A week ago, the Fort Wayne Komets were on a 26-9-2 tear and didn't want to change a thing. Following this weekend, they have to take another look at what's available before Tuesday's 3 p.m. trade deadline.

After Sunday's 3-2 defeat by Port Huron, the Komets have a losing streak for the first time in 2006. They lost Saturday despite out-shooting Quad City 48-31 and despite out-shooting Port Huron 49-14. Flags also blocked at least another 10 shots on goal.

Komets forward Lance Galbraith injured his right knee with 5:00 left Friday night. Galbraith banged with Quad City defenseman Joel Pullman on their way into the boards, lost his balance and landed awkwardly. With the help of teammates, he left the game.

No one knows the prognosis yet, not the coach, general manager, trainer, team doctor or even Galbraith himself.

``Wish I could tell you,'' he said in the locker room after the game, ``because I'd like to know myself.''

The Fort Wayne Freeze (police department team) will take on the Fort Wayne Fire (fire department team) at 4 p.m. Saturday at McMillen Park Ice Arena in a benefit game. The Fort Wayne Blacksnakes will also play both teams in two games after that.

The game is to benefit Alex Wilkins, age 1, who is diagnosed with Lissencephaly, a rare brain disorder. The family was originally from Fort Wayne and moved to New Jersey on a job transfer, but they are trying to move back to have family and friends help them in troubled times.

What, because everything has been so positive lately, no one has anything to say?

C'mon, funniest thing you've seen or heard as a Komets fan?

You know how I've said for the last two weeks or so that I've gotten the sense that something really good could be happening with the Komets right now? There's more of a sense of purpose around the guys, an air of confidence that's building. It's just a feeling from having been around teams so long.

Well, I'm not the only one judging from conversations I've had with players recently.

P.C. sat out tonight with a minor injury, and the Komets didn't seem to miss him. How bad has Port Huron become? A pair of too many men penalties? Scott Hay should sue for non-support. He sure is fun to watch though.

How about the hit by Guinn? Anybody else think it was a clean hit? About as good an open-ice check as you are going to see. And kudos for Carpentier for getting the roughing call in the third standing up for a teammate.

I talked with Komets VP of Marketing Scott Sproat before Friday's game about my all-star apathy, and he said some of the things he has planned are so cool he's already excited. He wouldn't spill any details, but he said it's going to beat any past all-star games in Fort Wayne and will set the bar very high for any future UHL all-star games.

Scott doesn't brag and if he's excited, I think we can all be excited. I'm guessing some of us are going to get our wishes on a few things.

I have to admit that as I was working on the story about next season's UHL All-Star Game coming to Fort Wayne, I felt pretty much next to nothing personally, and I've been thinking about it ever since. I guess I'm apathetic (there's a pun there if you think hard enough. OK, don't).

I talked with Komets General Manager David Franke a little the other day about his immediate plans. There are some significant deadlines coming up such as the trade deadline at 3 p.m. March 14, the college amateur signing date of March 21 and the playoff roster deadline at noon April 16.