Fort Wayne, IN -- The Komets finished week 10
of 2012-13 gaining five points in four games played, improving to 13-10-2 and
28 points after 25 games. The Komets
enter week 11 holding third place in the North Division, trailing division
leader Toledo
by five points with two games in hand.
The week started Wednesday with a 7-3 home win over Kalamazoo
before the Komets began their first ever trips to Reading
and Wheeling.
Friday the Komets posted a 4-2 lead after two periods of play at Reading before the Royals
rallied in the third with four goals for a 6-4 victory over their new conference
rival Komets.
Saturday the Komets earned a point in Wheeling,
stumbling 3-2 in overtime for a season high three-game road winless streak
(0-2-1). It was Fort
Wayne’s first overtime loss on the road since March 5, 2011 (2-1
OTL at Evansville).
Sunday the Komets returned home to cap the week with a 2-1 overtime win over
the Kalamazoo Wings. It was the second
straight win over Kalamazoo
as the 16-game season series reached it’s midpoint with the Komets improving to
4-3-1 against the Wings after eight meetings.
Leaders of the week—Forward Ryan
Lasch had points in each game for a nine-point week (4g, 5a), which included
three assists Wednesday vs Kalamazoo before netting his first Komet hat trick
Friday at Reading. Saturday Lasch netted
a goal and added an assist for his third straight mult-point game. Lasch extended his point streak to seven
games (5g, 9a) with an assist Sunday…..Center Brett Smith had points in each
game to finish with a five-game point streak (1g, 9a)…..Luca Caputi (LW) had
eight points for the week (3g, 5a) scoring multiple points in each game and
extending his point streak to four games while starting a three-game assist
streak (5a)…..Josh Brittain (LW) started the week with his first pro hat trick
Wednesday and added an assist Friday at Reading for four points for the
week…..defenseman Daniel Maggio netted his first pro game winning goal when he
scored in overtime Sunday against Kalamazoo at Fort Wayne…..Goaltender Charlie
Effinger appeared in two games earning Wednesday’s 7-3 win on 27 saves before
backstopping the Komets to a point with a 36-save performance in a 3-2 overtime
loss Saturday at Wheeling and completed the week with a 2.99 goals-against average and .913 save
percentage over the two games played.
Milestones—Thomas Beauregard (RW) skated
his 200th ECHL game (regular season and playoffs) Friday at Wheeling.
Transactions—Goaltender Marco Cousineau was
reassigned by the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks to the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals 12/15….Matt
Kennedy (RW) was activated from IR and skated his first game Sunday vs
Kalamazoo after missing 15 games on IR.
Leaders of the pack—Brandon Marino
leads the Komets with 21 assists and ranks sixth in the ECHL with 30 points…..Josh
Brittain leads with 10 goals and +7….defenseman Daniel Maggio leads with 111
penalty minutes.
GAMES THIS WEEK—The busy schedule
continues….after a week of four games in five nights which started a stretch of
22 games in 39 nights, the Komets will skate three games in four nights this
week before the Christmas break.
• Wednesday vs Cincinnati
Cyclones (14-8-2), 7:30pm— The Komets host Cincinnati at
7:30pm Wednesday for the first of nine meetings this year with six in Fort Wayne. The last time the Komets faced the Cyclones
was a 5-3 loss at Cincinnati
April 17, 1999 in the old IHL. The last
time the Cyclones visited Fort Wayne
they clipped the Komets in overtime 3-2 March 20, 1999. Second place Cincinnati leads the Komets by two points in
the tight North Division race and are riding a three-game losing streak.
• Friday at Kalamazoo
Wings (11-12-3), 7:305pm—The Komets travel to Kalamazoo Friday for the fifth of 10 visits
this year at 7:30pm. The Komets are
1-2-1 at Wings Stadium after four trips this season and 4-3-1 overall after eight
meetings this year. Kalamazoo is 2-2-1 over the last five games
and 2-4-3 in the last nine.
• Saturday vs Trenton Titans (10-11-4), 7:30pm—Saturday
the Komets finish the week hosting Trenton’s
first ever visit to Fort Wayne
at 7:30pm. Trenton resides in the Atlantic Division of
the Eastern Conference and holds third place with 24 points, trailing division leader
Reading by 15 points. Trenton is 2-0-1 after a three-game home
stand last week. The Titans are 2-1-3 in
the last seven games. Saturday is the
only meeting of the season between the Komets and Trenton.
After this week, the Komets take a break for the Christmas holiday before
starting a stretch of eight games, six at home, in 11 nights, taking the
schedule into 2013.
Operation Komet Kare Package continues
Wednesday and Saturday—The Komets started their annual Operation Komet Kare Package Sunday
and it continues at Komet home games this Wednesday and Saturday. Fans are asked to bring donations of books
magazines, DVD’s, snacks, T-Shirts, toiletries, wrapped hard candies, hand
sanitizer, wet wipes and more for our troops overseas.
Hottest ticket in town-- Single game tickets and season tickets are
on sale. Single game tickets can be purchased at the Coliseum Ticket
Office and online at www.ticketMaster.com.
Season tickets are on sale at the Komet office, 1010 Memorial Way, Fort Wayne.
For information visit www.komets.com,
or call 260-483-0011.
Komets.com—Check out the official Komet team website at
www.komets.com featuring an interactive
calendar of the Komets' schedule, info on all Komet events as well as home and
road games. Komets.com also features an
on-line team store. Fans are able to download and access photo galleries,
player information, video, audio and other multi-media features as well as
follow Komet gamecasts live and much more.
Komet Hockey worldwide at Xfinity KometCast— Legendary broadcaster Bob Chase
celebrates his 60th anniversary season calling Komet hockey radio-rinkside.
Hear Komet Hockey worldwide at Xfinity KometCast at www.komets.com. Games are also scheduled to be broadcast on
WOWO Radio AM 1190 and FM 92.3.
INC Soundoff with the Komets Monday nights -- The Komets, Indiana's News
Center and title sponsor PHP present a live weekly televised sports program on
Monday nights at 7:30 on WPTA TV 21 Alive. The half-hour show is
televised from the WPTA TV studios each week with INC's Tommy
Schoegler as host and will feature highlights, interviews and
call-ins as Komet players and personnel serve as co-hosts. Tonight, Dec. 17, right wing Thomas
Beauregard and defenseman Daniel Nycholat are Tommy’s guest. Due to the holidays there will be no INC Soundoff
with the Komets telecast Dec. 24, Dec. 31 and Jan. 7.