Ice Chips 06'-07'

Muskegon just got better. Flint? I'm not so sure.

The Muskegon Fury signed Jeff Nelson, who was a United Hockey League MVP with the team in 2005-06. He has played 52 NHL games with Nashville and Washington. So, a Fury team that already gives the Komets fits should be even better.

Meanwhile, according to The Flint Journal, the reeling Flint Generals will get back goaltender Chad Alban, who has missed most of the season with injuries. But they're losing Mike Kinnie, who reportedly will have knee surgery, and defenseman Shaun Fisher, one of their better playmakers. The additions and the losses look like a wash to me in Flint.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Standings, suppositions

The Muskegon Fury held Robin Bouchard out of its 6-4 loss to the Fort Wayne Komets on Saturday, so they could rest him for today's big game. I guess it paid off; Bouchard had one goal and two assists as the Fury defeated the Kalamazoo Wings 3-2 in overtime.

Why do we care? Because it gave the Fury a one-point lead over the Wings for the fourth and final playoff spot in the International Hockey League. Winning fourth place will come with it the coveted honor of playing the most dominant team in pro hockey in the first round of the playoffs, as the Komets have a 30-point lead over the rest of the league.

No question, though, the Komets would rather see the Wings than the Fury.

Of course, Muskegon is only two points back of the reeling Flint Generals and I'm still thinking the Generals will be leapfrogged by two teams and miss the postseason, in what could end up a colossal collapse by a team that looked like it would challenge the Komets just a couple months ago.

• As you would expect, I have been getting a lot of questions about next season's IHL. I wish I could give you more concrete answers about what teams will be in and out, but the league is being pretty mum on the topic and there are still so many things that need to be determined. I don't want to spread any rumors, but after talking with people, I'm pretty confident all six of the current teams will be in the IHL next season, despite talk that Muskegon, Bloomington, Flint or Port Huron could bolt. The rest is speculation. I believe the dormant Chicago franchise will return and play  in Dundee, Ill., at The Polar Dome, on the former site of Santa's Village. I heard the word "renovation" used, but there sure doesn't seem to be enough time for that. And while there have been reports that Indianapolis is re-upping with junior hockey, don't count that city out just yet. Tack those ideas with the still roaming possibility that a team or two from the Central Hockey League or ECHL could bolt, and I will stick with what I've said all along -- the IHL will have eight teams next season.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Hukalo nets game winner, Komets get 24th straight home victory

The Fort Wayne Komets got their 24th consecutive home victory by defeating the Muskegon Fury 6-4 on Saturday night.

But it wasn't easy.

After coughing up a three-goal lead, the Komets needed another third-period rally. They got a game-winning goal from David Hukalo and an empty-netter from Mathieu Curadeau as they extended their lead over second-place Port Huron to a whopping 30 points.

So what got the Komets going? For one thing, they reminded themselves that the Fury is a possible first-round playoff opponent and they shouldn't give it any confidence.

The Fury has given the Komets more fits than anyone this season -- if you can call five wins in 13 games such a thing -- and Sims said it's because of the Fury's goaltending. Clayton Pool did look amazing at times in this game, but the Komets' offense was there when it had to be and the franchise- and IHL-record home winning streak goes on.

• Luciano Aquino had two assists. His 14-game point-scoring streak is the longest in the league this season.
• For the second straight game, the Komets played with only five defensemen because of injuries. Because they kept rotating, the defensemen weren't paired with the same guy on consecutive shifts. As Kevin Hansen said, it's a good thing they didn't have three games this weekend or they'd be too wiped to play the third.
• Before the game, some Komets and Memorial Coliseum officials tested the goal lights and discovered there is about a one-second delay between the scoreboard clock going to zero and the green light coming on. The explanation is because there are slow-burning bulbs in them. So, according to the Komets, it follows that Kalamazoo's late goal Friday shouldn't have counted and the Komets' 4-3 victory was just. Click here to read more on the Wings' protest of that goal.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Wings' protest denied

The Kalamazoo Wings issued a protest of their 4-3 loss to the Komets on Friday night, which gave Fort Wayne an International Hockey League-record 23-game winning streak at home.

At issue was a Kory Karlander goal that was ruled by referee Jim Hawthorne to have happened after time expired, even though video replay showed the puck in the net before the green light went on signaling the end of the game. (It's possible, however, that there is a slight delay between the game clock hitting zero and the green light going on.)

According to Brad Jones, the IHL's vice-president of hockey operations, the protest has been denied because the IHL does not utilize video replay to settle goal disputes. Jones said protests are actually not even reviewed when it comes to goals because they are more appropriate for things like using ineligible players.

The IHL has not stated whether the correct call was made, only that it stands behind the decisions of its referees.

The Wings are two points out of the fourth and final playoff spot.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Historic K's coverage

Check out today's coverage, including audio and pictures, by clicking here. And don't miss Cathie Rowand's audio/photo slideshow -- click here -- which is pretty cool.

The Komets get the IHL record, but not without controversy

This was one of the most exhilarating periods of Komets hockey I've ever covered. Fort Wayne scored three unanswered goals in the third period -- one from P.C. Drouin and two from Luciano Aquino, who had a hat trick -- and the Komets defeat the Kalamazoo Wings 4-3.

But were they really unanswered? As time was expiring, the Wings' Kory Karlander swept the puck into the Fort Wayne net. After discussing matters with his linesmen and the goal judge, referee Jim Hawthorne ruled it wasn't a goal in time and that the game was over. Trouble is, I reviewed video replay with a league official and representatives from both teams, and we all saw the same thing: The puck was in before the green light, which signals the end of the game, came on.

Under that logic, the goal should have counted.

However, I heard two theories as to why the goal shouldn't have counted. First, from players in the Fort Wayne locker room, was that the whistle had blown before the puck went in. If that's so, why bother talking to the goal judge? Why didn't they put time back on the clock and restart the game then? Secondly, from some Komets front-office people, what if there's a delay between the time on the clock expiring and the green light going on? Well, that's possible, but it would defeat the purpose of having the light to begin with. I must concede, though, that in real time, I thought I saw zeroes on the clock before the puck went in.

But all I have concrete to go on is the replay. Under that criteria, it should have been a goal. And that doesn't mean the inevitable wouldn't have happened and the Komets wouldn't have won the game. It would be nice to have the game clock in the video.

Anyway, as for the rest of the game, the Komets went from cold with no shots in the first 11 minutes, to hot, to cold and back to hot. They trailed 3-1 heading into the third period. As we've seen so many times, they couldn't be stopped when it really mattered.

I thought Colin Chaulk was amazing in this game. He seemed to take the whole team on his shoulders. The Komets played with only five defensemen, too, which made the victory even more impressive.

The Komets have won 23 straight home games, which is a new IHL record. The 1965-66 Muskegon Mohawks won 22 in a row.

So what do we focus on now? How about the franchise record of 53 victories, set in 2003-04. The Komets are four away from tying that mark and they have eight games remaining. They should get it.

• The winning bids are in from the jersey auction of the sweaters worn March 22. The high bid? Evgeny Saidachev's went for $2,000. Whoa. The second highest big was for Colin Chaulk at $600. Proceeds benefit Arts United. Click here to see full results.
• After Saturday's game against the Muskegon Fury, there will be a performance by Jacob's Well, a modern rock and soul band. It is part of a benefit for area churches.

Bookmark these things

Check out the redesigned Komets Korner page. Particularly cool are the archives on the left side of the page.

In other news, the Komets will receive the Huber Trophy as regular-season champions of the International Hockey League on April 13. And the Komets will play their first two home playoff games, against an opponent yet to be determined, on April 18 and 20 at Memorial Coliseum.

As for tonight's game at the Coliseum, when the Komets will go after their 23rd straight home victory, which would be a new IHL record, the Kalamazoo Wings will be without coach Brian Curran. He was injured this morning after colliding with a player in practice. The Wings will be coached by general manager Wade Welsh and injured center Glenn Detulleo. (No one in the press box seems to know if Welsh has any playing experience, by the way.)

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Today's story on the record chase

Click here to see it. It includes perspective from Muskegon and Fort Wayne.

Praise from "Mr. Komet"

I was talking with Eddie Long, "Mr. Komet," this week and he relayed a funny little story.

In the midst of the Komets' franchise record 14-game winning streak in 1959-60, apparently he skated over to coach Ken Ullyot and said, "Ken, why the hell are we even practicing? We can do no wrong."

Ullyot looked at him and said, "You know, it's much tougher to coach a winning hockey team than it is to coach a losing one. I've got to keep you guys motivated."

I believe we've heard the same stuff from coach Al Sims this season, eh?

Not surprisingly, Long went on to compare Sims to Ullyot and that's a pretty big compliment in this town. Long also said this season's Komets are deserving of all the praise and all the International Hockey League records they get, even if it's a different era and, in the eyes of some, a different league.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Today's column

Read it here.

More from columnist Ben Smith on the streak

Click here to read it.

The story on Pence

Click here to read today's story on Komets defenseman Jake Pence.

I'm having a blast. How about you?

In 11 seasons of covering the Fort Wayne Komets, this has probably been the most fun I've had with a team. And it's not just because the Komets are winning, though that doesn't hurt.

I guess I have several explanations for why this season has been a hoot:

• Coach Al Sims is fun to work with. He always has something to say. One of his predecessors, Greg Puhalski, wasn't the most quotable coach. Pat Bingham was never in a good mood. I find Sims to be like former Komets coach Dave Allison -- both had coached dreadful teams in the NHL and there's nothing that they could be asked or called by me or fans that they hadn't experienced before, so it made them even keeled. Sims is often found before games checking things out from the press box or stands, not locked in a room somewhere. He's approachable. It's a more personable touch.
• The Komets have some unique personalities, like Mitch Woods and Luciano Aquino, who keep things lively in the locker room. (Although, Woods has got to clean up his language because I don't have that much time on my hands to edit audio.)
• There have been great stories, like Kevin Bertram's return to pro hockey, P.C. Drouin redeeming his game, Konstantin Shafranov not looking so old after all, Brandon Warner making it as the hometown kid, Colin Chaulk playing good as ever, with more maturity than ever.
• While I'm really sick of seeing the same opponents over and over again, and the same bad officiating, the IHL has been refreshing. Actual hitting? Fighting? Thank goodness.
• The goaltending is fascinating. Alternating Kevin Reiter and Nick Boucher, both at the top of their games, has been fun to watch. Also fun has been seeing the fans squirm in their seats as Reiter strays so far from the net.
• The makeup of a team that is so defensive minded and so penalized, all at the same time, it makes for some intriguing games.
• Throw all the other stuff in, the record chases, the regular-season championship, the idea that some of these guys, like Aquino and Mathieu Curadeau, are destined to move up in hockey, and it's been a lot of fun.

And no matter what happens from here on in, whether the Komets win the Cup or are a colossal failure in the postseason, those will be great stories to write, too.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Bertram honored

The Fort Wayne Komets' Kevin Bertram was selected as International Hockey League Defenseman of the Week, after he tallied one goal and five points in three games last week.

• Want to see the brawl from Saturday's Muskegon vs. Port Huron game? Click here.
• Same night, better brawl, with Patrick Roy's son, Jonathan, gooning it up and extending the middle finger to the crowd afterward. By the way, this is in the junior playoffs.
• The Port Huron Times-Herald pleads for more fans to give the Icehawks a try: Click here.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

A little grit, a little determination, a 22nd straight home victory

The Komets defeated the Flint Generals 6-2 on Saturday night, giving the Komets their 22nd consecutive victory on home ice. That equals the International Hockey League record initially set by the Muskegon Mohawks in 1965-66.

This was a gritty performance by the Komets, as it was a very chippy game. Early on, both goalies were punching opposing forwards and that got things going. There were two melees, with Fort Wayne's Maxsim Shirokov getting booted for being the third man in a fight (yes, that Maxsim Shirokov), as was Flint's Ryan Jorde for the same infraction.

Later in the game, Fort Wayne's Mathieu Curadeau was ejected for a check from behind on Mike Alexiou. A split-second later, Curadeau got run into the boards by Brock Wilson, who strangely only got a minor penalty.

Aside from the rough play, what really keyed the Komets were the standout games by normally unheralded players. Jake Pence got the game-winning goal on a lucky shot from the corner, atoning for an earlier giveaway that set up a Flint goal. Kevin Bertram had a goal and two assists. And Justin Hodgman, who looked outstanding in his second professional game, had a goal.

The Komets can surpass the Muskegon mark on Friday against the Kalamazoo Wings.

• The Komets played without Colin Chaulk, whose wife gave birth to a daughter on Friday. Also out were Sergei Durdin (neck) and Brent Henley (illness).
• Somewhere, Kevin Kerr must be laughing. Since he was fired by the Generals, Flint has gone 1-4-1 and fallen to fourth place. They seemed more concerned with cheap shots than actually winning this game at times.
• I reviewed video of the Curadeau hit. If anything, it looked like elbowing to me. I don't have a problem with the major penalty but I probably would have tagged him with a double-minor.
• I asked Fort Wayne coach Al Sims if he has thought at all about how he'll handle the goaltending situation in the playoffs. He said he hasn't. Strange as it would be to see in a postseason, I think if they've gotten in the habit of rotating every other game, you've got to stick with that. A rhythm is a rhythm.
• Remember, if you want to bid on some of the jerseys worn by the Komets tonight, go to www.artsunited.org.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Komets trailing; brawling in Muskegon

The Komets trail the Flint Generals 1-0 during the second period of a very chippy game at Memorial Coliseum. And while it's fun to see the Komets go after the league record for most consecutive victories at home, I think, for the first time in my life, I'd rather be in Muskegon.

Check this out: 128 penalty minutes in the first nine seconds between Port Huron and Muskegon. This stems from the last meeting between the teams when, supposedly, Port Huron goalie Larry Sterling spat on the Fury logo. And I thought it was silly such a big deal was made out of Terrell Owens mocking the Cowboys logo.

Anyway, talk about poor planning: The IHL sent Jim Hawthorne to referee this game? As if things weren't going to be out of control to begin with.

As for goings on here at the Coliseum, it's been end-to-end hockey and these teams sure don't like one another. John DiPace has the lone goal, off a rebound.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

From Ben Smith

Ben Smith talks about the Komets -- click here to read his blog.

Komets and Hodgman make it official

The Komets have signed forward Justin Hodgman, a 19-year-old forward, who had 37 goals and 80 points in 64 games this season with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League.

He is expected to be in the lineup tonight, when the Komets play at Port Huron, Mich.

• Remember when Fort Wayne fans were clamoring for the team to sign Michel Robinson? Well, he quit on his team in Bakersfield -- in the middle of a game. Click here.
• It's just not as much fun writing about a hockey team from Danbury, Conn., if I can't mention ties to organized crime and wire-tapping of phones. But hockey is back in Danbury, where the United Hockey League used to have a team named the Trashers that played against the Komets and was alleged to have coerced an official with the help of UHL commissioner Richard Brosal. As for the new team, it will play in the new Eastern Professional Hockey League. And get this: The general manager is none other than Brendan Tedstone, the 6-foot-5, roughly 375-pound ex-UHL goon.
• The Flint Generals could soon get a boost from the return of goaltender Chad Alban.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Delivered to your inbox

Would you like to have your Komets coverage e-mailed to you? Just go to www.journalgazette.net and click on the newsletter icon on the top-right of the page. Or just click here. From there, you can sign up to have any of The Journal Gazette's coverage sent to you on a daily basis.

• Still haven't seen David Hukalo's sick goal from Wednesday's 5-3 victory over Flint? Click here and check out the video.
• Speaking of Flint, it seems the Generals are thinking a first-round match-up against Fort Wayne wouldn't be so bad. I still don't think they're making the playoffs. (And yes, the Generals were my preseason pick to win the Cup.)
• The Bloomington Pantagraph has a story on new PrairieThunder president Tim Leighton. A new local ownership group is taking over the team. In the story, player Don Parsons reveals the PraireThunder has been so short on money they didn't have pucks for practice. The current owner, Tony Lisman, also owns The Muskegon Fury.
• Port Huron is going to honor former coach and ex-Komets rival Ted Garvin.
• Don't forget, the Komets will wear the jerseys with the winning entry from the design-a-logo contest Saturday. For information on how to bid on some of them, benefiting Arts United, click here.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Amazing 3rd period K's

The amazing thing about the Fort Wayne Komets these days is that they appear to have no panic in them. They coughed up a two-goal lead Wednesday, then got a Brandon Warner game-winning goal from 50 feet out and defeated the Flint Generals 5-3.

That makes it 21 straight victories at home. One more would tie the International Hockey League record, set by the Muskegon Mohawks in 1965-66.

Warner had missed the previous 14 games with a knee injury. But he and fellow defenseman Maxsim Shirokov both stepped it up tonight, with Sergei Durdin injured and Brent Henley sick.

The Komets have trailed or been tied in the third period in each of their last four games and come away with a 3-0-1 record along the way. They are vocal on the bench, coach Al Sims tells me, and focused on the objective. They're also confident they'll get it done in such situations, as you would expect from a team that has a 28-point lead in the standings.

• A Flint official was griping about the third-period refereeing, which seems to be habitual among Fort Wayne opponents these days. Granted the Komets have been getting a lot of calls in the third period. And many seem to think it's some sort of conspiracy. You all know, I have no great love for IHL officials, but I think at this point this isn't conspiracy and it isn't coincidence. Good teams make their own luck and the Komets must be doing something to draw these penalties and get in the other teams' heads.
• Mathieu Curadeau should be in the lineup Friday, Sims said, after missing four games with a groin injury.
• David Hukalo's first period goal was one of the prettiest you'll ever see. Or lucky. Or both. During a 3-on-1 rush, he cradled the puck for what seemed like an eternity, never passing it. Generals defenseman Nick Tuzzolino dove to block it and missed. Hukalo kept holding on and steered through the slot, then lifted the puck above goalie Eric Marvin. I heard someone say, "He probably didn't know what to do with the puck all that time and got lucky instead of passing it." Maybe so, but he'd better tell people he planned it all along.
• Flint is 0-3-1 since firing coach Kevin Kerr and replacing him with Peter South, Steve Pronger and Jason Muzzatti. Yup, great call Gens.
• The Huber Trophy still hasn't been finished, IHL officials said, and I don't yet know when it will be presented to the Komets.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Warner back out there

Komets defenseman Brandon Warner returned to the lineup after missing 14 games with a knee injury. The Komets played without defenseman Sergei Durdin (neck) and center Mathieu Curadeau (groin).

Defenseman Brent Henley also didn't play due to illness.

• Justin Hodgman, a rookie from Erie of the Ontario Hockey League, skated with the Komets and should sign a contract in the coming days.
• Tyler Sims, the son of Komets coach Al Sims, signed with Reading of the ECHL. He just finished his season at Providence, where he was 13-15-4 with a 2.53 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.
• The auction of the Komets' camouflage jerseys, worn March 8, raised $10,304 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
• Oops.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

The comeback that ... wasn't to be

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Fort Wayne Komets played a scrappy game but came up just short, losing 5-4 to the Kalamazoo Wings in a shootout during the annual Green Ice Game in honor of St. Patrick's Day at Wings Stadium.

Why scrappy? They were without their top two centers, Colin Chaulk (flu) and Mathieu Curadeau (groin). The Wings got two goals when the puck deflected off Fort Wayne players in front, another when goalie Nick Boucher was screened by his own man and a fourth after defenseman Brent Henley tripped and coughed up the puck behind his net.

The Komets' bounces weren't nearly as lucky.

However, Fort Wayne scored twice late in the third period to force overtime -- that's three third-period comebacks in a row -- and those goals came from Luciano Aquino and Konstantin Shafranov. But the Komets couldn't get it done in the shootout this time. Ryan Markham had the only shootout goal, as Fort Wayne's winning streak was snapped at 10 games.

No big deal, really, considering the Komets had wrapped up the regular-season championship in their previous game. There was no letdown in their effort Monday, which was a good sign for their fans.

Here's a question: It's Game 7 of the Turner Cup Finals. Which Komets goaltender do you go with? I'm picking Nick Boucher instead of Kevin Reiter.

I'd like to thank those who got onto the chat session tonight. Too bad internet problems prevented me from being on it as much as I would have liked. On that note, though, I would like to thank the Wings Stadium staff that worked so hard to try and get it fixed. Hopefully next time I'm up here, we'll have high-speed again.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Technical difficulties

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- We are having some internet problems up here at Wings Stadium. Bear with us if you want to do the chat; I will be back when I can.

Komets lead 2-1 in the first period, thanks to goals from Evgeny Saidachev and P.C. Drouin.

Colin Chaulk isn't playing because of the flu.

Be back when I don't have to borrow Pam Shebest's computer. Thanks Kalamazoo Gazette!

Fort Wayne should run away with awards, with or without my help, and a surprising MVP pick

On Friday, you may recall, I had some blog entries about the International Hockey League's kooky rules not allowing reporters to vote for players from teams they cover for league awards. As I noted, some reporters are abstaining from voting because of it.

Were I allowed to vote for Fort Wayne players, or to vote in all awards, here's who would get my nods:

Best Defenseman: Guy Dupuis, Fort Wayne. This is a no-brainer. (I was left with Nick Tuzzolino of Flint. Oy.)

Best Defensive Forward: David Hukalo, Fort Wayne. Let's face it, the Komets have the top three in the league in this department with Hukalo, Colin Chaulk and Mathieu Curadeau. Laughable to vote for anyone out of those three.

Most Sportsmanlike Player: Konstantin Shafranov, Fort Wayne. I know I'm starting to sound like a homer, but he's got 10 penalty minutes in 58 games. I voted for Jamie Caroll of Port Huron and he's equally deserving.

Rookie of the Year: Luciano Aquino, Fort Wayne. He's got 14 points more than any other rookie. Teammate Mathieu Curadeau is a close second, though Carroll will get some votes.

Best Goaltender: I absolutely despise shared awards. But how can you not give this to Kevin Reiter and Nick Boucher of, yes, Fort Wayne. Check out the goalie stats -- no one else is even close to them. But they may cancel each other out, in which case you can just roll the dice. Loic Lacasse of Bloomington might be in the conversation.

Coach of the Year: Uh, Al Sims, Fort Wayne. No debate.

I know you're rolling your eyes out there, but the Komets have a 27-point lead over the rest of the league with 13 games remaining. That dominance must be reflected in the awards. And remember, the other teams' players will be represented in the all-star teams.

There's one award that I can't get a good grip on: MVP. There are so many worthy candidates, including Chaulk, Aquino, Kalamazoo's Kory Karlander, Flint's Michel Beausoliel, Port Huron's Tab Lardner.

But I'm going with Dupuis. Why? He's the most dominating player on the most dominating team.

• The Port Huron Times Herald has a profile of Icehawks owner Larry Kinney. I was sort of amused that it says he dreams of owning an NHL franchise yet he acknowledges how uninvolved with the Icehawks he's been.
• The Flint Journal reported that a new downtown arena may be in Flint's future. For the Generals' sake, I sure hope this is true, but the story says a new arena might have to coexist with Perani Arena, the worst facility in the International Hockey League.
• On these notes, the future of the IHL probably rests with the Kinney's continued support of the Icehawks and hopefully more improvements at Perani Arena. If those teams don't become more viable and the IHL loses two more teams, it could go kaput, expansion or not.
• By the way, I'm going to attempt to do another in-game chat session with readers during Monday's game at Kalamazoo, Mich. So, just post your comments/questions in the comments section of the beginning around game time.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

The Huber Trophy is Fort Wayne's

This weekend had high drama. As was the case Friday, when the Komets set the franchise record for most consecutive home victories, on Saturday the Komets needed a comeback, a third-period goal from P.C. Drouin and an overtime shootout to win.

The Komets defeated the Flint Generals 4-3 this time and captured the Huber Trophy as regular-season champions of the International Hockey League.

It was Fort Wayne's 10th straight victory and its 20th straight at home.

Fort Wayne captured the Huber Trophy seven times in the first incarnation of the IHL, where the Komets played from 1952 to 1999. In the United Hockey League, they won the Tarry Cup three times, including last season. So, this makes 11 regular-season championships in 56 seasons. Not too shabby.

While this game will go down as historic, it won't be remembered as pretty. The Komets looked downright awful for the first period and a half. How often do you see David Hukalo turn over the puck to set up an opposing team's goal? Anyway, the Komets trailed 3-1 before Luciano Aquino's redirection goal got them going, and then came Drouin's second goal of the night.

In the shootout, it was Konstantin Shafranov getting the only goal. Not bad for a 39 year old.

What's the Komets' motivation the rest of the way? If this weekend taught them anything, it's that they're not infallible. They were outplayed early on both nights and they know that can't happen in the playoffs.

• Flint played two men short of a 19-player lineup thanks to eight injuries. Among the wounded: captain Kris Mallette and former Komets defenseman Ryan Jorde.
• Komets great Al Dumba was at the Coliseum to see his son, Flint's Jared Dumba, play.
• Strange play in the second period. Because the puck had been played with a high-stick, neither team wanted to touch it. As everyone stood there for what seemed like an eternity, Flint's Jaroslav Cesky blocking the puck, Fort Wayne's Sergei Durdin checked him to the ice -- and got a penalty for it. First of all, it was the referee's fault for not calling the whole thing dead because no one was going to play it. But Durdin gets a penalty for trying to move the guy out of the way? Silly call by Jim Hawthorne.
• I don't want to hear griping from the Generals about the penalty for too many men they took in overtime. Fort Wayne got the same call with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. Stupid for both teams to get caught at that stage of the game. Both teams' goalies bailed them out.
• Flint's entertaining broadcaster, Denis Puska, made a reference to Lorena Bobbitt on the air, which I thought was, well, weird. He also had this line, when Fort Wayne was down: "It's quieter than a Sunday church service in here. Somebody drop some popcorn or something."
• Interesting article from Prohockeynews.com, which details the strcuture of minor-league hockey and, deservedly, equates the IHL to an independent baseball league.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

The history of South and Fort Wayne

Tonight, the Fort Wayne Komets are taking on Flint for the first time since the Generals fired coach Kevin Kerr. Now, Flint is being coached by three people -- Peter South, Steve Pronger and Jason Muzzatti, with South being atop the hierarchy.

It brings back some memories of South coaching the Komets for a day. In 1999, the Komets' head coach, Dave Allison, couldn't make it to a game because of a family commitment. The assistant coach was Bruce Ramsay, who was still playing, so the Komets brought in South to serve as a pseudo head coach, and the Komets lost 4-3 in a shootout to Port Huron.

South remained with the Komets as a scout and assistant, though his stock plummeted because some of the guys he brought in, like Nolan Weir and Randy Hankinson, were failures.

In the offseason, after the Komets went with Greg Puhalski to replace Allison as coach, South got a job with Border City of the Central Hockey League. The Komets were incensed because South allegedly made exorbitant contract offers to some Komets players, including Keli Corpse, and the Komets felt he was being vindictive because he didn't get the Fort Wayne job.

South denied it, saying he just wanted to build the best team he could and appreciated all the Komets did for him and he went on to recommend David-Alexandre Beauregard to Fort Wayne. He ended up being a pretty great player for Fort Wayne.

I think any differences have since been resolved. A fun bit of history for you there.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Lots of coverage and cool stuff

Click here to read the front page story.

The game story can be read by clicking here. (Have you noticed the audio and video that now accompanies stories? It's still available at Komets Korner, by the way.)

And perhaps best of all, check out the photo/audio show by Samuel Hoffman and Janelle Sou Roberts by clicking here.

K's make it 19* in a row at home

OK, I'll be the party pooper and ask: Does this record deserve an asterisk?

The Komets won their 19th consecutive home game, 3-2 over the Kalamazoo Wings, eclipsing a franchise record that had stood since 1963-64. But they needed an overtime shootout to do it. There were no shootouts back in 1964 -- just the good old fashioned ties -- and these Komets needed two shootouts during this streak.

I'm not saying I think there should be an asterisk. Depending on how you view the era and the skill, you could argue this modern feat is way more impressive than the one from 1963-64, but it's a fun question.

That being said, whoa, that was a heckuva finish at Memorial Coliseum.

I knew all those early misses by P.C. Drouin were going to be relevant. He had three breakaways early in the game, lost control of the puck on one and got mauled from behind on the others. Sure enough, with the Komets trailing by one late, he netted a goal on a 5-on-3 power play to force overtime. (Stupid penalties by the Wings, by the way, and I had no problem with either being called at that juncture.)

Although, congratulations should go to Terry Marchant, who preserved the tied score by stopping the puck from going across the Fort Wayne goal line in the waning minutes. Drouin scored in the shootout and so did Konstantin Shafranov and the Komets keep on winning.

Next up: The Huber Trophy as regular-season champions. A victory over the Flint Generals at the Coliseum on Saturday, and the Komets will clinch it. And they still have 14 games on their schedule. Yikes.

Also on the horizon: The IHL record for most consecutive home victories, which is 22, set by the Muskegon Mohawks in 1965-66.

• The Komets played without Mathieu Curadeau, who has an injured groin. Also out was Brandon Warner, who has a knee injury.
• Flint's 0-2 since firing Kevin Kerr. Shocker there.
• There was much snickering going on in the press box about this awards thing. Seriously, who are we left with as the top defensive forwards and defensemen if we can't vote for the Komets? This may draw some ire, but I went with Kory Karlander as forward and Nick Tuzzolino as defenseman and I'm not remotely comfortable with either. Most sportsmanlike: Jamie Carroll. The really deserving players: David Hukalo as forward, Guy Dupuis as defenseman and Shafranov as sportsmanlike. Hopefully the people outside of Fort Wayne will catch on.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Too bad I can't make an informed decision, eh?

During the offseason, some of the beat writers expressed concerns to the International Hockey League's commissioner, Paul Pickard, about the voting process for league-wide awards. Of particular issue was the inability to vote for players from the team you cover.

If I'm not professional enough to make an objective decision, why let me vote at all?

Well, the first round of ballots went out today and, of course, we cannot vote for teams we cover. Normally, I don't make a big deal out of it. It's the league's rules and if they want to run it that quizzically, that's their fault.

But this season, I have to bring up the stupidity of this. Fort Wayne is dominating almost every statistical category and is owning the standings. Yet I cannot give Guy Dupuis the nod for Defenseman of the Year? I can't vote for David Hukalo, Mathieu Curadeau or Colin Chaulk for Outstanding Defensive Forward?

So the IHL wants me to intentionally vote for people I don't think are deserving for various awards?

Some members of the media are talking about abstaining from voting for the awards because of this. I don't blame them at all. I will probably vote just because I fear they would give my ballot to someone less informed. But this thing is silly and I wish Pickard would have heeded the advice of the IHL media.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

The Bertram story

Click here to read today's story on defenseman/firefighter Kevin Bertram.

Forward thinking

So, here's a debate that will become a hot one when several awards, including Komets' MVP and Rookie of the Year, have to be determined: If you're stranded on a hockey island, would you rather have Luciano Aquino or Mathieu Curadeau?

Statistically speaking, Aquino has 29 goals, 67 points, 11 power-play goals, 12 power-play assists, three game-winning goals and plus-19 rating. Curadeau has 30 goals, 48 points, eight power-play goals, four power-play assists, four game-winning goals and a plus-28 rating. Both have played 59 games.

I will acknowledge that Curadeau is the more well-rounded of the two. He is one of the Komets' best defensive forwards. He finishes checks at both ends. He has a bigger upside.

However, I'm picking Aquino as more valuable. Almost every shift, I notice Aquino make a beautiful play. In fact, I find it difficult to take my eyes off him, for fear I'll miss something. Granted, his defense needs some work and the fact that he's at this level, not the higher-level American Hockey League, suggests there's more than meets the eye. But really, where would the Komets be without Aquino's magnificence this season?

Regardless, it's a fun debate and the Komets are lucky to have them both.

Elsewhere around the International Hockey League, in its first game since firing coach Kevin Kerr, second-place Flint lost 6-3 to the Kalamazoo Wings on Wednesday.

Once again, the Generals were ravaged by injuries. Here's what The Flint Journal had to say about the game.

More interestingly, Lorne Knauft didn't play, after questioning the coaching move. The Journal wrote his statement didn't cause his absence.

The more I think about this, if you're going to fire your coach when you're in second place, this late in the season, you better have a proven, exciting replacement ready. Peter South, Steve Pronger and Jason Muzzatti don't qualify.

So, I'm now banking my preseason pick to win the Turner Cup misses the playoffs, there being three teams withing five points of the Generals.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Hodgman could be coming

The Fort Wayne Komets have been speaking with 19-year-old center Justin Hodgman about signing with the team, but despite a report out of the Erie Times-News, general manager David Franke said nothing's official yet.

"He is a kid that we're looking at, but he still needs to take a physical and no paperwork has been sent into the league," Franke said.

Hodgman, who has 34 goals and 76 points in 71 games with the Erie Otters, could join the Komets next week, Franke said. The Komets are permitted to sign two amateur players who don't count against their 19-man roster limit.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Flint fires Kerr; Curadeau injured

The Flint Generals' slide in the standings -- they've lost six of their last seven games -- resulted in the firing of coach Kevin Kerr, according to The Flint Journal.

Kerr is a former Komets player.

The Generals will now be run by assistants Peter South, Steve Pronger and Jason Muzzatti. South is a former scout/assistant with the Komets.

In Fort Wayne news, center Mathieu Curadeau tweaked his groin over the weekend. He will probably be a game-time decision Friday, when the Komets play host to the Kalamazoo Wings.

9 points to the Huber

The Komets' magic number for capturing the Huber Trophy as regular-season champions is nine. That means nine points gained by the Komets or lost by the reeling Flint Generals would give the Komets the championship.

Fort Wayne has already clinched a playoff spot.

• Port Huron coach Stan Drulia ripped the officials after getting bounced by Fort Wayne in back-to-back games. Read the Port Huron Times-Herald by clicking here.
• The Muskegon Chronicle's Ron Rop chatted with former Red Wing Joe Kocur before the Komets' game on Friday.
• After getting ripped by the owners over the weekend, the Generals finally snapped their six-game losing streak Sunday. Check out The Flint Journal's blog.
• So, I've been in the market for a hockey jersey. Something unique. Upon telling this to Greg Rajan of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, he referred me to this page of things not to get: Click here. A tuxedo jersey? Yikes. Anyway, I'm thinking Brampton Battalion, Cleveland Crusaders, California Golden Seals or Greenville Grrrowl.
• Speaking of Rajan, he had a fun story on what games are like from the penalty box.
• The weekly installment of "Cohn on the Phone," with the guys on the TNT Morning Show, 98.9 FM, is moving to Wednesdays at about 9 a.m. starting this week.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Komets put on a show, grab 18th in a row at home

Aha, I knew it. Despite the statements by some over the last couple of weeks that the record was meaningless, the Komets showed their true colors Saturday night.

After the Komets defeated the Port Huron Icehawks 5-2 for their 18th consecutive home victory, tying a franchise mark set in 1963-64, center Mathieu Curadeau said: "When you get a chance to beat a record like this, for sure the guys were talking about it. Now we're tied with it and so, yeah, we can talk a little bit more openly about it."

The Memorial Coliseum locker room was celebratory Saturday night.

After Sunday's game at Port Huron, Mich., the Komets will have a chance to get sole possession of the record Friday against the visiting Kalamazoo Wings.

Four more home victories would equal the International Hockey League record set by the Muskegon Mohawks in 1964-65.

While it may seem a little pompous of the Komets to be boasting about this mark, bear in mind, they have a 27-point lead in the standings and the way this team stays motivated is by focusing in on milestones and trying to attain them. I don't begrudge them that at all.

• A sellout crowd of 10,462 attended the game. All three sellouts this season have been for games against Port Huron, which led its broadcaster, Dennis Stuckey, to jokingly quip, "It just goes to show you, Port Huron's the biggest draw in the league."
• The referee was Scott Bokal.
• If Fort Wayne defenseman Sergei Durdin doesn't get suspended, I'll be surprised. He deserves one after kneeing right wing Brent Hughes in the second period. Durdin got a major penalty and game misconduct, and he had to fight Jeremy Tucker. Amazingly, the officiating crew didn't know which player had doled out the hit, Komets coach Al Sims said.
• Defenseman Brent Henley returned to the Fort Wayne lineup after serving his five-game suspension for cross-checking Kalamazoo's Tyler Willis. As part of that punishment, the Komets had to play one man short of a 19-player lineup, yet they didn't lose a game. On Saturday, they played with the full 19. Henley came out of the game in the second period with an apparent knee injury but returned.
• Center Terry Marchant was out with an ankle injury and defenseman Brandon Warner was out with a knee injury.
• Forty-five people took the U.S. Army's Oath of Enlistment during the first intermission on U.S. Army night. The Komets wore camouflage jerseys that were sold in a silent auction benefiting the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
• P.C. Drouin's goal-scoring streak ended at five games.
• Drouin's jersey went for the most at auction with $963. Mathieu Curadeau's was second at $848. About 10,000 was raised, Komets vice-president Scott Sproat said.
• The Komets are already talking a bit with defenseman Kevin Bertram about returning next season, even though he would qualify as a veteran under IHL rules. Bertram came out of a two-season retirement last summer and remains on active duty with the Fort Wayne Fire Department. Bertram hasn't decided yet if he wants to play next season.
• Anybody looking for a Luciano Aquino Brampton Battalion jersey? Click here.
• Kalamazoo beat up on Muskegon, 8-1. And it looks like things got nasty. Check out the penalties.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Advantage point

Check out today's story on battling in front of the net. This was fun to work on.

A home-ice advantage or not?

Upon exiting the press box on Wednesday, the Komets having won their 17th consecutive home game, one short of the franchise record, I was asked whether the 1963-64 International Hockey League used a shootout? If not, I was asked, did the fact that today's Komets do have a shootout detract from the record chase?

The 1963-64 IHL did not have a shootout. They still used the good old-fashioned tie. But I don't believe the fact that today's IHL has a shootout takes anything away from the 17-game streak. Why not? Because only once during the run have the Komets needed a shootout to win and that was against league-worst Bloomington. Had there been a slew of shootout victories, I'd probably feel differently.

And while I believe the Komets' familiarity with the five other IHL opponents has helped them greatly in planning for games and even knowing shooters' tendencies this season, it should be noted that the 1963-64 Komets had only six other teams they played. Pretty comparable, really.

• While the Komets will have a chance to tie the franchise mark Saturday against Port Huron, we must not forget there's a road game Friday at Muskegon, Mich. And the fourth-place Fury has snuck up on the free-falling Flint Generals, who suddenly don't look like a sure bet to even make the playoffs.
• Don't forget about U.S. Army Night at Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, when the Komets will wear camouflage jerseys, all of which will be auctioned off during the game to benefit The Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
• As for the March 22 jerseys that will be auctioned off to benefit Arts United -- they will feature Jeff Stumpp's winning entry from the design-a-logo contest -- it's been decided which jerseys will be available. View the list here. That's also where you can see information on how to big via the internet.
• Have you seen this? Goaltender Drew MacIntyre gets credit for a goal for Manitoba of the American Hockey League, but he does it in unusual fashion.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Make that 17 in a row

What a shocker, another home victory for the Komets, 4-2 over the Flint Generals. That makes 17 in a row, one off the franchise record set in 1963-64 and five off the International Hockey League mark set in 1965-66 by the Muskegon Mohawks.

You know what was a shocker? How lopsided a game this was Wednesday. The Komets outshot the Generals 49-19, including 22-2 in the second period. Granted, the Generals are very banged up and played two men short. But the Komets played one man short and it seemed almost all of the Generals' offensive chances were a result of mistakes by Fort Wayne.

I thought Komets goalie Nick Boucher really set the tone early, stopping a Jordan Fox shot at the back end of a 4-on-1 rush to keep it scoreless.

"You rely on your defenseman to stay in the middle of the slot and take away some of the passing options," Boucher said of the sequence. "And then you hope the guy just shoots it and he kind of did that. I got lucky. He just came down the wing and fired it. It's Fox and he's a quality player. He just didn't make a really good play on it. "

• There were two brilliant saves in this game. Flint's Eric Marvin made a mid-air stop on Mathieu Curadeau, after Marvin was tripped up by his own player in the second period. Unfortunately for him, Curadeau got to his own rebound and scored. But it was pretty all the same.
• The Komets weren't happy with themselves, feeling they played poorly. After outshooting the opposition by 30? Hmmm.
• Even though the Generals pulled within a goal of Fort Wayne early in the third period, the Komets came right back and got a Luciano Aquino goal on a redirection. When leading in the third period, the Komets are 32-1-1.
• The Komets played without defenseman Brent Henley, who served the fourth game of his five-game suspension for high-sticking Tyler Willis of Kalamazoo. As part of the punishment, the Komets had to play one man short of a 19-player lineup. There were also without center Terry Marchant, who injured his ankle during practice and will be out through the weekend, and defenseman Brandon Warner (knee).
• Curadeau came off the ice late with an apparent head injury. General manager David Franke said he should be OK.
• I'm told Mitch Woods' third-period misconduct was for arguing with the officials over where a faceoff should have been.
• I couldn't help but chuckle during the second period when I overheard Flint's radio broadcaster, Denis J. Puska, refer to the Komets' "immobile" defense being a weakness. Huh? That being said, I think Puska has been a great addition to the Generals' organization. He's very entertaining.
• The writer from The Flint Journal took a shot at the people of Fort Wayne. I'll bite my tongue, but I'm sure you all can chime in. (May I suggest some references to the movie "Semi-Pro," which is set in Flint.)

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

The game should be on

In case you're wondering, the weather being nasty and all, Komets president Michael Franke said he checked with the Flint Generals and they're going to leave extra early on Wednesday morning to be here in time for the 7:30 p.m. game at Memorial Coliseum.

That game, of course, is to make up for the Feb. 6 game that was called off because because of bad weather in Michigan that prevented the Generals from making it down.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Update on Frenchy

Click here to read today's story on former Komets goaltender Kevin St. Pierre.

On awards, Durdin, streaking teams of the past

The Komets' Guy Dupuis was selected as International Hockey League Defenseman of the Month, for the third time this season, after he tallied one goal and 11 points. Center Mathieu Curadeau, who had six goals and 11 points, got Rookie of the Month. And Nick Boucher, who was 5-1-1 with a 1.97 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage, won Goaltender of the Month.

Meanwhile, I know I wasn't the only one critical of Komets defenseman Sergei Durdin for his propensity for neglecting his defensive play. He sure seems to have picked up his play: He leads the IHL with a plus-27 rating.

The Komets are two home victories away from the franchise record for longest streak at Memorial Coliseum, 18 games. In case you're wondering how the 1963-64 team, which holds the current mark, did that season: They were 41-28-1 and finished second in a seven-team league before losing to Toledo in the playoff finals.

As for the Muskegon Mohawks, who hold the IHL-record 22-game streak set in 1965-66, they won the regular-season title with a 46-19-5 record but lost in the first round to eventual-champion Port Huron 4-0.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette

Aquino gets two games

The Komets' leading scorer, Luciano Aquino, was suspended two games for his attempt-to-injure penalty in Friday's game. Click here to see the press release.

Another night, another home win

The Fort Wayne Komets look and feel almost infallible at home these days. A 4-2 victory over the Bloomington PrairieThunder on Friday night was the Komets' 16th straight victory at Memorial Coliseum, two shy of the franchise record set in 1963-64 and six short of the league record set in 1965-66 by the Muskegon Mohawks.

Yeah, it was a two-goal margin in this one, but it wasn't even that close. Both of the PrairieThunder's goals came off deflections, when the Komets let down their guard for a 23-second span. Other than that, the Komets dominated from end-to-end, start to finish.

Brent Henley was out, serving the first game of his five-game suspension for high-sticking Tyler Willis. No problem. The Komets were still plenty physical with three fights, including a Mitch Woods vs. Neil Clark bout after the final buzzer because Clark slashed P.C. Drouin.

The Komets had to play one man short of a 19-player lineup, as part of the Henley suspension. No problem. The Komets still didn't look to have a weak link, or a fatigued one, on the ice. Their power play was 2 for 7.

About the only bad news is that Luciano Aquino, the Komets' leading scorer, who had a goal, could face a suspension. He was booted from the game for attempting to injure a Bloomington player with a high-stick. I doubt he'll get further punishment -- I heard there isn't a good replay of it -- but it could happen.

Fort Wayne plays at Bloomington, Ill., on Saturday.

• The Komets played without Konstantin Shafranov, who has foot and wrist injuries. Also, Brandon Warner remained out with a knee injury.
• PrairieThunder owner Tony Lisman is attempting to transfer ownership of his franchise to Bloomington-based owners, The Pantagraph reported. I've heard that that even if that happens, the PrairieThunder will remain in the IHL. Lisman also owns the Muskegon Fury.
• The IHL's trade deadline passed Friday afternoon with no deals around the league. Shocker.

-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette