The good news is that the Fort Wayne Komets have gone 12 games and lost only once in regulation. The bad news is that they've only picked up one point in five of those games, losing in overtime or shootouts.
The Komets failed again to score in a shootout on Wednesday night, falling to the Muskegon Lumberjacks 4-3. The Lumberjacks pulled one point ahead of the Komets for second place in the International Hockey League. Port Huron is in first with 59 points followed by Musekgon with 58, Fort Wayne with 57 and Kalamazoo with 56.
Komets goaltender Nick Boucher made 43 during Wednesday game and stopped two of the three Muskegon players in the shootout, but his team lost a two-goal lead to the Lumberjacks for the second game in a row. This time the Komets led 3-1 in the second period on goals by P.C. Drouin, Mark Versteeg-Lytwyn and Guy Dupuis.
Muskegon's No. 1-ranked power play against did the damage as Billy Collins and Todd Robinson scored with the extra attacker to tie the game. Boucher stopped 20 of 21 shots in the third period. Robinson was the only player to score in the shootout.
The Komets are now 1-7 in shootouts this season.
Fort Wayne played with 15 skaters, one below the norm, because defenseman Kevin Bertram sat out with an undisclosed injury.
Comments
Please tell me you didn't just say Kevin Bertram has an "undisclosed injury"! He just got back! :S
Perhaps I am wrong, but it always seemed to me that confidence is one of the most important factors in a shootout. Skating in, one on one, looking the goalie in the eye, and thinking, "Yeah, I'm going to put it right past you." Confidence is something that this incarnation of the Komets has been struggling with for some time, and the shootout problems, I think, are mostly a reflection of that.
He hurt his knee on sunday. I was surprised he came back.
I watched the last 2 periods on B2 last night. Very disappointed not to see any fights. Where was the retribution for Gens hit?
Stuck in 1995.
Not criticizing, Canuck, just stating that I think the last time I saw anyone in hockey do that was in 1995. Today's players weren't raised that way. That era of hockey is long buried. If it didn't happen in the Fort Wayne-Rockford stuff over the past few years, it will likely never happen again.
Blake, I hate to admit you are correct. However, it would be good for the the "New" I if it returned. Players who give cheap shots need to know there is a price to pay for that. If it doesn't happen in that game it has to happen in the next just to make player honest. Old time Komet Hockey was that way. I can remember a game with Kalamazoo and they suckered Robin Bawa. I drove to Kazoo for the next game just to see the punishment delivered. It was they stood at center ice during warmups and away they went. "Those were the days my friend" as the song goes.
We all remember and look back on that stuff fondly -- as long as we weren't the recipient. LOL. I just think it's probaby gone forever.
Yes it does still happen but usually happens right after an incident. Look at the NHL as soon as someone is view giving a cheap shot or a rocking check someone usually steps in and fights them. In this case Mac was trying to get someone to change Saturday so he could go after Gens, but on that particular play we scored a goal and nothing happen. It never really gets carried over to the next game most players now have short term memories. Ok rant over, question for Blake or anyone Legualt comes off IR on Friday does that mean somebody has to be cut I believe we will be over loaded with forwards and perhaps the number of players we can carry on the active roster. I think we need to have both Mac and Legualt in the lineup but who comes out of the lineup for that to happen. I know the other night Osman was used as an extra forward to ease him back into the lineup, but I guess he is ready to skate a regular shift. I am asking because I still have not grasp the new rules with roster size, but it does appear we would have to put someone on waivers..
Olivier doesn't come off until the 18th. I'm not sure anyone truly grasps the new roster rules, and I'm not being facitious. I believe someone has to go, but I'm not positive.