After struggling through the first 24 games of the season to find goals, the Fort Wayne Komets pounded the Muskegon Lumberjacks with a season-high in a 7-2 win on Saturday night.
The Komets scored four goals during the first period while holding the Lumberjacks to only three shots. The Komets pushed the lead to 6-0 before the game was half over, ruining the night for a crowd of 3,875 at L.C. Walker Arena.
``We know if we're going to challenge for the league title, we have to beat teams like Muskegon and Port Huron when we play them,'' Komets coach Al Sims said. `We came out ready to do what it took to win. We got a couple of breaks. Instead of going off the post and out, we had two that went off the post and in. It was nice to get seven goals and give everybody a little confidence.''
Colin Chaulk scored two goals and had four points on the night. Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock scored twice and Leo Thomas, Frankie DeAngelis and David Hukalo each scored once for the Komets who broke a three-game losing streak to Muskegon. Nick Boucher made 26 saves in goal as the Komets out-shot the Lumberjacks 33-28.
Chaulk's line of Konstantin Shafranov and David Hukalo combined for three goals and eight points. Chaulk has four goals and 10 points over his last four games.
``I think it's a big thing to have two good puck handlers on the line with him,'' Sims said. ``He's the finisher on the line right now and we need him to keep it up. I think his intensity has picked up quite a bit. He's a winner and he doesn't like to lose. He's back to playing the way he does when he's in that frame of mind. He's working his butt off and it is producing the results.''
The Komets played without forward Tomas Klempa who was unable to return from Omaha, Neb., because of the weather. Forward Brad MacMillan also sat out a one-game suspension from the International Hockey League but will play Sunday in Flint.
