maccarone was awarded a helper on the tally. Port Huron sealed the victory just 1:39 into the final frame when Naurato notched his second goal of the night after getting around Dupuis and backhanding the puck over Haun's glovehand to cap the scoring at 4-2. Forward Derek Patrosso had an assist on the play. Unlike other recent games, the Komets kept the heat on the Ice Hawks all night long, out-shooting their opponent 15-14, 12-6, and 15-3 respectively in each of the three periods, but could not get the puck past Sterling again to challenge Port Huron's lead before the final buzzer had sounded. Sterling finished with 40 saves on 42 shots. Haun made 19 saves on 23 shots in the loss.

Notes: Announced attendance was 5453, an unusually small crowd which was probably at least partially due to the adverse winter weather outside the arena. Guy Dupuis was playing in his 900th game with the Komets, regular season and playoffs combined. Fort Wayne went 0-7 with the man advantage; Port Huron was 1-5. Matt Syroczynski had 4 goals and 6 points during his 18 game stint with the Norfolk Admirals. He was called up by the Admirals a second time the following afternoon. Port Huron played without leading scorer (RW) Mike Kinnie and (C) Kris Vernarsky, who is out until mid January following hand surgery. The Komets did not wear their new black, red, and white retro jerseys as originally planned due to concern that the styling was too similar to Port Huron's road sweaters, though Port Huron was in white for the contest. Fort Wayne instead wore their usual road jerseys for the game.

Komets Edge Flint 3-2 in Overtime

The Fort Wayne Komets (12-6-0-1) rounded out a surprisingly challenging weekend of 3 games in as many days with an overtime victory at home versus the struggling Flint Generals (6-12-1-2). Despite outshooting the Generals in the first period 14 to 8, the Komets looked sluggish and were getting few good chances to score. It came as little surprise, then, that Flint got on the board first when forward John Ronan skated up the slot unimpeded, took a centering pass from center Greg Bullock and put the puck past Fort Wayne goalie Tim Haun at 16:07 of the opening frame. In the second period, the Komets seemed to regain some of their focus, knotting the score at 1-1 nearly halfway through the period. At 9:01 a shot by Brandon Warner hit traffic in front of Generals goalie Rob Nolan, flipping high into the air. Komets forward Leo Thomas took a baseball swing at it, grazing the puck, but it was Flint defenseman Craig Cescon who touched it last, accidentally knocking it into his own net after attempting to knock it clear. Thomas was awarded the goal, with assists going to Warner and Sean O'Connor. At 14:47, Fort Wayne took full advantage of the only power play awarded to either team all night by referee Bob Langdon. After Generals forward Jamie Schaafsma was sent to the box for high sticking at 14:35, David Hukalo netted a power play goal just 12 seconds later to put the Komets up 2-1. The tally was originally credited to Guy Dupuis, who was instead given an assist on the play, while forward P.C. Drouin picked up the other assist. Fort Wayne again outshot their opponents 15-10 in the middle frame, but as has been their habit of late, let up in the third period. Just 2:31 into the final frame, Generals forward Rick Smith tied the score at 2-2 with assistance from forwards Nathan Ward and Bryan Smolinski, setting the stage for both teams to make their final push for victory as the game clock ticked down. It was mainly Flint making that push, as the Komets were outshot 15-5 in the third period, leaving Haun to bear the brunt of the Generals' attacks and maintain the tie. At 9:12, a fight broke out between Fort Wayne forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock and Craig Cescon as both players tried to spark their teams, but there was no further scoring in regulation. The Komets finally netted the deciding goal 2:02 into overtime, when Sean O'Connor took possession of the puck along the boards and fed Leo Thomas on a breakaway. Thomas deked Nolan before sliding the puck past him on the goalie's left for the game winner. Nolan finished with 34 saves on 37 shots. Haun stopped 33 of 35 in the victory.

Notes: Leo Thomas had gone 6 games without tallying before his 2 goal outburst. It was Haun's 13th consecutive start for the Komets, as primary goalie Nick Boucher continues to recover from a broken finger. Announced attendance was 6411, the smallest Fort Wayne crowd so far of the 2009-2010 season.

Gems "Kill" Komets 3-0

On a night that had been dubbed "Kill the Komets Night" by the team's previous owners, the Dayton Gems (10-8-3) and their new ownership group did just that. Fort Wayne (11-6-1), coming off a shootout loss to Quad City the previous evening, seemed less than sharp throughout the contest. The Komets did outshoot the Gems 13-7 in the opening frame, but the period ended scoreless for both teams. Dayton forward Derek Parker received a boarding penalty just 14 seconds into the game, but it was the only penalty called by referee Scott Hoberg on the Gems all night. The second period was going much the same until Komets forward David Hukalo was given a hooking penalty at 18:57. He disputed the call and was given an additional 10 minute misconduct. On the ensuing power play 29 seconds later the Gems got on the board when defenseman Nathan Oke put a shot past Komets goalie Tim Haun. Forwards Dan Lapointe and Matt Auffrey assisted on the play. Shots on goal were even at 11 for both teams in the middle frame. The third period began inauspiciously for Fort Wayne when forward Tomas Klempa missed a wide open net and Haun had to deal with several aggressive opposing forwards going to the net and then some. At 10:28 Datyon forward Jonathon Ornelas broke through again to put the Gems on top 2-0. Defenseman Bryan Nathe and forward Mike Vaskivuo were awarded the helpers on the play. Just 14 seconds later, Derek Parker got an insurance goal to cap the scoring at 3-0 and seal the win. The tally was assisted by defenseman Phil Youngclaus and forward Tim Hartung. The Gems outshot the Komets in the final frame 13-10. Clearly frustrated by the performance, Haun was the first Komets player off the ice. Haun made 28 saves on 31 shots in the loss. Datyon goalie Derek MacIntyre stopped all 34 shots he faced for the shutout. It was the first time the Komets have been shutout this season.

Notes: The IHL announced on Friday, December 4, 2009 that the Gems would now be under the ownership of GDHP, LLC, a group managed by Rob Garfield, Kathy Rupp, and Dr. Paul Nitz. Announced attendance in Dayton was 1591. The Gems were 1-4 on the power play. The Komets were 0-1 with the extra man.

Mallards Edge Komets 3-2 in Shootout

The Fort Wayne Komets (11-5-1) probably imagined their weekend getting off to a different start prior to their game against the last place Quad City Mallards (5-7-3). But the Mallards wound up giving the Komets a fight they weren't quite prepared for. After a scoreless first period, everything seemed to be going according to plan to begin the second period. First, with Quad City's Patrick Levesque off serving the remainder of a late first period elbowing penalty, Justin Chwedoruk deflected a P.C. Drouin shot from the point past Quad City goalie Kyle Jones to get Fort Wayne on the board just 26 second in. Guy Dupuis was also awarded an assist on the power play goal. Then at 1:10 of the frame -- just 44 seconds later -- Tomas Klempa one-timed a shot from the top of the circle off a pass from Colin Chaulk to put the Komets up 2-0. Content with their lead, Fort Wayne seemed to sit back a bit as the period progressed, allowing Quad City to outshoot them 15-4 during the frame. The Mallards took full advantage of the lax play, cutting the Komets lead in half with a power play goal of their own at the 9:30 mark. With Danko Mironovic in the box for holding, Patrick Levesque put a shot past Fort Wayne goalie Tim Haun to give his team new life in the contest. At 14:36, Jason Goulet did the same with his fists, when a fight broke out between him and the Komets Blair Stayzer after a play. The third period began with a scare for Fort Wayne when Patrick Levesque ran into Haun, causing the goalie to hit his head against the right post and lay motionless on the ice for a few seconds. With the Komets top goalie Nick Boucher out with a broken finger, Haun's only back-up was emergency signee Tyler Sims, Coach Al Sims' son. Haun, fortunately, was able to shake off the blow and stayed in the game. Levesque received a goalie interference penalty, but it was cancelled out by a roughing penalty to the Komets Kevin Bertram, who had come to the defense of his fallen teammate. Fort Wayne pressed hard for the remainder of the period, outshooting the Mallards 17 to 3, but at 4:48, it was Quad City's Patrick Levesque that got the equalizer. Juris Stals and Jason Goulet assisted on the tally. Fort Wayne had several good chances to close out the period but failed to convert, sending the game into overtime. Both teams pressed for the victory, with shots an even 4-4, but the extra frame ended without a resolution, ushering in the shootout. It wasn't until the fifth round of the contest that the Mallards Mike Zbriger beat Haun, finally bringing the game to an end. Zbriger's shot was preceded by unsuccessful attempts from Quad City's Juris Stals, Patrick Levesque, Chris Lipsett and A.J. Bozoian and Fort Wayne's David Hukalo, P.C. Drouin, Justin Chwedoruk, Sean O'Connor and Leo Thomas. Kyle Jones stopped 31 of 33 shots for the victory. Tim Haun made 26 of 28 saves prior to the shootout. It was the Komets first loss in games that have gone beyond regulation or when leading going into the third period this season.

Notes: The Komets wore red, white and black throwback jerseys that harkened back to those worn by the team in the 1959-1962 seasons. They will be wearing the retro jerseys at home games throughout the month of December. David Hukalo's name was misspelled as "Hulako" on the back of his jersey. With his tally, Justin Chwedoruk stretched his goal scoring streak to 6 games, the longest in the IHL so far this season. Quad City was 1-3 on the power play. Fort Wayne went 1-4. Announced attendance was 7224. By picking up a point, Fort Wayne moved into a tie for second in the IHL standings with Port Huron, while maintaining the more favorable win percentage -- .676 to the Ice Hawks .639.

"FIveMinuteMajor" to Appear on "Fans in the Stands"

The lovely Rachel Alexander will be the subject of this week's Komets Game of the Week "Fans in the Stands" interview with Wendy Bartle. She will also be the first female Komets fan to appear on the show. Alexander, also known as "FiveMinuteMajor" on the blogs, is a 3rd generation Komets fan. Her grandfather was friends with Komets organist Jack Loos, who gave him tickets to games. In addition, Alexander has an aquaintance in Australia who is an avid Komets fan and for whom she records the Game of the Week broadcasts. In honor of this "down under" connection, a few facts regarding hockey in Australia will be discussed as well. Tune in to Comcast channel 55 or Verizon Fios channel 25 on Wednesday, December 9 at 8pm or Thursday, December 10 at noon to learn more about this blogger who truly bleeds black and orange as well as the surprising popularity of hockey in a sunburned country.