Kalamazoo Wings @ Fort Wayne Komets ... 12-29

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Kalamazoo 4 (SO) @ Fort Wayne 3

Allen County War Memorial

Dec 29, 2008

Stars of the Game -
1ST STAR: Curadeau, Mathieu (FWK)
2ND STAR: Boulay, Brian (FWK)
3RD STAR: OConnor, Sean (FWK)

POWERPLAYS -
Kalamazoo 2 for 7
Fort Wayne 1 for 7

SCORING SUMMARY -
Period 1:
Fort Wayne - Mathieu Curadeau (powerplay) (Colin Chaulk, P.C. Drouin) 2:13
Kalamazoo - Mark Nebus (Bryan Jurynec, Tommy Lange) 9:57
Fort Wayne - Brian Boulay (Rick Varone) 17:04

Period 2:
Fort Wayne - Sean OConnor (Konstantin Shafranov, Colin Chaulk) 0:34

Period 3:
Kalamazoo - Mark Nebus (powerplay) (Rob Jarvis) 2:42
Kalamazoo - Rick Cleaver (powerplay) (extra attacker) (Glenn Detulleo, Lucas Drake) 19:30

OT:
No Scoring

Shootout:
Kalamazoo: Glenn Detulleo - NO
Fort Wayne: Mathieu Curadeau - NO
Kalamazoo: Anthony Battaglia - YES
Fort Wayne: Sean OConnor - YES
Kalamazoo: Rick Cleaver - NO
Fort Wayne: Leo Thomas - NO
Kalamazoo: Mark Nebus - NO
Fort Wayne: P.C. Drouin - NO
Kalamazoo: Lucas Drake - NO
Fort Wayne: Colin Chaulk - NO
Kalamazoo: Rod Aldoff - NO
Fort Wayne: Guy Dupuis - NO
Kalamazoo: Rob Jarvis - NO
Fort Wayne: David Hukalo - NO
Kalamazoo: Tommy Lange - YES
Fort Wayne: Rick Varone - YES
Kalamazoo: Blair Stayzer - NO
Fort Wayne: Brandon Warner - NO
Kalamazoo: Casey Handrahan - NO
Fort Wayne: Jay Holladay - NO
Kalamazoo: Glenn Detulleo - NO
Fort Wayne: Sean OConnor - NO
Kalamazoo: Tommy Lange - NO
Fort Wayne: Mathieu Curadeau - NO
Kalamazoo: Mark Nebus - YES
Fort Wayne: Rick Varone - YES
Kalamazoo: Anthony Battaglia - YES
Fort Wayne: P.C. Drouin - NO

PENALTIES -
Period 1:
Kalamazoo - Glenn Detulleo - (Holding Stick), 2 min, 1:44
Kalamazoo - Rick Cleaver - (High Sticking), 2 min, 1:54
Fort Wayne - Mathieu Curadeau - (Hooking), 2 min, 15:22
Kalamazoo - Rob Jarvis - (Too Many Men Bench Minor), 2 min, 16:33
Fort Wayne - Mathieu Curadeau - (Goalie Interference), 2 min, 17:53

Period 2:
Kalamazoo - John Glavota - (Holding), 2 min, 4:36
Fort Wayne - Brad MacMillan - (Fighting Major), 5 min, 10:19
Kalamazoo - Ryan Kindret - (Fighting Major), 5 min, 10:19
Fort Wayne - Mathieu Curadeau - (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), 2 min, 17:40
Fort Wayne - Kevin Bertram - (Cross Checking), 2 min, 18:27

Period 3:
Fort Wayne - Guy Dupuis - (Hooking), 2 min, 0:51
Kalamazoo - Rick Cleaver - (Boarding), 2 min, 7:26
Kalamazoo - Glenn Detulleo - (Interference), 2 min, 7:54
Kalamazoo - Lucas Drake - (Slashing), 2 min, 9:21
Fort Wayne - Danko Mironovic - (Roughing), 2 min, 14:40
Kalamazoo - Tommy Lange - (Goalie Interference), 2 min, 14:40
Fort Wayne - Brian Boulay - (Roughing), 2 min, 16:38
Fort Wayne - Brian Boulay - (Roughing), 2 min, 16:38

GOALIES -
49 Joel Martin WIN 64:35 35 32
35 Tim Haun SOL 65:00 18 15

ATTENDANCE: 7,068

REFEREE: John Searle
LINES 1: Pete Cichy
LINES 2: Brian Oliver

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Wings Website -
http://www.wingsstadium.com/news/2008/12-29_gamerecap_FortWayne.htm

K-WINGS MOVE BACK INTO FIRST PLACE

Kalamazoo Erases Two-Goal Third Period Deficit to Defeat Fort Wayne 4-3 in a Shootout

Mike Modugno-Director of Public Relations and Broadcaster

December 29, 2008

Fort Wayne, IN – For the second time this season, the Kalamazoo Wings erased a two-goal Fort Wayne Komets third period lead and put the dagger in their archrivals in the extra session with a 4-3 shootout victory.

Two penalties against Kalamazoo in the first 2 minutes of the contest proved to be costly. Fort Wayne’s Mathieu Curadeau (14th) capitalized with a 5-on-3 power-play marker on the very first shot of the game 2:13 into period.

Kalamazoo scored the equalizer midway into the stanza on a third chance rebound tally from Mark Nebus. The goal from Nebus was his team-leading 16th of the season and extended his point streak to four-games.

Brian Boulay reclaimed a one-goal lead for the Komets late in the first period as the second-year rookie knocked in his first professional tally on a Rick Varone rebound.

Flying out in the second period, the Komets extended their lead to 3-1 just 34 seconds into the period, when Konstantin Shafronov faked a slap shot and made a backdoor pass to Sean O’Conner (3rd), who flipped it into the open net.

Struggling on the power-play, going 0 for 8 in their last two games including the first two periods tonight, the K-Wings made amends in the third striking on two of their three chances to tie the game at 3-3.

Nebus (17th) brought the K-Wings back to with a single goal scoring early in the period and rookie sensation Rick Cleaver (9th) registered the equalizer with 30.4 seconds remaining in regulation.

With no scoring in overtime, the two rivals headed into a marathon of a shootout. Kalamazoo outlasted Fort Wayne in the 14-man showdown outscoring the Komets 4-3 in the extra session, including two goals from Anthony Battaglia, who registered the game-winner with his second lamp lighter.

With the victory the K-Wings move into a first place tie in the IHL standings with the Port Huron Icehawks.

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Komets Website -
http://www.komets.com/press/2008-09releases/122908recap.htm

KOMETS DROP 4-3 SHOOTOUT TO KALAMAZOO

Written by Devin Wieland

December 29, 2008

Fort Wayne, IN 12/29/08 --- Skating their fourth game in four nights, the Komets suffered a shootout loss to the visiting Kalamazoo Wings Monday night at the Memorial Coliseum in front of a holiday crowd of 7,068.

Returning from a stint with the AHL's Norfolk Admirals, center Mathieu Curadeau netted the Komets first goal at 2:17, assisted by Colin Chaulk and P.C. Drouin. This early lead came as the result of a two-man powerplay. Seven minutes later, the Wings struck, establishing a brief tie till the Komets’ defenseman Brian Boulay scored his first professional goal off an assist by center Rick Varone.

Komet right wing Sean O’Connor extended Fort Wayne’s lead early in the second with a goal assisted by Konstantin Shafranov. Center Colin Chaulk also dished an assist, his second on the night. The Komets’ 3-1 lead held through the rest of the period as netminder Tim Haun turned away six Kalamazoo shots and the Komets defense shut down two Wings powerplays, including the first portion of a 5-on-3, the remainder of which bled into the start of the third.

Kalamazoo cut into the Komets’ lead with a goal at 2:42 of the third frame. The final four minutes of regulation were played shorthanded by the Komets while defenseman Brian Boulay sat out a double minor for roughing. On the ensuing power play the Wings pulled goaltender Joel Martin for the extra attacker and managed to net the tying goal on the two-man advantage to force overtime.

After the overtime failed to produce a winner, a shootout followed, the Komets’ second shootout in four games. The teams traded goals during the first few rounds, extending the shootout into sudden death. Finally, the Wings came out on top, as left wing Anthony Battaglia scored in the 14th round of the shootout, keeping the Komets winless in shootouts this season.

The win moves the Wings (18-10-0-0, 36 points) into a first-place tie with Port Huron while the Komets gain a point to improve to 15-10-1-2 for 31 points and third place in the IHL.

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Kalamazoo Newspaper -
http://www.mlive.com/kalamazoo/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1230632425183760.xml&coll=7

K-WINGS WIN IN SHOOTOUT

Kalamazoo Gazette-Staff Reports

December 30, 2008

FORT WAYNE -- The Kalamazoo Wings rallied from two goals down, then went 14 rounds into a shootout before defeating the Fort Wayne Komets, 4-3, Monday night.

The win puts the K-Wings (18-10-0-0) into a first-place tie in the International Hockey League with the idle Port Huron Icehawks.

The K-Wings, whose last four games were on the road, finally return to Wings Stadium to host Muskegon Wednesday night with a New Year's Eve skate and dance to follow.

Fans with tickets to the game will be admitted free to the postgame celebration.

On Monday, Mark Nebus' first-period goal was sandwiched between two Komets' tallies -- a Mathieu Curadeau 5-on-3 power-play goal and Brian Boulay's first pro goal.

Just 34 seconds into the second period, Sean O'Connor gave the Komets (15-10-1-2) a 3-1 lead.

Then Rick Cleaver went to work, pulling the K-Wings to within one with a power-play rebound 2:42 into the third period and a second man-up tally with just 30.4 seconds left in regulation.

After a scoreless overtime, the teams went to the shootout, with just O'Connor and Rick Varone getting the puck past K-Wings goalie Joel Martin.

Nebus scored once and Anthony Battaglia twice, including the game-winner, for the K-Wings.

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Fort Wayne Newspaper -
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081230/SPORTS0601/812300308/1009

KOMETS DROP MARATHON

Wings win as shootout lasts 14 rounds

Justin A. Cohn-The Journal Gazette

December 30, 2008 3:00 a.m.

It didn’t take long for center Mathieu Curadeau to make a statement in his return to the Fort Wayne Komets’ lineup Monday night.

And his departure was just as swift.

During his first shift, on his first shot since returning from Norfolk, Va., of the American Hockey League, Curadeau scored a power-play goal in a marathon 4-3 loss to the Kalamazoo Wings that saw the overtime shootout go 14 rounds before Anthony Battaglia won the game in front of 7,068 fans at the Coliseum.

The enthusiasm of having arguably the Komets’ best player back in town was quickly tempered, as Norfolk recalled Curadeau after the game. The Admirals, the top minor-league affiliate of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, have experienced a rash of injuries and expect to keep him at least two weeks.

Curadeau has two goals in 12 games with Norfolk this season, to go with his 14 goals and 21 points in 15 games with Fort Wayne, for whom he also starred last season.

“This is going to sound weird, but I think I learned a lot of things tonight,” Curadeau said. “I was over there in Norfolk, and my confidence with the puck was down a little bit. I wasn’t playing much. As soon as I came back here, I got a chance to play more, and I felt so great with the puck tonight. I was keeping the puck, not because I’m better than everyone else, but I was being patient and that’s what I need to do.”

Alas, his return didn’t end in a victory, even if the Komets (15-10-3) held a 3-1 lead heading into the third period, before the Wings’ Rick Cleaver scored back-to-back goals to force overtime.

The circumstances of the tying goal drew the ire of Fort Wayne coach Al Sims and were the impetus for a 15-minute closed-door players-only meeting after the game. With 3:22 remaining in regulation time, Battaglia cleanly checked Fort Wayne defenseman Brian Boulay into the boards, as he was dumping the puck into the offensive zone. Boulay took exception, dropped his glove and repeatedly punched the stunned Battaglia. Boulay received a double-minor penalty for roughing, setting up Cleaver’s goal on a redirection.

“Absolutely dumb penalty,” Sims said. “(Referee John) Searle said it was a clean hit and that (Boulay) lost his mind. So I guess it’s more important to be tough than to win a hockey game and that’s what happened to us tonight.”

The best-of-three shootout was tied at 1 before going into sudden death, and it finally finished with a 4-3 score. Kalamazoo (18-10-0) got two shootout goals from Battaglia, and one apiece from Tommy Lange and Mark Nebus. Fort Wayne got two from Rick Varone and one from Sean O’Connor.

Though the game was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. there were fans lined up in the Coliseum rotunda as early as 3 p.m. to make sure they’d get one of the 1,000 Guy Dupuis bobbleheads being given away.

Scoring in regulation for Fort Wayne were Curadeau, Boulay and O’Connor. The Wings got a goal from Nebus.

Fort Wayne goaltender Tim Haun made 15 saves before the shootout on a day he was selected International Hockey League Goaltender of the Week. He won his only game last week, stopping 32 shots in a 5-1 victory over Muskegon on Sunday.

Wings goalie Joel Martin made 32 saves.

Notes: The Komets played without right wing Dominic Osman, who has an ankle injury, along with Olivier Legault and Adam Lewis. … The Komets have already sold over 7,600 tickets for Wednesday’s game against Flint. The Komets are 6-5-3 at home.