The Komets were shut out for the second game in a row and have not scored a goal in their last 129 minutes, 17 seconds. The franchise record for going scoreless is 168 minutes, 22 seconds set last season set last February when they were shut out in back-to-back games by Missouri.
In this previous Komets season, the team was coming off a trip to the playoff finals (A). Management had the option of breaking up the team and going younger, but decided those players had earned another chance and brought most of them (B) back. Because the team was so successful the year before, everyone wanted a raise which limited the budget on what management could do looking for players so the squad lacked depth. That team did manage to bring back a former star (C) and a sniper (D) with European ties.
Forward Mark Smith has announced he's leaving the Fort Wayne Komets to play for a team in Norway. Smith, the Komets' second-leading scorer, told coach Greg Puhalski of his decision at practice this morning at McMillen Park Ice Arena. He's leaving Monday and won't play for the Komets this weekend.
I thought this was interesting coming from coach Greg Puhalski after last night's game as he was talking about the lack of spark in the Komets' play:
``If you feel like that, then you've got to try to change the attitude and mix it up, and we didn't do that,'' Puhalski said. ``Some of our physical players didn't try to help the hockey club by changing momentum, they just went along with flow. They know better. They have to help the team out in those areas. You want to change momentum, you have to do certain things in order to change that.''
Why is it that whenever there's a significant delay to starting a game, the home team always falls flat on its face? Is it because the fans are impatient after waiting? Do the players lose their focus in the locker room while waiting? No one had any answers after the game tonight, but it always seems to happen.
1. 1986.
2. Two: Paul and Perry Pooley and Mike and Neil Buchanan.
3. Colin Chaulk and Troy Neumeier
Here are some statistics that indicate what kind of roll the Komets are currently on.
Goaltender Kevin St. Pierre has eighth straight games. St. Pierre holds the UHL Koemts record with 10 straight wins set last January. Pokey Reddick won 15 straight games for the IHL Komets in 1993.
So far we have one entrant for the trivia contest, Phil Harber, who did an outstanding job. He was not able to get them all correct, though, so there's still hope for anyone else who would like to enter. The winner gets a stick autographed by this year's Komets team.
The deadline is 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Hope everyone had as good a Christmas as I did.
Blake
Since I don't plan on posting over the next few days, I thought I'd come up with this to occupy some of your time. I tried to get a mixture of old and recent, with a heavy emphasis on recent, especially since 1990. The grand prize to the person with the most correct answers will be a stick signed by the entire Komets team. Because there's a prize, you must copy and paste your answers and e-mail them to me at bsebring@news-sentinel.com. If there's a tie, (which I expect) we'll hold a drawing.
He's feeling better. He's home from the hospital and looking forward to Christmas. He also wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.
"It's amazing how many people think about you have you in their prayers and their thoughts,'' he said. "People even that you meet on the street. It's just a nice feeling to know that everybody is pulling for you.''
This is what the Christmas logos look like. Much better than some of the logos the Komets have used in the past. There is also discussion going on about the possibility of using some of the old-time logos in the future. You can click on them to see larger versions, but we figured you didn't want your computer to spend all afternoon downloading larger versions.
Also, stand by for a Christmas trivia contest.
...tonight had to be me. I wrote the story about shootouts in Tuesday's paper that said teams scoring in the last two minutes to tie were 31-19 and that the team that scored first in the shootout was 168-51. I was dying. I couldn't relax until Chaulk scored to go up 2-0 in the shootout. I figured for sure they'd get up 1-0 and then lose the shootout 2-1 or something bizarre like that and everybody would blame me for jinxing them.
Of course, I have to admit Justin Cohn called shootout in the middle of the second period.
Believe me, this is about hockey.
Komets legend Reggie Primeau has had to go back into the hospital to have some more surgery related to his diabetes. Now normally Reggie is the person who keeps everyone else's spirits up, and I know for a fact that he's doing well now, but I figured this is the Christmas season and every little bit helps. That's why I'm asking. The best thing about the Komet Oldtimers is how they rally around whenever any of them needs anything. It's quite a fraternity, and Reggie is a huge part of that.
The coliseum GM. He said they are going to check their system and see what they can do to tweak it. He also said he appreciated the input from the fans. We'll see how things sound on Wednesday.
This is probably like everything else in life: live, learn and adjust.
At times from the press box, it seems like the PA system in the building is excessively loud, but I was wondering if that's a problem lower in the arena. What do you think?
I thought the Komets were going to wear their orange jerseys on Friday night, which I happen to like very much. I guess it goes back to when the Komets wore white shoulder boards on their white jerseys which I didn't care for at all.
My two favorite Komets jerseys are:
http://jordan.fortwayne.com/ns/sports/allkomet/1128_3.php
and
How about that first period? Whoa.
I was really impressed with Lance Galbraith tonight. He stayed high in the zone and he was very effective. I also thought AJ Bozoian made a couple of nice plays breaking up Adirondack rushes, including the one that went for Mark Smith's second goal.
The forwards in general did a very nice job of getting back defensively. LOVE the line of Kelly Miller, David Carpentier and Galbraith. It was kind of cool seeing Carpentier on the wing and Miller at center. Drouin also had some help from Andrew Luciuk and Matt Hunter.
1. It may turn out that no one has to get released for the Komets to make the roster limit for Friday's game. What may happen is to have Jason Kean, Brett Rumble and Mark Smith on IR, and then one extra player could go on IR or the dreaded "team suspension." That way the Komets wouldn't have to lose a body. Teams do it all the time.
2. I am very interested to see how this team plays tomorrow night. Will they come out firing right away? How good is Adirondack? The Komets absolutely have to start playing better at home.
I was talking with my boss the other day (no, I wasn't getting reprimanded). He's a big-time hockey fan who gets the NHL pay per view package and watches games every night. His observation about the new rules was that it definitely hurts the star players such as Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux and other older players because the game has become strictly about speed.
His main contention is that every team is forced to play the same style and that there's no variety any more.
The Komets traded rookies Josh VanderBreggen and Michael Wiggins to Roanoke for rookie defenseman Matt Kenny on Tuesday. Kenny is no relation to former Komet Shane Kenny.
