Komets Comeback Falls Short
Published on April 1, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Fort Wayne Komets News Release
The Komets put their season-best six-game win streak on the line against Wheeling at the Coliseum on Wednesday.
In the first period, the Nailers nabbed two quick goals at 1:53 and 9:58 to open a 2-0 lead. Matthew Brown netted his 12th goal of the season to get the Komets on the board at 14:20 with an assist going to William Dufour to cut the lead down to one heading into the intermission.
The Nailers kept up the pressure in the second, getting two more past starting goaltender Sam Jonsson to increase their lead to 4-1, leading to Jonsson being pulled after making eight saves on 12 shots. Nathan Day entered the game in relief and promptly gave up a goal at 9:38. Austin Magera gave the Komets hope with a power-play goal at 16:40, with assists going to Dufour and Kirill Tyutyayev, but the good feeling did not last as the Nailers added to their total with a power-play goal at 18:22.
In the third period, the Komets rallied early when Matt Copponi rocketed the puck past goaltender Taylor Gauthier at 1:00 and that was followed by a Brady Stonehouse short-handed goal at 2:29. After an injury delay at 15:39, the game resumed with Thomas Sinclair picking up his first professional goal unassisted and shorthanded at 10:49 to make it a one-goal game, but the comeback was quickly snuffed out by Wheeling's Tanner Andrew as he knocked the puck out of midair between the legs of Nathan Day just sixteen second later to put the Nailers up 7-5. The scoring concluded with a Connor Lockhart empty net goal to make the final score 8-5.
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