Kalamazoo Wings @ Fort Wayne Komets ... 1-16

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Fort Wayne Komets - 2/Kalamazoo Wings - 0

IHL/Game Stats -
http://www.pointstreak.com/stats/pro/boxscore.html?gameid=734861

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Wings Website -
http://www.wingsstadium.com/news/2008/01-16_gamerecap_FortWayne.htm

BLAZING KOMETS

Kalamazoo Drops Third Straight on the Road With 2-0 Loss to Fort Wayne

Mike Modugno-Director of Public Relations and Broadcaster

January 16, 2009

Fort Wayne, IN – The Kalamazoo Wings’ road woes continue, dropping their third straight, this time to the Fort Wayne Komets 2-0.

The rivalry remains fierce between the K-Wings and the Komets. A drop of the puck led to the dropping of gloves just two seconds into the first period with a fight between Kalamazoo’s Blair Stayzer and Fort Wayne’s Brad MacMillan. The Komet’s penalty minute leader, MacMillan went toe-to-toe with Stayzer who is appearing for the first time in four games for the K-Wings.

An evenly matched game turned in the Komet’s favor late in the second period when Danko Mironovic tallying his first professional goal. Shortly after P.C. Drouin extended Fort Wayne’s lead registering his team-leading 22nd of the season with 50.5 seconds remaining in the period.

Despite Kalamazoo out-shooting Fort Wayne 14-10 in the third, they were unable to get on the board and back into the game.

Nick Boucher was steady between the pipes, stopping all 30 shots the K-Wings sent his way, recording his first shutout of the season and leading the Komets to the two to nothing victory.

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Fort Wayne Newspaper -
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090117/SPORTS0601/301179991/-1/SPORTS

K’s GOALIE FINDS FORM WITH 30-SAVE SHUTOUT

Justin A. Cohn-The Journal Gazette

January 17, 2009

Fort Wayne Komets coach Al Sims has been, recently, critical of goaltender Nick Boucher. At times, he’s refused to comment on Boucher, which can be more telling than words.

But on Friday night, just as the fans were beginning to wonder if Boucher would be the go-to goalie down the stretch, he made a resounding statement – a 30-save shutout.

Goals by defenseman Danko Mironovic, who scored his first as a professional, and left wing P.C. Drouin, helped the Komets defeat the Kalamazoo Wings 2-0 in front of 7,208 fans at Memorial Coliseum.

Sims was full of praise this time.
“Boucher was awesome,” Sims said. “He was solid all night. He never looked like he was struggling or out of position. It was, obviously, the best game of the (season) for him.

“Nick has to know that we’re going to ride him until (Sebastien) Laplante gets back (from his broken collarbone). He’s a No. 1 goalie in this league, and he’s been pretty close to No. 1 all year. He deserves to get a chance to carry the team. Tonight, he felt it like the rest of our guys did, that just weren’t going to let this one get away.”

The fourth-place Komets (19-14-4) had lost five of their previous six games.
“There have been inconsistencies (in my play), we all know that,” said Boucher, who is 12-10-2 with one shutout. “There have been growing pains. A lot of things happen during the game that might not happen with veteran guys out there. We have a lot of young defensemen. Maybe I’ve been guilty of being a little lax back there. Things happen that are unexpected and you have to recover suddenly and maybe I’ve been a little late.

“I think I’ve been good this year, but I haven’t been great. I think I can be great.”

Mironovic opened the scoring 16:08 into the second period with a shot from the left circle.
“We had a couple of meetings over the last couple of days, decided to get back to basics,” said Mironovic, who has played 37 games in the pros. “We had a lot more passion and emotion, like coach asked us to do, and I think it worked out well.”

Drouin scored at 19:19 of the second period.

Notes: Fort Wayne’s Brad MacMillan suffered a concussion during a game-opening fight with Blair Stayzer. Olivier Legault separated his shoulder, also in the first.

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Kalamazoo Newspaper -
http://www.mlive.com/kwings/index.ssf/2009/01/kalamazoo_wings_offense_disapp.html#more

KALAMAZOO WINGS' OFFENSE DISAPPEARS IN IHL LOSS AT FORT WAYNE KOMETS

Kalamazoo Gazette Staff Report

January 16, 2009

FORT WAYNE - The Kalamazoo Wings' hold on second place in the International Hockey League is slipping away after their 2-0 loss against the Fort Wayne Komets Friday night.

The K-Wings (22-14-0-0) are still in second, but just one point ahead of the Lumberjacks, the team they play tonight in Muskegon, and two in front of the Komets (19-14-1-3).

After a scoreless first period, the Komets scored twice in a three-minute span late in the second -- and that turned out to be enough for the win.

Danko Mironovic tallied his first goal of the season off a cross-rink pass from P.C. Drouin at 16:08 and then Drouin scored his 22nd of the year with 50 seconds left.

Nick Boucher was in goal for the shutout while Jason Tapp took the loss for the K-Wings.

That's the fourth loss in five games for the K-Wings.

The only good news for Kalamazoo was that Port Huron lost, 2-1, to the Flint Generals Friday night, leaving Kalamazoo still five points behind the IHL leader.

VERSTEEG-LYTWYN JOINS KOMETS: Former K-Wings Mark Versteeg-Lytwyn was playing in his first game since Fort Wayne picked him up off waivers from the Flint Generals on Tuesday.