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.