I haven't see this much face-washing outside of a dog grooming salon. Seriously, players are ripping off helmets, scratching cheeks, picking other players' noses. Just dirty stuff, by both teams. But hey, it's a heckuva lot of fun. Thankfully, for the most part, they're letting it go. This is playoff hockey.
The ice is terrible. The Komets' playmakers are generally invisible. The goaltending at both ends is solid.
It's still Port Huron leading Fort Wayne 2-1, midway through the second period.
By the way, attendance is 7,473.
-- By Justin A. Cohn, The Journal Gazette
We are getting out hit and out hustled.... Looks like what Rockford did to us last year. Where is Henley and Bertram???? There defensemen are banging us in the corner and our defensemen just won't hit... Just frustrated because whenever a team get physical with us in the playoffs we can't respond. They are forechecking us and banging us and we just don't have an answer. They have also taken us totally out of our power play as well. Sims needs to make an adjustment before the 3rd period.
Posted by: whole_n_one | May 02, 2008 at 09:43 PM
Need to goon it up right now.. PERIOD. Bring in the Heavies. Never thought I would say it
Posted by: Jerad Shaw. | May 02, 2008 at 10:19 PM
Heavies??? Woods is the only one we have at 5'10" that has played with any spirit.
I'm sorry to be so negative but we got dominated in every facet of the game.
Posted by: whole_n_one | May 02, 2008 at 10:29 PM
I will never figure out how you booo your own team. I'm sure a couple bloggers and figure out why
Posted by: Jerad Shaw. | May 02, 2008 at 10:31 PM
Heavies??? Woods is the only one we have at 5'10" that has played with any spirit.
I'm sorry to be so negative but we got dominated in every facet of the game on our home ice.
Port Huron had a great game plan from Drulia. With all of our talent, I'm sure that Sims will have an answer.
Posted by: whole_n_one | May 02, 2008 at 10:31 PM
Heavies??? Woods is the only one we have at 5'10" that has played with any spirit.
I'm sorry to be so negative but we got dominated in every facet of the game on our home ice.
Port Huron had a great game plan from Drulia. With all of our talent, I'm sure that Sims will have an answer.
Posted by: whole_n_one | May 02, 2008 at 10:32 PM
sorry for the double post
Posted by: whole_n_one | May 02, 2008 at 10:33 PM
Yes I'm sure you are correct mr. 2 post. I will leave it up to everyone else to figure out what was wrong with tonight, and bring the party to PH tomorrow. Me and Conley will take care of the party, I just hope the Komets take care of the Powerplay!!!
Posted by: Jerad Shaw. | May 02, 2008 at 10:33 PM
Give credit to PH as they totally took us out of our game.
Posted by: whole_n_one | May 02, 2008 at 10:36 PM
nice singing conley! met you tonight at the elavator and you dindt even know it!!
Posted by: chuckitt | May 02, 2008 at 10:47 PM
This is ICEHAWKS hockey!!!
You just got clocked right in the jaw and just stood there with that look on your face like you were going to cry.
When do we get to see Buttram fight Bouchbag? Will that happen in PH? I can't wait.
Oh, what happened to your fans. I see you couldn't even draw more than your season average. 2500 empty seats for a finals game??
And all this time it was all of you on here chirping about drowning out Port Huron's fans on Saturday. I guess you didn't count on the Port Huron fans drowning you out on Friday. All I could hear in the last 5 minutes were Port Huron fans, as all the fairweather Kermits fans headed for the doors.
Funny, Port Huron didn't only crush you, they beat that clown of a ref you have on your payroll too. Midway through the 3rd Aspenlind pulled down from behind CLEARLY on a breakaway opportunity. A mite ref could've called that, but, apparently not the guy on your payroll. The PH announcer called it when he said "I'm sure he'll call another penalty on PH though, for something far less severe." Sure enough, a couple minutes later and we get a penalty for holding the stick, away from the play, on a non-scoring chance. Talk about homer. Stuckey (PH announcer) hit the nail right on the head when he said (on air - hopefully league officials were listening) "Searle should not be allowed to ref another finals game. EVER."
Even the lone goal you scored was cheap. You had to cheat on that one too. Anyone could score if you were allowed to just carry the puck like a football and crash the goalie like the net were the endzone in football. Pathetic, all you did was make Larry mad. How'd that work out for you? (BTW, Flint made Larry mad too - to the tune of a .924 save %). Klusters are going to have to do a lot better than 20 shots on goal. Larry will keep that to 1 or 0 goals all series long. You better hope Magers plays game 3 and he's off his game (if not, he'll shut you down too).
Man, this is going to be a fun series.
Posted by: TigerDan | May 02, 2008 at 10:48 PM
first period was GREAT---then everything just died, whats up with that?... may have been one of the dirtiest games i have witnessed in person. cant knock PH for doing what they did cause they totally had our number... cant wait for the rest of this series...game time now boys
Posted by: JW | May 02, 2008 at 10:50 PM
Pussy Cat Dan is right, PH took it to us and made us look bad tonight. I know it was the first game in the finals, but it was only one game. Tomorrow we take back home ice!
I wouldn't get on the Komet fans too much about supporting their team, since the 25 fans from PH that came down were not even heard from until the last min of the game when they decided to stand up and flap their wings... (a.k.a St. Joe's Bird)
I do hope they make it home safe.
I hope Coach can wake them up tomorrow. They couldn't get a pass all night, PC had his worst game ever, Water Boy looked solid (if you can say that while giving up 4 goals?), New Guy was the only one with fire in his eyes all night long. I hope it rubs off on a few of the others tomorrow. I still think the cup is ours to lose, we can come back from one game down.
Posted by: Hoss | May 02, 2008 at 11:03 PM
So we lost one its not like the series is over. Last I checked its the best of 7. Komets have came back from being down 3 games so its not impossible. Let Port Huron have their moment. They didn't have to do too much to look like the better team because our komets just didn't show up. When our Komets show up then we will see who the better team is. That being said...LET'S GO KOMETS!!!!!!!
Posted by: Heather | May 02, 2008 at 11:06 PM
on to game 2. Thanks guys for insuring you will hoist that cup at home at Game 5. Don't forget Matt Reynold's energy. he, Woods, and Hodgman ran the team. Tomorrow we will rule. Go K's!
Posted by: KrazyKometFan | May 02, 2008 at 11:13 PM
you got us tigerdan. no excuses. reiter will own you
Posted by: JW | May 02, 2008 at 11:16 PM
better hope they have ice to practice on during the bus ride because I doubt a good nights sleep is gonna make PC realize he isn't playing 1 on 5.
Posted by: Tim Fingerhut Middle Finger | May 02, 2008 at 11:18 PM
The series is not over. I firmly believe we will come through to win the cup. Just my opinion so don't crucify me, but this loss goes to COACH SIMS. We got out coached from the 1st drop of the puck. They played very physical and borderline dirty immediately and had us out of sync from the get go, obviously was their gameplan and it worked. Bert and Henley need to be more of a presence on the ice and freaking hit somebody.
Posted by: 55kometsfan | May 02, 2008 at 11:19 PM
Oh, almost forgot.....
Durdin sucks and we kept Legault off the playoff roster. Heck put Marchant in and play Warner and freaking sit DURDIN!!!! Anybody notice he may have connected on like 1 pass tonight? 80 some games and I'm sick of seeing him on the ice. He's only good at racing back to touch up for icing.
Posted by: 55kometfan | May 02, 2008 at 11:22 PM
Tiger Dan, Come see us at the Komets tailgate tomorrow. Just ask for Jerad. Would love to meet you. Nothing nasty, just would meeting ya!!! Great win tonight for the IceHawks. Hope we can turn it around tomorrow. I hope I can make my presence's felt. I already let the GF know that it won't be a pretty game from the stands!!!
Posted by: Jerad Shaw. | May 02, 2008 at 11:23 PM
i think the loss goes to the ref! That has to be the dirtiest game i've ever seen
Posted by: Kevin | May 02, 2008 at 11:23 PM
Really poor performance by our ENTIRE team tonight, minus Hodgman and perhaps Woods. The thing that bugged me the most was all of the DIVING we were doing.... are we taking after Muskegon now? What? Can we hit anyone? What? On a side note, Searle did a nice job tonight.
Posted by: iceboi | May 02, 2008 at 11:24 PM
The ref called a good game, he let plenty go both ways!
Posted by: Hoss | May 02, 2008 at 11:26 PM
First let's make no excuses for tonight performance. PH outplayed us, out hit us, and capitalized on our mistakes. PC was horrible just like game 1 against Muskegon. Our PP has been out coached since the start of the play-off's. We have made no adjustments. Stan Drulia is a master mind in defensive hockey. When his team's get a lead they very seldom blow it. Biggest disappointment of the night we are down 4-1 and nobody tried to send a message after we just got embarrassed on our home ice and that includes Mitch Woods, Henley, Bertram!!!
Posted by: ToeBlake | May 02, 2008 at 11:29 PM
Did anyone else see Woods try to go, but Chaulk stepped in and pushed him away before the face-off?
Posted by: Hoss | May 02, 2008 at 11:31 PM
I agree Toe. Bunch of crap playing SOFT. Is Sims telling these guys not drop the gloves or what? We were so tough now we are playing soft. Can't figure it out. Cudos to the Icehawks. Got our butts handed to us in our own barn. Let's even it up tomorrow night. It was nice to see all of PH season ticket holders there tonight. All 30 of them.
Posted by: 55kometsfan | May 02, 2008 at 11:39 PM
PH played a heck of a hockey game. Our guys didn't adjust..bad coaching on our part...congrats on your win PH..its the only one you will get...
GO KOMETS
Posted by: Mark | May 02, 2008 at 11:40 PM
How do you explain getting dominated in Finals Game 1 on your home ice in every aspect of the game including trash talk. PH came in like they owned the building and never backed down. I am not sure how you fix all the deficiences in 20 hours. Worse, if the Komets step up and play their game, they still need PH to come back down to earth because if PH can put a whole series together like tonight, it will be a short series, but not the way most people were thinking.
Posted by: ex-STH | May 02, 2008 at 11:43 PM
Port Huron came out and hit the Komets with a solid jab. Fort Wayne was stunned all game and played the worst hockey a team could possibly play in the finals. But that is why they play a best of 7 series. Any team can win one game, but the better team will win a series. Look for the Komets to answer the Icehawks jab with a swift upper-cut tomorrow.
Posted by: Shawn | May 02, 2008 at 11:47 PM
Give all the credit in the world to the Icehawks, they just outplayed us, simple as that. They came ready to play and we didn't. But Al definitely knocked some sense into the boys in the locker room afterwards and I look for a big turnaround in game 2. Let's Go K's!
P.S. Hey KrazyKometFan! its me! haha
Posted by: Gnasher | May 02, 2008 at 11:49 PM
The Komets didn't play bad....they just didn't show up to play at all.
Posted by: Heather | May 02, 2008 at 11:50 PM
Trash talking is the biggest thing we need to worry about? How about putting more pucks in the net? I would much rather see the guys skate away from the hawks and get them out of their game, but that's just me.
Maybe everyone else wants us to win the Trash talking game???
Posted by: Hoss | May 02, 2008 at 11:50 PM
The only good thing to come out of tonight was Conley's singing. That was awesome.
Posted by: Heather | May 02, 2008 at 11:53 PM
Wow, TigerDan. I've seen people double-post by accident, but you just made the same reply to two different entries. Mind boggling. You're losing respect points fast, dude. Just FYI.
Regarding tonight's game, I just have one thing to say first. Oh why, oh why didn't I listen when I heard that the Vera Bradley-philes were running amuck? I had to park in Timbuktu and barely made it to my seat in time for the start of the game. And what's with the white trash bags everyone had slung over their shoulders like Santa Claus. :P
Second, I was dismayed at the way Komet's fans sitting around me (behind the team bench, no less) were behaving. Not only did they do little or no clapping and cheering (even at the start of the game), they were booing and heckling their own team. I don't know where these people oozed in from, but they were an absolute disgrace. I remember when Port Huron went up 3-1 in the second period and the man next to me announced, "It's over." Excuse me? Well, maybe so, considering the way we were playing, but let's try to maintain some optimism here. Anyone who has followed the Komets this season knows that it isn't over until its over.
And speaking of which, what was with the players hanging their heads? Come on, guys. You can do this, and you know it. I don't want to see anyone giving up until the buzzer sounds. You are better than that.
Now go get 'em in Port Huron!!!! LET'S GO KOMETS!!!!!
Posted by: Wendy | May 03, 2008 at 12:09 AM
Hey Komet Fans... I need your help. I was disgusted by the amount of boos at the end of the game. What true Komet fan will boo the team that they are there to support? Help me understand the ignorance that is behind that motive?
Posted by: Hailey | May 03, 2008 at 12:10 AM
I have one thing to say to TigerDan, fill your own arena before you yap about our fans. We have more season ticket holders than you even put in the seats at McMoron!
Posted by: Saylor | May 03, 2008 at 12:22 AM
I have to hand it to PH tonight. They simply outplayed us in every aspect of the game. We tried to get a few things going but quickly found ourselves on penalty kills and 5 on 3 disadvantages for doing so. I know Simms has said over and over that we have to stay out of the penalty box (because that's what always kills us), but we were just being ran over because we weren't able to do anything without getting a couple of minutes on a PK. So, I think that's why we played extremely soft and just wasn't able to hit at all.
RANT: Man, it really gets to me when there are people in orange sitting next to me that spend the entire night heckling and berating our team. Yeah, like that really makes the guys motivated and want to work that much harder when they hear people that are supposed to be supporting them putting them down and chanting "Let's go vomit" along with many other ridiculously discouraging heckles. Apparently, some people seem to think that if they buy season tickets it gives them the right to be complete a-holes (to the team and to the other fans that are sitting around them) when the Komets are having an off night. That crap completely ruined my night and any enjoyment that I still might have been able to have by watching the game (regardless of the loss).
Posted by: ruinedgame | May 03, 2008 at 12:44 AM
I'll cheer loud and proud for you tonight Gnasher!
Posted by: KrazyKometFan | May 03, 2008 at 05:37 AM
Alrighty! Thank ya much! See you on Sunday!
Posted by: Gnasher | May 03, 2008 at 08:53 AM
OK, echos about PH being the better team last night. They acted like they wanted it and the K's didn't, pure and simple. The K's will regroup and come around, but it won't come without hard work, something they definately lacked last night. Besides all of the giveaways by our entire team, it truely was over by the time they scored their third goal. And by that I mean when the guys stop communicating with each other and are not skating hard to pick up the constant trailers on odd men rushes by PH I would say about half of the team stopped trying by that time. I mean particularly when Henly and Durin skate back to the bunch after every shift shaking their heads in disbelief the whole third period...will you get the idea. It was pretty obvious that a good part of the team seemed to give up, so if they can give up on themselves in pretty obvious fashion I don't grudge some fans wanting to show their disapproval for their lack of effort, especially in the last possible 7 games of this season for the whole ball of wax. If you are saying the fans need to give the team their all no matter how the team is playing I'm not sure I agree with that. If they don't have the will to suck it up and play for the Cup no matter what the score is then I don't think the occassional boos from some fair waether fans are going to effect them. If anything their play, of lack thereof, should be what is kicking their butts.
Posted by: Keith | May 03, 2008 at 09:06 AM
By the way, everyone making the trip represent the Fort well! Will be listening for you on the radio!
Posted by: Keith | May 03, 2008 at 09:07 AM
Hello Komets
This is in response to Hailey message. The biggest reason Port Huron doesn't draw the crowed that you do, is because we are not more then 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours away from a local NHL team. Hockey is in our blood in Michigan. We have some many teams and leagues we can support around these areas. So what I am telling you is We Have options for Teams to Support. By the way why are your fans so quiet at the games? Come to Port Huron tonight to hear what noise is all about. GO ICEHAWKS!!!
P.S. Fort Wayne mad because Detroit has the Pistons now! LOL
Posted by: Butter_icehawk | May 03, 2008 at 11:46 AM
I don't care if there was an NHL team that played at the MC too, I would rather go to the Komets! Don't give me this crap about driving 2 1/2 hours to see an NHL would be a better choice than going down the road to see an IHL game. The fans just don't show up!
Posted by: Hoss | May 03, 2008 at 12:17 PM
I don't care if there was an NHL team that played at the MC too, I would rather go to the Komets! Don't give me this crap about driving 2 1/2 hours to see an NHL would be a better choice than going down the road to see an IHL game. The fans just don't show up!
Posted by: Hoss | May 03, 2008 at 12:17 PM
I think what butter was referring to is that people in Fort Wayne have to drive 2.5 to 3.5 hours to get anywhere. From Port Huron, you can be in downtown Detroit in 45 minutes, 1 hour tops. With so many top level pro sports teams within an hour, there are a lot of options for people in this part of the state. At least we'll have far more than our season average for Port Huron fans tonight -- unlike Fort Wayne last night.
GO HAWKS GO!!!
Posted by: TigerDan | May 03, 2008 at 12:50 PM
nice comeback butter_icehawk, I would be willing to bet most of the bloggers on here weren't around when the Pistons were in Fort Wayne.
Posted by: mark | May 03, 2008 at 02:55 PM
So now it's better to have way more than your season adv. in the finals than tho have the same fans all year long cheering on the team?
Let's see, if we capped our fans at 500 a game for the reg season then at the finals we let all 7,000+ in the door, would that impress you Tigger?
Posted by: Hoss | May 03, 2008 at 03:57 PM
Hey, you're the ones chirping and chattering about a 'packed house'. To me it seems you can't even draw as much as you do on some lonely Saturday against Bloomington or something. To me, the fact that your attendance was at or below your season average speaks volumes about the number of people that go to your games because there's nothing else to do. How else do you explain more people on some random Saturday game? Nothing else to do, that's all.
In SE Michigan we're going for the Superfecta, as I said before. Many people have tickets to Red Wings, Pistons or Tigers games. Just last weekend I went to game 5 vs. Flint on Friday night and down to the Tigers game on Saturday. At the same time, the Red Wings were playing 1/2 a mile away and the Pistons were gearing up for a crucial game 5 on Sunday. I'm a fan of all of the teams, which means I'm not going to be able to go to all of their games. As an example, if Flint had forced a game 6, there would have been a Tigers game, Red Wings game and Icehawks game all at the same time. I can only be at one of them. I bought my Tigers tickets in advance, so that's why I went there instead of watching the Wings playoff game on TV. I guess the point is: we have options. Tonight, though, the Wings are waiting, the Pistons are waiting and the Tigers are on the road. 'Hawks will be rockin.
GO HAWKS GO!!
Posted by: TigerDan | May 03, 2008 at 04:37 PM
But yet you spend all your time on a Komet's Blog....Yea Mich!!!
Posted by: Hoss | May 03, 2008 at 05:58 PM
The reason that we didn't have a huge increase in fan attendance for playoffs is because Komet fans are there support are guys all year long, not just when/if they make the playoffs.
We have options in Fort Wayne for other things to go see also! We can just as easily drive to Chicago or Indy to see something else too. The Kentucky Derby was about the same distance away as PH today, but Komet fans still seem to be able to make the 3 1/2 - 4 hour tip to support our boys!!
Posted by: kometfan737 | May 03, 2008 at 08:15 PM