"Mike in Toronto" Barrett to Appear on "Fans in the Stands"

Mike Barrett, also known as "Mike in Toronto" on Blake Sebring's Tailing the Komets blog, will be Wendy Bartle's guest for this week's edition of "Fans in the Stands", which will air during the first intermission of the Komets Game of the Week broadcast. Mike, who is a longtime friend of Komets forward Colin Chaulk's family, was visiting the Summit City with Chaulk's mother and father-in-law. Though he only attends a few Komets games a year, he follows news on the team closely and is as true a fan as any. Mike will share stories regarding his relationship to Chaulk as well as discuss his views on how the sport of hockey is perceived in the US as opposed to Canada -- and how that may be changing. He will also talk about his own hockey team, the Milton Oldstars, and the charities their play has benefited over the years. Remember to tune in to Comcast channel 55 or Verizon Fios channel 25 on Wednesday, March 31 at 8 PM or on Thursday, April 1, at 4 AM or Noon to learn more about Mike, his association with Chaulk, and the ever-changing landscape of hockey in North America.

UPDATE: Due to the station temporarily misplacing the game tape, this game (recorded Friday, March 19, 2010) did not air as originally scheduled. One wonders if Homer Simpson now works at Access Fort Wayne. D'oh! When a new air date and time has been scheduled, I will post it.

Komets Lose to Flint in SO 5-4

They say that bad things come in three's and such could certainly be said on Sunday as the Fort Wayne Komets (42-20-1-3) took on the Flint Generals (27-31-3-4)in the Komets third road game in three nights while missing three injured forwards from their lineup -- Brad MacMillan (shoulder), Leo Thomas (concussion) and Mitch Woods (leg contusion). The Generals, meanwhile, had not played in just over a week. Would they be rusty or well-rested? That question was answered soon enough, as Flint broke onto the scoreboard just 2:54 into the opening frame. Forward Mike Olnyk put the puck past Fort Wayne goalie Nick Boucher after a set-up by forward Ben Boudreau. Defenseman Jake Pence was also credited with an assist. At 8:38, the Komets were awarded 41 seconds of 4-on-3 time after referee Jim Hawthorne handed out hooking calls to Flint defenseman Steve Silver at 7:19, Fort Wayne forward Konstantin Shafranov at 8:12, and Jamie Schaafsma at 8:38. But the power play went nowhere and soon after play had resumed with 4 aside, the Generals scored again. At 10:08 forward Bryan Smolinski hit the twine from in front of the net to stretch the lead to 2-0. Assists went to defenseman Tyler Howells and forward John Ronan. At 14:43, Flint defenseman Jake Pence was whistled for hooking, giving the Komets another man advantage, but this time they did worse than nothing with it. At 16:39 a rebound in front of the Fort Wayne net bounced right to the stick of Howells and he tallied to put the Generals up 3-0. Forward Dan Lapointe was awarded an assist on the play. Komets coach Al Sims responded by pulling Boucher in favor of back-up goaltender Tim Haun, who finished out the period without facing any shots. When Boucher returned to start the second period, it was apparent that Sims still had tremendous faith in Boucher. The goalie -- and rest of the team -- responded accordingly. While Fort Wayne's play in the first had been lackadaisical and lacking urgency, the middle frame was hard fought up and down. At 15:06, Smolinski was sent to the box for tripping, and this time the Komets cashed it in. Finding himself in the perfect position at the opportune moment, Fort Wayne forward Matt Syroczynski knocked the puck past Flint goalie Sergei Zvyagin on the power play at 15:30 to put the Komets on the board. Assists went to forwards Colin Chaulk and Shafranov. But the Generals were quick to dampen the Komets newfound enthusiasm. At 16:56 Lapointe countered with a goal of his own to make the count 4-1, nullifying the earlier tally. Forwards Matt Moffat and Nathan Ward got the assists. But while Fort Wayne still was not playing with urgency, they displayed a calm and calculated patience with the puck and did not lose faith. As the final frame began, that patience began to pay off. Forward David Hukalo reduced the deficit to 4-2 at 1:11 of the third with a rebound goal that made it past a well-screened Zvyagin. Defenseman Kevin Bertram assisted. At 4:59, Komets forward Sean O'Connor was called for hooking, but Fort Wayne turned the tables on Flint's power play when defenseman Guy Dupuis found the net short-handed with a drive at 6:07 to pull the Komets within striking distance at 4-3. Forward P.C. Drouin was credited with an assist. Then at 6:41, Lapointe took a hooking call to give Fort Wayne another man advantage, and they used it to complete their improbable comeback. At 8:38, O'Connor came off the left wing and fired the puck past Zvyagin to knot the score at 4-4. Drouin got the assist. Suddenly, with just over half a period left to play, it was a whole new game. In a display of mutual hostility, Olnyk and Komets defenseman Bobby Phillips picked up coincidental roughing penalties at 9:20, but as regulation drew to a close, neither team had staked an advantage on the scoreboard, sending the game into overtime. Another pair of roughing penalties were handed out at 3:47 of the extra frame, this time to Syroczynski and Flint defenseman Craig Cescon, but once again, neither team was able to light the lamp. Fort Wayne came by far the closest to doing so, however, outshooting Flint 8-0 in the extra session and having one potential goal by forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock waved off by Hawthorne. And so the contest came down to the much derided shootout. Boucher stopped Flint's first shooter, Schaafsma, but Fort Wayne's first pick, Shafranov, botched his attempt. His shot slid to Zvyagin for the easy save. Next up for the Generals was Moffat, who got Boucher moving before knocking the puck home, giving Flint the edge. The Komets then sent out O'Connor, whose shot hit the post and bounced off across the front of the net harmlessly. The Generals' final shooter was forward Pascal Rheaume, who also rang a shot off the post. Fort Wayne's last hope rested in Chaulk, but he missed the net, giving Flint the victory. Not including shootout attempts, Boucher stopped 21 of 25 shots in absorbing the loss. Zvyagin made 47 saves on 51 shots for the win.

Notes: Announced attendance at Perani Arena in Flint, MI was 2410. The Komets were 2-7 on the power play; the Generals were 0-3. Shots on goal were even at 10 aside in the first period, but Fort Wayne outshot Flint the rest of the way, going 20-8 in the second, 13-7 in the third, and 51-26 overall when the shootout tally is included. The Generals have won 3 of their last 4 games. IHL President and Commissioner Dennis Hextall attended the game. Olnyk, who was traded to Flint from Dayton on March 18 and has already played in 2 road games with the Generals, was initially identified only as "New Player" on the official gamesheet. His goal that put the Generals on the scoreboard and his later roughing penalty were recorded as belonging to "N. Player" until the information was finalized after the game. Fort Wayne and Flint are now tied in their season series 5-5 with 2 games remaining. They next meet in Flint on Friday, April 2.

Komets Drub Gems 5-1

Last weekend, when the Fort Wayne Komets (42-20-1-2) were coming off a loss to the league-leading Muskegon Lumberjacks, a thorough trouncing of the league's lowest ranked team, the Dayton Gems (24-40-3-1) the very next day was just what the doctor ordered to help them get over their disappointment. The same was true this Saturday night in Dayton, OH, as the Komets again scored 5 goals in a convincing victory over the lowly Gems, allowing Fort Wayne to keep pace with both Muskegon and the third place Port Huron Icehawks at the top of the standings. The opening minutes of the contest were an up and down, sometimes clumsy affair as both teams settled in. Dayton got on the board first with their only goal of the night at 9:18 of the first period. Forward A.J. MacLean took advantage of weak back-checking by the Komets to break out hard and send a shot into the net that took a funny bounce over Fort Wayne goalie Nick Boucher's stick for the 1-0 lead. Forward Corey Couturier assisted. The Komets evened things up at 12:51 when defenseman Guy Dupuis skated down the right wall and hit a hard rising shot from a nearly impossible angle near the goal line for a 1-1 count. Forward Sean O'Connor was credited with an assist. The middle frame began with several near misses on Dayton's part as they turned up the pressure, but the score remained knotted as much due to their own bad luck as Boucher's prowess in net. With the Gems unable to break through, it was the Komets who finally got the go-ahead goal at 14:20 when forward Matt Syroczynski stole the puck before coming off the right wall to rifle a high shot past Dayton goalie Derek MacIntyre for the 2-1 advantage. At 14:52, just 32 seconds later, Fort Wayne solidified its lead when O'Connor skated around behind the Gems' net, picking up the loose puck on the opposite side for a wraparound goal, giving the Komets a 3-1 edge. An assist went to defenseman Frankie DeAngelis. But the Gems still had their chances to close the gap. Referee Geoff Miller whistled Fort Wayne for a too many men bench minor at 16:52, and then sent Fort Wayne forward Konstantin Shafranov to the box for hooking at 19:48. At 5:43 of the third, Miller gave Dayton an opportunity that was all but gift-wrapped when he sent O'Connor off with 2 minutes for tripping plus another 2 for an unsportsman-like penalty. But when the dust settled after each power play, the Komets lead still stood, undiminished. At 15:43, with the Gems still pressing hard, Fort Wayne defenseman Brandon Warner sent a high rising shot just under the crossbar to stretch the lead to 4-1, ending Dayton's night for all intents and purposes. As if to underscore the futility of the Gems evening, Dayton forward Mike Vaskivuo was sent to the box for hooking at 19:10, putting the Komets on the power play, and although victory was a foregone conclusion for Fort Wayne at this point, they still cashed it in. At 19:35 Syroczynski put a shot past MacIntyre from in front of the net to cap the scoring at 5-1 and give the Komets a fresh start as they head to Flint, MI on Sunday afternoon looking for some measure of revenge in a tilt with the Flint Generals. Fort Wayne lost back-to-back games to the Generals on March 6 and 7. Boucher stopped 27 of 28 shots for the win. MacIntyre made 28 saves on 33 shots in absorbing the loss.

Notes: Announced attendance was 1215. The Komets were 1 for 2 on the power play. The Gems were 0 for 5. Fort Wayne outshot Dayton 11-7 in the first, 13-10 in the second, and 33-28 overall. Not playing for the Komets were Leo Thomas (concussion), Brad MacMillan (separated shoulder), and Mitch Woods (leg contusion). With this victory, Fort Wayne has won 7 of their last 9 games. The Gems have lost 4 of their last 5 games. The Komets has won the season series with Dayton. With 3 match-ups remaining, they lead the Gems 9 games to 3. Dayton's last victory over Fort Wayne was a 2-1 win on February 3 in Fort Wayne, IN.

Komets Falter Against Lumberjacks Again, Lose 4-1

As the Fort Wayne Komets (41-20-1-2) drove away from L.C. Walker Sports Arena in Muskegon, MI for what could be the last time tonight, pondering their most recent loss to the IHL's top ranked team, the Muskegon Lumberjacks (45-18-0-3, they were no doubt wondering what went wrong. Was it the injuries that have stricken a few of Fort Wayne's key players? Did they simply run into a hot goalie? Are the Lumberjacks just too good? Nah. But whatever the reason, be it bad luck or bad effort, the Komets now find themselves 8 points behind Muskegon in the chase for the Huber Trophy and home ice advantage throughout the Turner Cup playoffs. Both teams got off to an uneventful start in the first period. Only two penalties were issued by referee Craig Welker -- tripping on Fort Wayne forward Matt Syroczynski at 2:54 and boarding on Lumberjacks defenseman Matt Krug at 14:57 -- but no goals were scored. Things picked up early in the middle frame when Komets goalie Nick Boucher mimicked the heroics he demonstrated last Sunday in Dayton, OH, by throwing himself across the net to prevent a tally by Muskegon forward Todd Robinson. It was a remarkable effort, but it didn't keep the Lumberjacks off the scoreboard for long. At 4:15, Muskegon got two men in front of the Fort Wayne net, and defenseman Nick Schneider used the advantage to put the puck past Boucher for the 1-0 lead. Assists went to forwards Michel Beausoleil and Damian Surma. The Komets struck back at 6:36. Defenseman Guy Dupuis, who was following the play, took a drop pass from forward Konstantin Shafranov and rifled it past Lumberjacks goalie Sebastien Centomo stick-side to knot the score at 1-1. Syroczynski also picked up an assist. There was one fight as the second period drew to a close. Fort Wayne defenseman Keith Rodger took exception to some blows from behind delivered by Muskegon forward Matt Robertson. Both picked up 5 minute fighting majors. At 1:58 of the third period, Fort Wayne forward Justin Chwedoruk took a hooking call, and the wheels began to fall off the Komets bus, at least figuratively. During the resulting power play, the puck bounced high into the air at the Fort Wayne net. Boucher attempted to play the puck, but it rolled down his arm, bouncing off his glove and into the net to put Muskegon up 2-1. Lumberjacks forward Robin Bouchard was credited with the fluky goal, while Krug and defenseman Mario Larocque assisted. Muskegon stretched their lead to 3-1 at 6:55 when forward Brian Bicek caught the Komets out of position. With Boucher defending the right side of the net, Bicek hit the twine by putting a rebound into the wide open left side. Robertson and forward J.T. Dahlinger were awarded the assists. Sensing the game could be slipping away from them, Fort Wayne's frustration began to boil over on the ice. At the 7:50 mark, Bouchard and Komets forward P.C. Drouin were sent off with coincidental roughing penalties. Then at 9:32 there was a full-blown fight between Krug and Fort Wayne forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock, which ended with the combatants falling to the ice, Schrock on top. But it was too little, too late to turn the momentum of the game around. At 17:07, Bicek capped the scoring at 4-1 after he took the puck away from Komets defenseman Brandon Warner a foot from the blue line. Beausoleil assisted on the play. Centomo finished with 36 saves on 37 shots for the victory. Boucher stopped 33 of the 37 shots he faced in absorbing the loss. The Komets and Lumberjacks will meet once more during the regular season on Wednesday, April 7 in Fort Wayne, IN.

Notes: Announced attendance was 2957. Fort Wayne went 0-4 on the power play. Muskegon went 1-4. Shots on goal were even overall at 37 aside, but Fort Wayne edged the Lumberjacks 12-10 in the first and 15-14 in the third. With Muskegon leaving the IHL to field a junior level team next season, there was a ceremony before the game to retire Bouchard's #32 jersey. Bouchard recently became the all-time leading goal scorer in minor league hockey history. Fort Wayne forwards Brad MacMillan (shoulder) and Leo Thomas (concussion) missed the game, while forward Mitch Woods left the contest early in the second period with a lower leg contusion. It was announced after the game that Woods will be out of the line-up for the remainder of the weekend. The Komets have lost 2 games out of the last 7, with both losses being to the Lumberjacks. Muskegon has won 3 in a row and 5 of the last 6. With this victory, the Lumberjacks have won the season series versus Fort Wayne. They lead 6-4 with 1 game remaining.

Richard "mightbite" Smith's "Fans in the Stands" Interview Now on YouTube

Wendy Bartle's "Fans in the Stands" interview that was filmed on Friday, November 20, 2009 at the Fort Wayne Komets vs. Muskegon Lumberjacks game is now available to be viewed on YouTube, the video sharing website. Richard “mightbite” Smith was the guest.

“Richard Smith (a.k.a. mightbite) will be Wendy Bartle's guest for the Komets Game of the Week “Fans in the Stands” interview this week. Smith is well-known amongst fans who read and respond to the Komets blogs offered by both of Fort Wayne’s major newspapers, The News Sentinel (author: Blake Sebring) and The Journal Gazette (author: Justin Cohn), where he regularly advocates fisticuffs in hockey as well as the signing of “enforcers” to the team. He is also a collector of hockey jerseys and cards…”

Richard Smith on "Fans in the Stands"
(7:36)

Komets Bury Gems 5-0

Less than 24 hours after losing a hard-fought, back-and-forth contest against the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Saturday night, the Fort Wayne Komets (41-19-1-2) went on the road to take out their frustrations on the cellar-dwelling Dayton Gems (23-38-3-1) early Sunday evening. Dayton had the obvious edge in energy level, having not played since Friday and prior to that, the previous Sunday, but could not take advantage of the Komets weariness with Fort Wayne goalie Nick Boucher having an infallible night in front of the Komets net. The first period alone featured numerous impressive saves by Boucher plus a few close calls, but no goals for either side. Early in the middle frame, Boucher made perhaps his most stunning stop of the game lying flat on his back. Gems forward Mike Vaskivuo had a clear shot at the open net, but the goalie miraculously managed to raise a glove and prevent the tally. For Dayton, it was going to be that kind of night. No doubt inspired to see such heroics, the Komets took a 1-0 lead less than a minute later at 2:31 when forward Konstantin Shafranov picked up a rebound goal. Assists went to forwards Matt Syroczynski and Colin Chaulk. The remainder of the second period featured more stellar highlights from Boucher and no additional scoring. That was all about to change. To set the stage, Dayton defenseman Matt Szypura was sent off by referee Andy Thackaberry for hooking with just 22 seconds remaining in the second. That left 1:38 of power play time for the Komets to begin the third, and they hit the ice determined to cash in on it. At 1:14, they did just that when a shot by Syroczynski made it past Gems goalie Derek MacIntyre to stretch the lead to 2-0. Chaulk and Shafranov assisted. At 6:55, Dayton forward Tim Hartung was issued an interference penalty, giving Fort Wayne the man advantage yet again. Just 12 seconds later at 7:07, forward Justin Chwedoruk made the Gems pay a second time, finding the net to extend the Komets lead to 3-0. Defensemen Brandon Warner and Frankie DeAngelis were credited with the assists. If there was any suspense left in the contest, it was squelched at the 13:51 mark when Chaulk was left unguarded and fired the puck in behind MacIntyre for a 4-0 count. Shafranov and Syroczynski picked up the helpers. But Dayton was handed some prime opportunities to at least make a show of it the rest of the way. At 16:29, Syroczynski was whistled for slashing. At 17:54, there was a brief scrum which resulted in Komets defenseman Danko Mironovic picking up a cross-checking penalty while Fort Wayne forward Sean O'Connor and Gems defenseman Russell Smith picked up roughing calls. Smith was reportedly seen spitting on Mironovic in the wake of the incident. The additional penalty gave Dayton a 5-on-3 for 35 seconds, but they weren't able to capitalize. Then at 18:37, just 8 seconds after the Komets had gotten a player back, Fort Wayne defenseman Guy Dupuis was whistled for high sticking, ensuring the Gems a significant edge for the remainder of the contest. But even that wasn't good enough. MacIntyre was pulled to give the Gems an almost clownish 6-on-3 advantage for all but the final 6 seconds of the game. Yet despite it all, they simply could not solve Boucher. Then to underscore the Gems ill fortune, Chaulk backhanded the puck clear of the Komets zone and into the empty net at 19:58 to cap the scoring at 5-0. For Fort Wayne, it was a much needed victory after a hard to swallow loss. For Dayton, it was just one more night of misery in a series of many. Boucher made 44 saves on 44 shots for the shut-out and the victory. MacIntyre stopped 31 of the 35 shots he faced.

Notes: Announced attendance was 1350. The Komets were 2-3 on the power play. The Gems were 0-6. Dayton outshot Fort Wayne 16-12 in both the first and third periods and 44-36 overall. The Gems have lost 2 in a row, 5 of the last 6, and 8 of the last 10. They hadn't been shut-out since January 10, 2010 when they were shut-out 3-0 also by the Komets at Hara Arena. Fort Wayne has won 6 of the last 7 and 12 of the last 15. Scratches for the Komets included forward Brad MacMillan, who missed a fourth game with a separated shoulder. He is expected to return in a week or two. Also absent was forward Leo Thomas, who reportedly suffered "a bit of a concussion" in the game the previous night versus Muskegon. He is expected to return to the line-up for Friday's match-up in Muskegon, MI.

Komets Yield to Lumberjacks 4-3

In a tense match-up between the IHL's top two teams with playoff time approaching, The Fort Wayne Komets (40-19-1-2) knew their game against the Muskegon Lumberjacks (43-18-0-3) on Saturday night in Fort Wayne, IN wasn't going to be a walk in the park. Yet despite a valiant effort for the most part, the Komets didn't have quite enough in the tank to overcome their foes, and specifically Lumberjacks star forward Robin Bouchard. In fact, it was Bouchard that got the game's scoring underway at 10:30 of the opening frame. With Fort Wayne defenseman Danko Mironovic off for hooking as of 9:48, Bouchard put his team up 1-0 when his shot on the power play from just in front of the goal line to the left of the net made it past Komets goalie Tim Haun. Assists went to forward Todd Robinson and defenseman Matt Krug. Fort Wayne didn't wait long to tie things up. At 13:13, forward Leo Thomas rifled an unassisted shot from the left circle that hit the twine just under the crossbar, sending the water bottle of Lumberjacks goalie Sebastien Centomo flying. The play elapsed so quickly, that it was not immediately certain that puck had gone in, but after briefly conferring with the goal judge, referee Jim Hawthorne made the tally official. The duel continued just 31 seconds later. At 13:34, Bouchard struck again. This time, he picked up the rebound of a shot by defenseman Mario Larocque to put Muskegon back on top 2-1. Forward John DiPace picked up the other assist. But at 18:05, the Komets knotted the game at 2-2 with another unassisted goal. From a sharp angle 15 feet to the right of the net, forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock put the puck just under the crossbar on the far side of the net to send both teams to their respective locker rooms on even footing. Fort Wayne claimed their only lead of the game at 6:12 of the middle frame on the power play. Lumberjacks Billy Collins was whistled for interference at 5:40 to set the stage for the 5-on-4 situation. After scoring attempts by Komets forwards Konstantin Shafranov and Colin Chaulk came up short, forward Matt Syroczynski jammed the puck home amidst a scrum in front of the Muskegon net for the 3-2 advantage. But at 10:14, Mironovic was sent to the box for tripping, giving Muskegon another key break in the game. Once again it was Bouchard who rose to the occasion, simultaneously pulling his team even at 3-3, netting the hat trick, and tying Don Parson's minor league goal scoring record of 682 career goals. The play began when a Komets clearing attempt was knocked down at the blue line and passed back to Bouchard about 45 feet out. Bouchard's shot seemed to catch Haun off guard, as the goalie did not react until the puck had already flown past him. Robinson and Krug were awarded the assists. Late in the middle frame, the Komets had a golden opportunity to take the lead again after Larocque was called for hooking at 16:32 and Krug was handed a 4 minute penalty for high sticking Chaulk at 17:49. Yet Fort Wayne was unable to capitalize on the 43 second 5-on-3, and the subsequent 5-on-4 situation, which extended into the third period, similarly came and went. At 6:32 of the final frame, the Lumberjacks reclaimed the lead after the Komets tried to get a line change. Forward Bobby Bolt came off the right wing, sending a shot from the right circle between Haun's legs for the 4-3 lead. Forward Damian Surma and defenseman Adam Welch assisted. But Fort Wayne had one final gift-wrapped opportunity to even things up at 7:22 when DiPace was whistled for holding before being issued a 10 minute misconduct for protesting the call. But when they failed to cash in on the chance, the weary Komets players began to lose steam. Even with Haun pulled as the clock ticked down, Fort Wayne was unable to close the narrow gap, and the Lumberjacks went on to claim the game's 2 points, extending their lead over the Komets in the IHL standings to 6 points. Haun stopped 19 of 23 points in the loss, which snapped Fort Wayne's 5 game winning streak. Centomo made 31 saves on 34 shots for the victory.

Notes: Announced attendance was 8102. The Komets went 1-7 on the power play. The Lumberjacks were 2-4. Fort Wayne outshot Muskegon 15-9 in the first, 12-6 in the third, and 34-23 overall. The Lumberjacks have won 3 of their last 4 games after losing 4 in a row. Despite the loss, the Komets still clinched a playoff berth thanks to a 6-5 loss by the Flint Generals to the Port Huron Icehawks. Fort Wayne now trails Muskegon in the season series 5-4 with 2 games remaining. Komets Forward Brad MacMillan missed his third game with a separated shoulder. After the game, Fort Wayne radio announcer Bob Chase noted an apparent case of minor vandalism in one of the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum's restrooms.

Komets Overwhelm Plucky Mallards 5-3

The Fort Wayne Komets (40-18-0-3) overcame the feisty Quad City Mallards (23-30-4-7) on Friday night in Fort Wayne, IN in a game that wound up being closer than it had any right to be. An announced crowd of 9290 was in attendance for the Komets annual "Army Tribute Night and Jersey Auction" which saw the team wearing special orange and camouflage jerseys, and appropriately, the Komets displayed plenty of firepower on the ice. But it was Quad City that drew first blood on their first shot of the game, when Fort Wayne forward Justin Chwedoruk fell, turning the puck over in the Mallards' zone. The mistake led to a 2-on-1 going the other way, with Mallards forward Brandon Marino carrying the puck down the left wing before passing to forward Obi Aduba on the right. Aduba then fired a shot over Komets goalie Tim Haun for the 1-0 lead just 23 seconds into the contest. Forward Joel Gasper picked up the other assist. Fort Wayne tied it at 1-1 when Komets forward David Hukalo streaked down the left wing before cutting to the net and sending off a weak shot that Mallards goalie Kyle Jones didn't hasten to secure as it came to rest at the corner of the net. As Hukalo passed behind the net, he took a whack that somehow propelled the puck over the goal line at 6:21. Just 33 seconds later, at 6:56, Fort Wayne asserted their dominance over the lowly Mallards when Quad City defenseman Shane Lovedahl missed his check on Komets forward Colin Chaulk against the end boards to the left of the net and fell to the ice, anticipating a whistle from referee Nick Suhy that never came. Chaulk sent a pass to Fort Wayne forward Konstantin Shafranov, who put a backhand shot just inside the right goal post, giving the Komets a 2-1 lead. The Komets never looked back from there. Fort Wayne stretched its advantage to 3-1 at 2:12 of the middle frame when forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock banked the puck off the boards before skating around Quad City defenseman Kyryll Katrych and regaining possession and wristing a shot underneath Jones. Komets defenseman Keith Rodger was awarded an assist on the play. There was a minor skirmish at 4:32 which resulted in a 2 minute 5-on-3 power play for the Mallards. Fort Wayne forward Mitch Woods was sent off for holding, while his teammate, defenseman Danko Mironovic, picked up a roughing call. But the Komets defense held firm, and the penalties expired uneventfully. At 9:07, Fort Wayne struck again. Schrock put a shot on net from 40 feet out that trickled into the goalmouth. Chwedoruk, who had taken position there, quickly swept it in to extend the lead to 4-1. Hukalo was also credited with an assist. The only light at the end of the desperate Mallards' tunnel came at 15:45 when Aduba netted his second goal of the evening to cut the deficit to 4-2. Gasper and forward Marc Rechlicz assisted. It was just enough to give Quad City hope to start the final frame, which began as a battle, but turned into a full-fledged war. The hostilities started at 9:56, with Mallards defenseman Ryan Palmer being sent to the box on a roughing and holding call while Fort Wayne forward Sean O'Connor picked up only a roughing penalty. At 12:33, the real fireworks began after Rechlicz checked Chaulk from behind along the left boards after Chaulk had passed up the puck. Chaulk took exception to what he considered a dirty hit, and the two fought. During the melee, Komets coach Al Sims claims Rechlicz tried to head butt Chaulk. He later stated that he will ask the league to review the incident. While that fight was still raging, a second altercation began between Quad City defenseman Jason Goulet and Fort Wayne forward Matt Syroczynski. Both received 5 minutes for fighting and 10 minute misconduct penalties for the secondary bout. But the bad blood had still not run its course. At 14:59, Katrych tangled with Woods after Woods delivered a check that was deemed to be boarding by Suhy. Both picked up fighting majors, but Suhy also dished out a 2 minute unsportsman-like bench minor after the Komets protested the boarding call. This time, the Mallards took advantage of the 5-on-3 situation, though they had to pull Jones for an additional attacker to do it. Playing 6-on-3, forward Juris Stals put the puck past Haun to pull Quad City within a 1 at 4-3. Assists went to Marino and defenseman Tyler Kindle. So close and yet so far. The Komets defense proved to be simply too strong for the Mallards to overcome at anything close to even strength as the clock ticked down. No sooner had they pulled Jones again to close out the game did Fort Wayne put the game out of reach at 5-3. Just minutes after taking part in "aggressive negotiations" with the Mallards, Chaulk blazed around the Quad City defense to plant the puck in the empty net. Forward P.C. Drouin got the assist. In one final display of ill will, Schrock took on Palmer at the 19:33 mark, giving Schrock a "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" for the evening with 1 goal, 1 assist, and 1 fight. The win stretched the Komets winning streak to 5 games. Haun made 20 saves on 23 shots for the victory. Jones stopped 33 of 37 in absorbing the loss.

Notes: The Komets went 0 for 3 on the power play. The Mallards were 1 for 6. Fort Wayne outshot Quad City in every period, including 17-8 in the first, and 38-23 overall. The Komets are the winners of 11 of their last 13 games. The Mallards have lost 4 in a row. The "Army Tribute Night Jersey Auction" garnered nearly $9000 for the Indiana Nation Guard Relief Fund, with defenseman Guy Dupuis' jersey fetching a high bid of $1222. Schrock's sweater brought in $750 for the second highest selling price. Fort Wayne's only scratch was forward Brad MacMillan, who is expected to be out for one more week with a separated shoulder. MacMillan used his time off to act as a guest commentator for the Komets Game of the Week broadcast. Fort Wayne leads the season series with Quad City 10-2 with 3 games remaining.

Komets Hold Off Icehawks 4-3

For the second time in less than a week, the Fort Wayne Komets (39-18-1-2) defeated the Port Huron Icehawks (37-21-0-4), this time in Port Huron, MI, thus allowing the Komets to tighten their grip on second place in the IHL's standings race. On a night in which Port Huron's players were clad in special white, black and green jerseys in honor of Guinness Draught and the St. Patrick's Day holiday, the luck, ultimately, was on the visitors' side. Fort Wayne forward Justin Chwedoruk got his team on the board at just 1:30 of the opening frame when he intercepted the puck and out-skated a Port Huron defenseman before putting a backhander past Icehawks goalie Adam Russo high, glove-side for the 1-0 lead. At 14:49, Komets forward Sean O'Connor was sent to the box for hooking by referee Ryan Hutchison, putting Port Huron on the power play, and the potent Icehawks offense did not waste the opportunity. At 15:33, forward Brandon Naurato tallied off a rebound from right in front of the net with no Fort Wayne player around to cover him, tying the score at 1-1. Assists went to forward Kris Vernarsky and defenseman Ian Turner. Though no true fights broke out, Icehawks 6'5" forward Peter Flache did take exception to a check by the 5'11" O'Connor later in the period and was seen challenging the Fort Wayne player repeatedly. O'Connor proved to be popular early in the second period as well. At the 1:50 mark, he flattened Icehawks defenseman Rob Cowan against the glass and received a minor boarding penalty as a result. Flache then attempted to reach O'Connor, but he came up with Komets forward Leo Thomas instead. A minor brawl ensued, and Thomas and Flache were both handed roughing penalties. O'Connor's extra 2 minutes put the Icehawks on the power play, but they failed to capitalize. As the penalty expired, Fort Wayne forward David Hukalo spotted Thomas breaking into the Port Huron zone and hit him with a pass at the blue line, which Thomas then planted in the back of the net to put the Komets back on top 2-1. But once again, Fort Wayne failed to hold the lead. At 11:45 Icehawks defenseman Mike Gershon put a shot from the left point past Komets goalie Nick Boucher to knot the score at 2-2. Assists went to forwards Derek Patrosso and Nick Lindberg. At 16:30, Fort Wayne defenseman Keith Rodger took a hooking penalty, and once again, Port Huron made the Komets pay for the infraction. Defenseman Cody Hamilton put another shot from the point into the twine at 17:06 to give the Icehawks their first lead of the game at 3-2. Patrosso and Lindberg got the assists for the second goal in a row. As the period drew to a close, it was the Komets turn to even things up, which they did when forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock burst out of his own end, positioned himself in front of the Port Huron net, and deflected a shot by Hukalo past Russo for a 3-3 count to begin the final frame. Defenseman Frankie DeAngelis was also credited with an assist. The next goal was obviously going to be crucial, and the third period looked to be a war. At the 4:00 mark, the battle still raged, but it was the Komets banner that flew just a little higher. Thomas picked up a rebound for the 4-3 advantage. Defenseman Danko Mironovic and forward P.C. Drouin were awarded the assists. To quote Fort Wayne radio broadcaster Bob Chase, the Icehawks threw everything but the stadium's seats at the Komets from there on out. The only hindrance to their full court press came at 18:30 from, ironically enough, Naurato. After getting his team on the board in the first period, a slashing call on the forward at 18:30 left his team short-handed at the most critical time in the game. Regardless, Russo was pulled with 35 seconds remaining on the clock, but Port Huron was unable to even the score before the horn sounded. Boucher made 30 saves on 33 shots for the victory. Russo stopped 25 of 29 in absorbing the loss. The teams have one more meeting scheduled before the regular season ends -- Saturday, April 3 in Fort Wayne, IN.

Notes: Announced attendance was 1172. Port Huron went 2 for 5 on the power play. The Komets were 0 for 3. The Icehawks outshot Fort Wayne 13 to 6 in the third period and 33-29 overall. Port Huron's losing streak was extended to 3 games, while the Komets have won 4 in a row. Fort Wayne currently has the most road wins in the IHL with an 18-12-1 record. Komets enforcer Brad MacMillan missed the game with a separated shoulder. He was placed on the 14 day IR earlier in the week. In another ironic twist, O'Connor was the most penalized player for this St. Patrick's Day match-up, being sent to the box 3 times while everyone else who visited the sin bin made the trip only once. The season series between Fort Wayne and Port Huron is now tied at 5 games apiece.

Chris Griffith to Appear on "Fans in the Stands"

Chris Griffith will be Wendy Bartle's guest for this week's St. Patrick's Day edition of "Fans in the Stands" which can be seen during the first intermission of the Komets Game of the Week broadcast. Chris is a transplanted fan, having moved to the Fort Wayne area from Coldwater, MI while he was still in high school. Despite the fact that he grew up watching the Kalamazoo Wings play, his blood now runs indisputably black and orange, though he does still follow his other favorite team from boyhood, the always intimidating Detroit Red Wings. Among other things, Griffith will discuss his reaction to the Kalamazoo Wings leaving the IHL last summer, his transition to Fort Wayne fandom, and his opinions on this year's Komets squad. Remember to tune in to Comcast channel 55 or Verizon Fios 25 on Wednesday, March 17 at 8 PM or Thursday, March 18 at 4 AM or Noon for a wee bit of "Wearin' O' the Green" fun and to learn more about Chris and his love of Komet (and Red Wing) hockey.

*Photo by Otto Boschet

UPDATE: I have just been informed that the game that airs tonight (March 17) will actually be the Komets game vs. the Muskegon Lumberjacks from Friday, March 12, but Chris Griffith's interview will be aired after the game. Something about engineers, edit decks and fishing -- whatever that means!

Dick Close "Fans in the Stands" Interview Now on YouTube

Wendy Bartle's second "Fans in the Stands" interview, filmed at the Saturday, November 14, 2009 Komets game vs. the Dayton Gems, is now available to be viewed in two parts on YouTube, the video sharing website. Dick Close was the guest.

Close worked for Pepsi Cola, a major sponsor of the Fort Wayne Komets, for a number of years and is now retired. He is a season ticket holder and has been attending games since 1957. He was privileged to know a few Komets legends personally, such as goalie Robbie Irons, who also worked at Pepsi for a time. As a Komets fan, Close made a point to travel to a number of away games over the years, visiting every current IHL city except Bloomington, IL and has a great many interesting stories from the various locales over the years.

Dick Close interview, Part 1
Dick Close interview, Part 2

Komets Take Down Icehawks 5-1, Move into 2nd Place in Standings

The Fort Wayne Komets (37-18-1-2) completed a sweep of three potential playoff opponents on Saturday night by topping the Port Huron Icehawks (37-19-0-4), snapping the Icehawks 4 game winning streak in the process, while extending their own to 3 games. The game was eerily reminiscent of the contest the previous night against the league-leading Muskegon Lumberjacks in more ways than one. An announced crowd of 8010 didn't have to wait long for the home team to notch the first goal. Just 22 seconds after the opening faceoff, forward Matt Syroczynski threw a puck in front of the net and forward Konstantin Shafranov reached around a Port Huron defenseman to tip it past Icehawks goalie Larry Sterling for the 1-0 lead. That was stretched to 2-0 at 6:24 when forward P.C. Drouin intercepted a wayward clearing attempt and skated in alone on Sterling before sliding the puck around him at an extreme angle for an unassisted tally. The goal was Drouin's 20th of the season, making him the second player on the Komets roster to reach that plateau this season. In response, the Icehawks tightened up defensively, allowing no further goals against in the first period or in the middle frame. But having already fallen into a hole, that wasn't going to be good enough. Tension was evident on both sides in the second period. At 4:45 referee Bob Langdon dished out unsportsman-like penalties to Port Huron defenseman Cody Hamilton and Fort Wayne forward Mitch Woods. Then at 13:59, Woods got into a full blown fight with Icehawks defenseman Rob Cowan. With the combatants tied up, the crowd laughed as Woods reached up and removed Cowan's helmet for him before ending the bout by pulling Cowan to the ice in a heap. The first half of the final frame was more back and forth defense-first hockey, but things were about to change. It all began when Langdon whistled Port Huron defenseman Ian Turner for a rare call -- playing with an illegal stick -- at 9:39. The Komets were attempting to cash in on the subsequent man advantage, when Drouin was sent to the box for hooking after a turnover led to a shorthanded breakaway for the Icehawks at 11:13. Though Drouin had prevented the tally, Port Huron went on the power play once Turner's infraction had expired, and at 12:28 they made it count. Forward Derek Patrosso whipped a ricochet from the slot into an open net, reducing the deficit to 2-1. Hamilton and defenseman Daniel Tetrault picked up the assists on the play. Drouin could be seen hanging his head in the penalty box, as it is every player's fear to watch their team give up a goal while they look on from the sin bin. Once back out on the ice, he wasted little time in making it up. Just 58 seconds later, Drouin put a shot past Sterling to make the count 3-1, restoring Fort Wayne's 2 goal advantage. Assists went to forward Sean O'Connor and defenseman Keith Rodger. But the Komets weren't through yet. At 14:54, Chaulk netted his 20th goal of the season, giving Fort Wayne 3 players thus far that have crossed that threshold. Defenseman Bobby Phillips was awarded the assist. Then in a supremely ironic moment, Patrosso was sent off with a hooking penalty of his own, and the Komets capitalized as O'Connor beat Sterling at 18:46 to cap the scoring at 5-1. Assists went to forward David Hukalo and defenseman Frankie DeAngelis. No doubt dismayed to see the game slip away from them so quickly, Icehawks players exchanged verbal barbs with Komets players as the clock ticked down. At 18:51, Port Huron forward Mickael Bedard and Chaulk were both sent off with unsportsman-like penalties while Icehawks forward Jason Kostadine and Woods received matching 10 minute misconducts for their verbal jousting. The win put Fort Wayne 1 point ahead of the Icehawks for 2nd place in the IHL standings. The teams next meet in Port Huron this Wednesday night. Komets goalie Tim Haun stopped 20 of 21 shots in the win. Sterling made 31 saves on 36 shots.

Notes: Fort Wayne outshot Port Huron in every period and 36-21 overall. Both the Komets and Icehawks went 1 for 5 on the power play. Adam Russo, Port Huron's #1 goalie, was called up by the AHL's Houston Aeros prior to the game. Fort Wayne forward and enforcer Brad MacMillan suffered a separated shoulder on his first shift of the game and was seen in the press box in street clothes with his arm in a sling by the first intermission. He will be evaluated by a team doctor on Monday. Despite the win, the Komets still trail the Icehawks in their season series 4 games to 5 with 2 meetings remaining.

Komets Carve Into Lumberjacks' Lead with 5-2 Victory

Two days after leaving the fourth place Bloomington Prairie Thunder in the dust, the Fort Wayne Komets (37-18-1-2) gave the same treatment to the league leading Muskegon Lumberjacks (40-17-0-3), much to the delight of the 8375 Komets fans in attendance on Friday night. But the game was memorable for more than just the final score. It saw two Fort Wayne players net their first goals of the season on an unseasonably warm late winter evening in which nature provided the celebratory fireworks in the form of lightening after the game. The contest itself got off with a bang when Komets forward Mitch Woods had a fight with Muskegon forward David Rohlfs at the 3:30 mark of the opening frame. At 4:52, Fort Wayne got the jump on the scoreboard as well. Forward Colin Chaulk picked up a loose puck along the right boards just outside the Komets blue line, and with forward P.C. Drouin on his left as a decoy, skated up the ice to put a shot over sliding, prone Lumberjacks defenseman Adam Welch and Muskegon goalie Sebastien Centomo top shelf, right side. Assists went to defenseman Keith Rodger and forward Sean O'Connor. At 10:36 there was a brief scuffle that resulted in roughing penalties for Fort Wayne defenseman Kevin Bertram and Muskegon forward John DiPace, but the incident did nothing to change the Komets' early momentum. At 13:55 their lead was stretched to 2-0 when Woods netted his first goal of the season. Fort Wayne forward David Hukalo intercepted a bad pass from Rohlfs at the center red line and passed it to Woods. Woods carried it up ice before glancing back and passing it to the trailing Hukalo on the right wing. When Hukalo's shot didn't make it past Centomo, the rebound bounced directly to Woods, who did find the twine after Centomo fell, sprawling wildly on the ice in his attempt to make the stop. But 2-0 leads offer nothing but false comfort. The first goal of the second period would be enormously important, and it was Fort Wayne that planted their flag first just 47 seconds into the frame. Komets forward Konstantin Shafranov put a rebound into the top of the net from the corner of the goal crease for the 3-0 lead. Chaulk and Drouin were awarded the assists. Just over 2 minutes later there was another fight, this time between Fort Wayne forward Brad MacMillan and Muskegon defenseman Jordan Little. MacMillan picked up an additional cross-checking penalty, putting the Lumberjacks on the power play. But once again, it simply wasn't Muskegon's night. At 4:18 Komets defenseman Danko Mironovic, the only non-goalie on Fort Wayne's roster who hadn't scored a goal, netted his first tally of the season short-handed and unassisted when he ripped a shot past Centomo from the blue line to bring the count to 4-0. Afterwards, a teammate was seen leaping into Mironovic's arms to celebrate. But the Lumberjacks weren't giving up just yet. Both teams played tough defensively for the remainder of the second period into the third, which is when referee Craig Welker gave Muskegon new reason to hope. At 3:29, Fort Wayne forward Matt Syroczynski was whistled for a 4 minute high-sticking penalty. Then at 5:22, Komets defenseman Kevin Bertram picked up a 2 minute high-sticking penalty, giving the Lumberjacks a 5-on-3 play for the full 2 minutes. The advantage proved to be too much for the Komets, as Muskegon's Robin Bouchard was permitted to take 3 unchallenged shots from a right point position a few feet inside the blue line. The third was the charm, reducing Fort Wayne's lead to 4-1. Defenseman Matt Krug and forward Todd Robinson were credited with the assists. At 7:56, O'Connor was sent to the box for a too many men on the ice bench minor, and the newly inspired Lumberjacks too advantage again. Defenseman Mario Larocque netted a slap shot from above the crease, just inside the blue line to bring Muskegon into striking distance at 4-2. Afterwards, Komets goalie Tim Haun fumed bitterly over what he felt had been should have been an interference call, but he was eventually calmed down by teammates, thus avoiding being tossed from the game. At 14:00, his teammates got one back for him, and ironically, it was Larocque who facilitated the tally. After pulling the Lumberjacks within 2 points, the defenseman was sent off for interference at 8:38 and again for elbowing at 13:12. At 14:00, the Komets finally cashed in on the man advantage when O'Connor on the right point passed the puck to Hukalo at the top of the slot, and Hukalo sent a pass between his legs to forward Leo Thomas who was breaking to the net on the left wing behind him. Thomas cut in front of the Lumberjacks defenders and put a shot in the back of the net to cap the scoring at 5-2. Haun stopped 24 of 26 shots for the victory. Centomo made 22 saves on 27 shots in absorbing the loss. The win put the Komets 6 points behind Muskegon for the league lead in the IHL standings.

Notes: The Komets were 1-5 on the power play. The Lumberjacks were 2-7. The shots on goal differential was no more than 2 in all three periods, with Fort Wayne edging Muskegon in the overall count 27 to 26. The Komets wore their black and red throwback jerseys for the contest. Scoreboard camera's frequently singled out Lumberjacks defenseman Jason Lawmaster, best known to Komets fans as the player who jumped Fort Wayne forward Konstantin Shafranov off a face-off without provocation. Lawmaster was subjected to a lengthy series of unflattering "celebrity look-alike" images. Fort Wayne has won 2 games in a row after losing 2. Muskegon has lost 4 in a row after winning 5 of the previous 6. The Komets and Lumberjacks are now tied in their season series 4-4 with 3 games remaining.

Komets Shut-Out Prairie Thunder 5-0

The Fort Wayne Komets (36-18-1-2) set the tone for a busy weekend ahead in which they will face the league's top two teams -- the Muskegon Lumberjacks and Port Huron Icehawks -- on Fort Wayne ice by downing the fourth place Bloomington Prairie Thunder (25-25-2-5) in convincing style on Wednesday evening. In front of a small midweek crowd of 5813 fans, the Komets gave what many felt was one of their best defensive performances of the season. Or maybe it was just that the bad luck that has sometimes plagued the Komets had found another target, as Fort Wayne frequently benefited from missed Bloomington opportunities and other close calls, especially in the first period, when it quickly became evident that it wasn't going to be the Prairie Thunder's night. Komets forward Konstantin Shafranov was the first to break through at 4:01 of the opening period. Fort Wayne forward Colin Chaulk stole the puck from Bloomington defenseman Jason Lepine along the left boards in front of the Komets bench. He and Shafranov then skated in on Prairie Thunder goalie Kevin Armstrong on a 2-on-1 rush. Chaulk passed the puck to Shafranov, who was breaking in from the right, and he put a quick wrist shot into the wide open right side of the net for the 1-0 lead. Forward Matt Syroczynski also assisted. At 7:12, Komets forward Sean O'Connor stretched the lead to 2-0, though initially, the goal was mistakenly credited to O'Connor's teammate, forward Mitch Woods. Syroczynski carried the puck all the way up ice on a break. Armstrong made the initial save but went down on the play. Woods proceeded to jab repeatedly at the puck, trying to get it under Armstrong, but it wound up bouncing to the right, and O'Connor swooped in to knock it into the net from the top of the crease. At 9:26, referee Nick Suhy called a couple of penalties that seemed to agitate Bloomington further. Komets forward Brad MacMillan picked up 2 minutes for cross-checking but Prairie Thunder defenseman Justin Sawyer was also sent off for roughing. After the penalties, players on both sides continued to mill about and yap at each other in a manner that suggested the matter was not settled until 9:56, when Suhy abruptly tossed Bloomington forward Craig Macdonald from the game with a 10-minute misconduct and 10 minute game misconduct. Everything returned to normal after that, including Fort Wayne's scoring touch. At 11:28, they made it 3-0 after forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock beat former Komets defenseman Brian Boulay to a loose puck behind the Prairie Thunder net. Schrock passed it out front to O'Connor who was breaking to the net from the right, and O'Connor's shot hit the back of the twine before Armstrong could react. Tensions spilled over into the middle frame as Bloomington was no doubt hoping desperately to get back into the contest. At 1:54 Prairie Thunder forward Greg McGauley was sent to the box with an unsportsman-like penalty, and at 5:44, the 5'10" MacMillan fought with 6'4" Bloomington forward T.J. Schneider. After that, Fort Wayne hunkered down defensively, thwarting the Prairie Thunder's every attempt to tally. And at 19:33, the Komets sent Bloomington to the dressing room facing a 4-0 deficit. Shafranov had turned the puck over, teasing the Prairie Thunder with yet another opportunity that just as quickly evaporated after Shafranov and Fort Wayne defenseman Bobby Phillips broke up the resulting 3-on-1 rush. Bloomington forward Robin Gomez tried a shot that deflected off Phillips foot, and just like that there was an odd-man rush headed in the opposite direction. Shafranov made up for his earlier gaff by sending a cross-ice pass to Chaulk, and Chaulk deflected it past Armstrong. It was a clearly frustrated Prairie Thunder team that took the ice to start the third, and their luck wasn't about to change. At 5:28, the Komets put the final nail in the coffin when forward Justin Chwedoruk hit the back of the twine to cap the scoring at 5-0. Assists went to Schrock and defenseman Frankie DeAngelis. There was one final bit of mutual hostility -- a spontaneous fight between Fort Wayne forward Leo Thomas and McCauley at 8:42 -- but even as the fists flew, the night was already over the struggling Prairie Thunder. Komets goalie Tim Haun stopped a perfect 25 of 25 shots for the shutout, his third of the season. Armstrong made 41 saves on the 46 shots he faced in absorbing the loss.

Notes: This was the final meeting between Fort Wayne and Bloomington of the 2009-2010 regular season. The Komets won the season series with the Prairie Thunder 9-3. Fort Wayne outshot Bloomington in all three periods, including 18-7 in the second, and 46-25 overall. The Komets went 0-4 on the power play while the Prairie Thunder were 0-5. Haun currently leads the league in victories with 22 and is tied for the lead in shut-outs. Fort Wayne forward David Hukalo returned to the line-up. He had not played since Friday, January 8 -- also against Bloomington. Komets defenseman Matt Woodard was waved to make room on the roster for Hukalo's return. Shafranov also returned to the line-up after missing 3 games with the flu. Bloomington's loss left them clinging to a 1 point lead for fourth place in the IHL standings over the Quad City Mallards. Fort Wayne's victory put them 1 point behind second place Port Huron.

Mike "Burgee" Burgess' "Fans in the Stands" Interview Now on YouTube

Wendy Bartle's first "Fans in the Stands" interview from Halloween night 2009 is now available to be viewed in two parts on YouTube, the video sharing website. Mike Burgess was the guest. Mike is a regular visitor to the Komets blogs, a Komets sponsor, and a friend of current team captain Guy Dupuis. You can watch his interview at the links below:

Mike Burgess interview Part 1
Mike Burgess interview Part 2

Additional clips will be posted in the order in which they were filmed, so remember to check back in the days and weeks to come!

Tina Mohr to Appear on "Fans in the Stands"

Tina Mohr will be Wendy Bartle's guest for this week's edition of "Fans in the Stands", which airs during the first intermission of the Komets Game of the Week broadcast. Tina has been attending Komets games since she was a baby but is perhaps best known in Komets circles for the Komets scrapbook she puts together for the team's annual End of Season Party and Jersey Auction. Tina will discuss how she got started in making the scrapbooks and what goes into creating them, her fandom over the years, and how she even went so far as to name her dog after the team she loves. Remember to tune in to Comcast channel 55 or Verizon Fios 25 on Wednesday, March 10 at 8 PM or Thursday, March 11 at 4 AM or Noon to learn more about Tina, the albums she creates, and her lifelong interest in the Fort Wayne Komets.

Komets Fall to Flint Again 3-2

In many ways it was "déjà vu all over again" for the Fort Wayne Komets (35-18-1-2) on Sunday evening when they dropped the second of back-to-back games against the Flint Generals (22-30-2-4), this time in Fort Wayne, IN. But it didn't start out that way. Both teams were out to send a message from the opening face-off, and that message took the form of a fight between Fort Wayne forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock and Flint forward Rick Smith just 2 seconds after the first puck hit the ice. And it wasn't just the fists that flew early. The Komets very first shot yielded a goal when forward Colin Chaulk put the puck past Generals goalie Sergei Zvyagin at the 1:34 mark for the 1-0 lead. Defensemen Frankie DeAngelis and Matt Woodard picked up the assists. At 8:17, Flint tied the game 1-1 when forward Jamie Schaafsma sent a pass across the slot to forward Dan Lapointe whose shot made it past Fort Wayne goalie Nick Boucher before he could react. Defenseman Chris Bogas was also credited with an assist. The Komets peppered Zvyagin with an astounding 22 shots in the period, a theme that would continue throughout the night. The Generals took a 2-1 lead at 11:20 of the middle frame after a Komets turnover at the blue line. Flint forward Pascal Rheaume skated the puck around the back of the net before sending a centering pass in front. The puck bounced towards the net, where Boucher made the stop but gave up the rebound which Generals forward John Ronan quickly skated in on at the left side of the net. As before, Boucher couldn't get over in time to make the save. At 14:10 Komets forward Sean O'Connor picked up a loose puck at the Flint blue line and maneuvered past a defender before blasting a shot top-shelf over Zvyagin's shoulder to knot the score 2-2. The rest of the second period was a penalty fest of mutual hostility. At 14:42 Generals defenseman Tyler Howells and Fort Wayne forward Brad MacMillan were both sent off for roughing. At 17:33, Flint forward Chris Kovalcik got into a fight with Komets defenseman Kevin Bertram. Both picked up 5 for fighting, while Kovalcik was handed an additional 2 minutes for roughing. And as the second period ended, MacMillan got into a full-fledged fight versus Generals defenseman Brandon Gentile. Each was assessed a 5 minute major at the 20:00 minute mark. The bad blood spilled over into the final frame when Fort Wayne forward Matt Syroczynski and Flint defenseman Craig Cescon were sent to the box for roughing at 4:31. With the teams skating 4 aside, the Generals again took the lead at 5:44. Komets forward P.C. Drouin fell to the ice when he became entangled with a Flint player. Generals forward Matt Moffet picked up the loose puck and skated in on Boucher. Using Fort Wayne defenseman Bobby Phillips as a screen, Moffet lifted a wrist shot over Boucher, who fell forward reaching for it. But the Komets still had their chances. At 12:42, referee Bob Langdon called a delay of game penalty on Flint defenseman Armando Scarlato for throwing his mouth guard onto the ice from the bench. But the resulting power play proved fruitless and at 14:58, Fort Wayne picked up a disheartening late penalty of their own for the second night in a row when defenseman Guy Dupuis was sent off for tripping. Though the Komets were able to withstand the man-advantage, they were, once again, simply unable to even the score as the clock ticked down. They did come close when O'Connor rang a shot off the crossbar and out of play, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Even with Boucher pulled for the extra attacker in the final minute, Fort Wayne couldn't generate an effective offensive. Unlike the night before, there was no empty net goal, but victory went to the Generals all the same. Boucher stopped 27 of 30 shots taken against him. Zvyagin made an astonishing 54 saves on 56 shots for the win, which moved Flint 2 points ahead of the Dayton Gems for 6th in the IHL standings.

Notes: Announced attendance was 7044. The Komets were 0 for 3 on the power play. The Generals were 0 for 2. Fort Wayne outshot flint in every period, and 56-30 overall. Komets forward Konstantin Shafranov was scratched for the third game in a row, as was forward David Hukalo, who is expected to return to the line-up this week. Woodard, Chaulk, and Syroczynski were all +1 for the game, while Drouin had an off night with -2. Despite dropping both games to the Generals, Fort Wayne still leads the season series with Flint 5-4.

Komets Outmaneuvered by Generals 3-1

The Fort Wayne Komets (35-17-1-2) missed a chance to move within 8 points of the league-leading Muskegon Lumberjacks when they dropped a game to the Flint Generals (21-30-2-4) in Flint, MI on Saturday night. The loss snapped the Komets 6 game winning streak, and moved them 3 points behind the IHL's second place team, the Port Huron Icehawks. The match got off to a physical start when Fort Wayne forward Mitch Woods dropped the gloves with Generals defenseman Armando Scarlato just 40 seconds after the opening face-off, though as fights go, it turned into more of a hugging match. Flint was first to get on the board at 16:58 of the first when the Komets were unable to clear the puck from their zone. Generals forward John Ronan put a high, hard shot from out front under the crossbar on a well-screened play that Komets goalie Tim Haun had no chance on for the 1-0 lead. Assists went to forwards Dan Lapointe and Nathan Ward. In the second period Fort Wayne forward Matt Syroczynski thought he had a goal at the 5:34 mark, but referee Nick Suhy waved it off after consulting with the goal judge, who didn't see the puck go into the net despite Syroczynski's insistence that it had. But the news would only get worse for the Komets. At 6:34, Flint forward Rick Smith was sent to the box for slashing, but his absence wound up benefitting the Generals instead of Fort Wayne. At 8:08, with the Komets defense committed deep on the play, Flint forward Bryan Smolinski and defenseman Brandon Gentile got a shorthanded breakaway, drawing Haun to the left before Smolinski deposited the puck in the net to put the Generals up 2-0. Around this time the Fort Wayne bench was no doubt wondering if it wasn't time for a "colorful metaphor". With frustration mounting, another bout broke out at 9:06, this time between Woods and Flint forward Pascal Rheaume, though it was deemed to be roughing by Suhy. At 16:54, the Komets had a second would-be goal waved off. With Generals forward Matt Moffat off as of 15:57 for slashing, Fort Wayne was on the power play. Suhy signaled an additional delayed penalty on Smolinski for boarding, which would normally be a very positive development for the attacking team. But when Fort Wayne forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock got the puck to the net and jammed it under Generals goalie Rob Nolan, Suhy declared that Nolan had touched the puck before it went into the net, therefore ending the play before the goal was scored. The Komets still had over a minute of 5-on-3 time with which to console themselves, but the power play went nowhere due to Fort Wayne's apparent inability to get a shot off. At one point, forward P.C. Drouin had an opportunity, but fanned completely on the play. Tensions continued to mount, and at 9:16 of the final frame, Schrock and Smith traded barbs when Smith was whistled for hooking. Both picked up unsportsmanlike penalties as a result. It wasn't until 12:27 of the third that the Komets finally had a glimmer of hope. On a fantastic play, forward Leo Thomas set up Matt Woodard, who finally found the twine, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Drouin also picked up an assist. But with the clock ticking down, Fort Wayne suffered another setback when Woodard was sent off for tripping at 15:17. The Komets successfully killed the penalty, but it left very little time in which to mount a counteroffensive. Fort Wayne pulled Haun for the extra attacker in the final minute, and defenseman Frankie DeAngelis had a shot that came very close to dribbling in. Close, but as they say, no cigar. When Generals forward Jamie Schaafsma intercepted the puck and skated up the ice on a breakaway at 19:58, Syroczynski simply watched him skate past, unable to muster the will to try to prevent the inevitable -- an empty net goal that extended Flint's lead to 3-1 just before the final buzzer sounded. Ronan was awarded an assist on the tally. Haun stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced in the loss. Nolan made 29 saves on 30 shots for the victory. The teams are scheduled to meet again on Sunday in Fort Wayne, IN for the second part of the home-and-home.

Notes: Announced attendance was 2164 at Perani Arena and Event Center, which recently had its lighting and heating improved. Fort Wayne went 0 for 6 on the power play. Flint went 0 for 5. The Komets outshot the Generals 10-4 in the third period and 30-27 overall. Prior to the win, Flint had lost 5 of their last 6 games. Woodard had the only positive +/- rating for a Fort Wayne player at +1. Syroczynski had a rough night with -3. Despite the loss, the Komets still lead the season series with the Generals 5 games to 3 with 4 games remaining.

Komets Trample Prairie Thunder 4-1

It was the Fort Wayne's Komets (35-16-1-2) final trip of the 2009-2010 regular season to Bloomington, IL to play the Bloomington Prairie Thunder (25-23-2-5) in the U.S. Cellular Coliseum, so they made a few more fond memories before waving goodbye. Fort Wayne forward P.C. Drouin got his team on the board at 10:17 of the first period when he broke up a play in the Komets zone, picked up the loose puck, and had a breakaway up ice. Drouin slid underneath the only Bloomington defenseman between him and the net, putting the defender on his back, before beating Prairie Thunder goalie Sebastian Dahm 5-hole for the 1-0 lead. Fort Wayne was handed a brief 5-on-3 power play a few minutes later when Bloomington forward Bill Bagron was whistled for high sticking at 13:02 and his teammate, defenseman Matthew Spiller was sent off for hooking at 14:29. Komets forward Colin Chaulk was already in the box for slashing as of 12:54, so initially it was a 4-on-3, but just 2 seconds after Chaulk's penalty expired, Fort Wayne broke through again with a well-executed play that began with a pass from forward Sean O'Connor in the corner. The puck went to Drouin and then to defenseman Guy Dupuis, who hammered it home to extend the lead to 2-0. Drouin's assist on the play was the 500th of his career. The Prairie Thunder had several excellent chances of their own in the opening frame, but failed to capitalize on any of them. Fort Wayne goalie Nick Boucher had a couple of key giveaways while trying to help his own defense. Bagron was awarded a penalty shot at 16:19 due to a Komets player closing his hand over the puck, but Bagron missed the net. And they squandered a 4-on-3 man advantage late in the period when Fort Wayne defenseman Danko Mironovic and Bloomington forward Robin Gomez were both called for roughing at 16:57, just before Komets forward Matt Syroczynski joined them in the sin bin for slashing at 17:38. The Prairie Thunder's luck didn't improve much in the second period. There was a fight at the 8:40 mark between Fort Wayne forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock and former Komets defenseman Brian Boulay. In addition to their coincidental fighting majors, Schrock picked up an additional 2 minutes for slashing and Boulay was handed 2 minutes for roughing. Fort Wayne defenseman Kevin Bertram was then whistled for interference just 8 seconds later, giving Bloomington a lengthy 4-on-3 which went nowhere. Referee Craig Welker gave the Prairie Thunder one more chance at 11:20 when he decided to send Komets forward Brad MacMillan off for roughing. This time, Bloomington cashed it in. Gomez fired a shot past Boucher at 13:09 to cut the deficit to 2-1. Assists went to forward Jamie Carroll and defenseman Jason Lepine. At 15:01 there were more fisticuffs, though this time, they were deemed to be merely roughing, as MacMillan briefly tangled with Prairie Thunder defenseman Cole Ruwe. With Bloomington pressing for the tying goal, it was Fort Wayne defenseman Bobby Phillips who gave the Komets some much needed breathing room, restoring their 2-goal lead at 17:00. Phillips skated up the left side, and Drouin threaded a pass to him across the slot that Phillips then one-timed past Dahm for a 3-1 count to end the period. The final frame was a hard-fought back and forth affair on both ends of the ice, including an almost disastrous giveaway in front of his own net by Chaulk. But the Komets held firm, and at the 16:08 mark they were finally able to put the contest out of reach. Syroczynski found the twine when he rifled a rebound by Dahm to cap the scoring at 4-1, effectively putting out the Prairie Thunder's fire for the night. Chaulk and Schrock were awarded the assists. Boucher had 26 saves on 27 shots for the win. Dahm stopped 24 of the 28 shots he faced in absorbing the loss. The Komets extended both their overall winning streak and their road winning streak to 6 games with the victory. They will face Bloomington one more time on Wednesday, March 10 in Fort Wayne, IN.

Notes: Announced attendance was 2942. The Komets were 1 for 4 on the power play. The Prairie Thunder went 1 for 6. Bloomington outshot the Komets 11-7 in both the first and third periods, but was outshot by Fort Wayne overall 28-27. Drouin's assist on Phillips goal gives him a current total of 501 for his career. Komets forward Leo Thomas returned to action after missing 1 game due to a sore knee, but forward Konstantin Shafranov did not accompany the team on the road trip because of the flu. Bloomington has now lost 2 games in a row. Fort Wayne leads the season series with the Prairie Thunder 8-3.

Komets Best Gems 4-2

The Fort Wayne Komets (34-16-1-2) fell behind by 2 goals in the first period for the third time in their last 4 home games, but mounted a successful comeback to down the Dayton Gems (21-32-3-1) on Wednesday night. Dayton's first goal of the night came at 12:34 of the first, when Fort Wayne goalie Tim Haun dropped to all fours at the right corner of the net to cover the puck. Somehow, it got away from him and was picked up by Gems forward Mike Vaskivuo behind the net, who casually skated around before depositing it into the wide open left side for the 1-0 lead. Forward Corey Couturier and defenseman Matt Szypura picked up the assists on the play. At 16:30, that lead was stretched to 2-0 after the Komets failed to clear the puck from their zone. Haun gave up a rebound in front of the net, where it slid directly to the stick of Dayton forward Mike Olynyk for the easy tap-in. Szypura and forward Pierce Norton were awarded the assists. Fort Wayne had plenty of their own chances in the opening frame, but for one reason or another, the puck simply wouldn't go into the net for them. That all changed 20 seconds into the middle frame. Gems forward Justin McCutcheon had been sent to the box for tripping at the 14 second mark, and just 6 second later on the resulting power play, Komets forward P.C. Drouin ripped a shot from the center of the right faceoff circle past Dayton goalie Derek MacIntyre, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Assists went to defenseman Guy Dupuis and forward Colin Chaulk. The goal gave Fort Wayne new life and confidence. Even when another potential tally by forward Justin Chwedoruk was waved off by referee Ian Croft due to goaltender interference, the Komets didn't lose faith. At 8:31 defenseman Frankie DeAngelis grabbed the puck out of the air on a breakaway, dropped it to the ice just before crossing the center line, then beat a Gems defenseman to send a slap shot left-side top shelf past MacIntyre, knotting the score at 2-2. Forward Konstantin Shafranov was credited with an assist. In the third period, both teams hunkered down defensively, hoping for the go-ahead goal. But just when it seemed that overtime might be imminent, Fort Wayne defenseman Bobby Phillips came on the ice to pick up a loose puck and spotted Shafranov cutting to the Dayton zone. Phillips sent a pinpoint pass to Shafranov from the neutral zone, hitting him in stride behind the Gems defense, and Shafranov put a wrist shot past MacIntyre for a 3-2 lead with a mere 1:10 remaining in regulation. With roughly half a minute left, the Gems responded by pulling MacIntyre for the extra attacker, but the plan backfired when Fort Wayne forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock knocked the puck into the empty net on a breakaway with 17.7 seconds remaining to put the game out of reach at 4-2. An assist went to forward Matt Syroczynski. The victory extended the Komets winning streak to 5 games. They remain 1 point behind the second place Port Huron Icehawks in the IHL standings. Haun stopped 27 of 29 shots for the win. MacIntyre made 30 saves on 33 shots in absorbing the loss.

Notes: Announced attendance was 5748 in the Komets fifth Wednesday night game in as many weeks. Fort Wayne went 1-2 on the power play. Dayton went 0-2. The Komets outshot the Gems 34-29 overall. Dupuis' assist extended his total to 494 after becoming the all-time assist leader amongst Komets defensemen the previous Saturday with 493. Fort Wayne forward Leo Thomas did not dress for the game after sitting out the third period of last Saturday's contest due to a knee on knee hit. Dayton has lost 2 games in a row, 6 of the last 7, and 9 of the last 11. The Komets lead the season series with the Gems 7-3 with 5 games remaining.

Win Rood to appear on "Fans in the Stands"

Win Rood will be Wendy Bartle's guest for this week's edition of "Fans in the Stands", which can be seen during the first intermission of the Komets Game of the Week broadcast. Rood has been working as an off-ice official for 47 years and currently serves as the managing supervisor over all such officials at Komets home games. Among other things, he will discuss his early experiences as a fan of the team as well as a few of the interactions he has had with players off the ice. He will also detail what the work of an off-ice official includes, offering a glimpse into some of the things that go on behind the scenes to ensure that every facet of the game is recorded accurately. Remember to tune in to Comcast channel 55 or Verizon Fios channel 25 at 8 PM on Wednesday, March 3 or at 4 AM or Noon on Thursday, March 4 to learn more about Rood, his sagacious understanding of the game, and his many years of dedicated service to the Fort Wayne Komets.