Komets back at home next weekend

Fort Wayne, IN – Despite dropping a trio of games at the Coliseum last weekend, the Komets still gained four points for the week and sit in third place in the Central Division with 21 games left in the regular season. The Komets will host Indy on Friday at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum at 7:35 p.m. and Kalamazoo on Saturday. 

ECHL STANDINGS

Last week’s results 

Wed. 2/19 at Indy FW 4 – IND 3 OTW

Fri. 2/21 vs Reading FW 2 – REA 4 L

Sat. 2/22 vs Reading FW 3 – REA 4 OTL

Sun. 2/23 vs Tulsa FW 1 – TUL 2 OTL

About last week – 

On Wednesday, Indy’s Cam Hausinger scored his sixth goal of the season against the Komets at 1:03 of the first period to open the scoring in Fishers. Nolan Volcan answered for the Komets with his seventh goal of the season at 3:09 with assists from Michael Gildon and Noah Ganske. The Fuel rattled off two more goals before Brannon McManus ended the first period scoring with a tally at 18:54 to make it a 3-2 game. 

Ethan Keppen scored late in the frame in the second period to tie the game 3-3.

Neither team broke the deadlock in the third period, so the game was decided in overtime as Ethan Keppen ended the game with a breakaway goal for his second of the game at 5:18. Connor Ungar made 13 saves for the win.

GAME SHEET

The Komet returned home to host the Reading Royals for the first time since 2014. After a scoreless first period, three goals were scored in the first 1:56 of the second period. Reading scored just forty seconds into the period, and that was quickly followed by a James Stefan goal at 1:21, with assists from Jack Dugan and Ethen Keppen. The Royals reclaimed the lead with a goal from Shane Seller at 1:56 to make the game 2-1.

In the third, Reading’s Robert Calisti scored at 10:47 to push the Royals’ lead to two. With goaltender Brett Brochu pulled for an extra skater late in the game, Kirill Tyutyayev scored at 18:28 to pull the Komets within one, but a Reading empty-net goal closed the game, giving the Royals a 4-2 win. Brochu made 29 saves in the loss.

GAME SHEET

The Komets and Reading met again on Saturday at the Coliseum, with the Royals besting the Komets 4-3 in overtime.

In the first period, Reading’s Matt Brown scored his 12th goal of the season at 10:43, but the Komets answered at 19:36 when rookie Michael Gildon lit the lamp to take the game to the first break tied 1-1. 

Reading’s Brock Caufield opened the scoring in the second period with a tally at 2:30. Jake Smith scored a power-play goal at 16:13 to conclude the scoring in the period to give the Royals a 3-1 lead.

In the third period, Alex Aleardi got his 14th goal of the season just nine seconds into the period to pull the Komets within one, before Brad Morrison tied the game with a strike at 8:07 to eventually send the game to overtime.

In overtime, Reading’s Sam Sedley took advantage of a turnover in front of the Komets’ net and ended the game at 3:07, as Conner Ungar made 24 saves in the loss.

GAME SHEET

The Komets concluded the weekend with a 2-1 overtime loss to Tulsa at the Coliseum on Sunday.

Neither team could find the back of the net in the first two periods, so with the game scoreless in the third period, Jack Dugan scored his 16th goal of the season, with assists coming from Jack Gorniak and Kirill Tyutyayev at 1:06. However, the Komets could not hold the lead as Tulsa’s Josh Nelson tied the score at 15:02, leading the game to overtime where Nelson struck again with the game-winning goal on a power-play at 5:48. Brett Brochu made 39 saves in the loss.

GAME SHEET

Komet streaks— 

Points: Tyutyayev, 3 games (1g, 2a)

Home Points: Tyutyayev, 6 games (3g, 7a)

Road Points: Dugan, 5 games (3g, 7a)

Komet leaders—

Points: 55 – Dugan (16g, 39a)

Goals: 16 – Dugan

Assists: 39 – Dugan

Power Play Goals: 6 – Tufto, Dugan

Short-Handed Goals: 1 – Gorniak, Keppen, Taylor

Game Winning Goals: 5 – Aleardi

Shots: 147 – Aleardi

PIM: 105 – Dugan

Plus/Minus: +20 – Brady

Home Points: 30 – Dugan

Home Goals: 9 – Gorniak, Dugan

Home Assists: 21 – Dugan

Road Points: 26 – Dugan

Road Goals: 10 – Keppen

Road Assists: 19 – Dugan

Goaltenders

Appearances: 27 – Brochu

Wins: 16 – Ungar

Saves: 776 - Brochu

Goals against Avg: 2.52 - Brochu

Save percentage: .921 - Brochu

Shutouts: 2, Ungar

Special K’s—The Komets went 0-10 on the power-play last week. The team skated short-handed 13 times giving up two goals. 

Next week – The Komets host Indy on Friday and Kalamazoo on Saturday before returning to Wings Event Center on Sunday.

Icing the puck – Friday was the first game against Reading at the Coliseum since the 2014 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Jack Dugan’s 10-game point streak that ended Saturday was the longest for a Komet this season. Dugan is third in the league with 39 assists. Alex Aleardi’s goal at :09 of the third period in Saturday’s loss to Reading was the fastest goal to start a period this season. The Komets are 9-1-1-0 versus teams from the Mountain Division and 2-3-1-0 versus the North Division. Kyle Mayhew is tied for the league lead in points among defensemen with 45 (9g, 36a). The Komets are 17-6-2-0 when scoring first, and the team has the second most third-period goals in the league (67). The Komets played in front of 25,226 fans over the three-game home weekend.

Upcoming Promotions

Friday, February 28:  Marathon Fill-Up Card Fridays: Filling up three times at any area Marathon station earns you buy-one-get-one tickets to any Friday home game.  Visit any local Marathon Station for details.

Saturday, March 1: Scout Night - Ticket Offer: Discounted tickets for Scout Members and their families. Limited edition Komets Zamboni Scout Patch FREE with each youth ticket.

See Komets Schedule  See Komets Roster

Komet hockey on WXKE — Fans can follow the action with Shane Albahrani broadcasting play-by-play on 96.3 WKXE. Game broadcasts are also streamed live at Komets.com. 

Get Komet Tickets — Tickets are available for all Komet home games at the Memorial Coliseum ticket office and Ticketmaster.com.