There are some games in a long season when a coach has to ask his goaltender to try to steal a win. Nick Boucher should be charged with grand larceny after Sunday.
Boucher made 44 saves as the Komets won 5-0 at Dayton to finish a four-game week with a 3-1 mark. Boucher improved to 11-4-0 on the road a night after the Komets lost a showdown with first-place Muskegon 4-3 at home.
“Bouch played a great game, probably the strongest game since he came back from the injury,” Komets coach Al Sims said.
While the Komets have won eight of their last nine road games, Boucher has won his last five road starts. Fort Wayne has won 12 of its last 15 games overall and has clinched a playoff spot for the eight year in a row and 18th time in the last 20 seasons.
The offensive help came mostly from the line of Colin Chaulk, Konstantin Shafranov and Matt Syroczynski. Chaulk scored two goals and two assists, and Shafranov and Syroczynski each had a goal and an assist.
“That was probably the most dominating performance we've had by one line all year,” Sims said.
The Komets were also playing without center Leo Thomas, their leading goal scorer on the road this season. He suffered a mild concussion during Saturday's loss. Sims said Thomas will be ready to play Friday.
This was the Komets' 11th in 19 days, but now they have four days off before playing three-games-in-three nights on the road this weekend. They play at Muskegon on Friday, Dayton on Saturday and finish at Flint on Sunday. There are 13 games remaining in the regular season.
