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Komets open five-point lead in Midwest Division

Published on January 18, 2016 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release


The Fort Wayne Komets continued their hot streak last week, winning each of their four games to improve to 11-1-1 in their last 13 games. With a 22-11-2 record for 46 points, the Komets have opened up a five-point lead for the top spot in the Midwest Division.

Fort Wayne began last week with a 4-1 win at Cincinnati on Wednesday. After falling behind 1-0 early in the second period, the Komets reeled off four consecutive goals, including three in the middle frame. Garrett Thompson led the way offensively with a goal and two assists while Shawn Szydlowski had a goal and an assist. Pat Nagle stopped 30 of the 31 shots he faced to pick up the win and the Fort Wayne penalty killers stopped all five of Cincinnati's power-play opportunities in the game.

On Friday, the Komets returned home and came away with a 5-2 victory over Orlando. Alex Belzile and Mike Embach both had a goal and two assists to pace the Fort Wayne offense, while once again the Komets' penalty kill came up perfect with a 4-for-4 effort.

Fort Wayne and Rapid City engaged in a goaltending battle on Saturday which saw the Komets prevail 1-0. Brett Perlini scored the game's only goal on a power play with 3:33 remaining in regulation and Nagle turned aside all 21 shots he faced to pick up the shutout.

The Komets ended the week with a 3-1 victory over Rapid City on Sunday. Thompson, Joe Perry and Kyle Thomas scored for Fort Wayne in the win while Nagle earned another win with 26 saves. The Komets killed off all three of the Rush's power-play chances, extending their successful penalty kill streak to 23 in a row.

Perlini enters the week on an 11-game point streak, over which he has recorded 14 points (5g-9a) while Szydlowksi has tallied at least one point in four straight games (1g-4a).

Mike Embach leads the Komets this season with 15 goals and 34 points. He is also tied for the league lead with nine power-play goals.

Nagle has started each of the last 13 games for the Komets and is tied for second in the league with 16 wins while ranking fourth with 1,496 minutes played and eighth with a 2.05 goals-against average.

This week, the Komets host Cincinnati on Friday and Saturday before visiting Indy on Sunday beginning a stretch where they play six of their next seven games on the road.

Thunder set ECHL record for longest shutout streak

The Adirondack Thunder set a new ECHL record for longest shutout streak with a streak of 251:51 which ended in Monday's game against Reading. Adirondack also tied the ECHL record with three consecutive shutouts, becoming just the sixth team in ECHL history to record three straight shutouts, and the first to do since Alaska from Nov. 2-6, 2013.

The shutout streak began on Jan. 9 against South Carolina when the Thunder did not allow a goal in the final 19:41 of the third period. Adirondack's three straight shutouts began on Tuesday when Kent Simpson stopped all 31 shots he faced in a 1-0 win against Norfolk. Ken Appleby moved into a tie for the league lead with his third shutout of the season on Saturday when he turned aside all 36 shots in a 2-0 victory over Reading. Simpson recorded his second straight shutout on Sunday with 24 saves in a 1-0 win at Elmira.

Adirondack's shutout streak broke the previous mark of 236:03 which was set by the Hampton Roads Admirals in the 1996-97 season.

A look ahead

Games to watch in the ECHL during the week ahead. Watch ECHL games live on ECHL.TV.

Eastern Conference

Atlanta at South Carolina (Friday)

Both teams look to gain ground on Florida in the South Division standings. The Gladiators are in second place of the division, and fourth in the Eastern Conference, with 50 points, while the Stingrays are third in the division and sixth in the conference with 45 points.

Western Conference

Colorado at Rapid City (Friday and Saturday)

The Eagles and Rush are looking to make a move into playoff positions as the second half of the season gets underway. Colorado enters the week with 36 points, two points behind the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference while the Rush are one point off of the pace with 37 points.

Divisions

East Division

- Kent Simpson has posted shutouts in his last two appearances.

- The Thunder are 27-for-27 on the penalty kill over their last seven games.

- Adirondack is at Reading on Monday, hosts Manchester on Friday and visits the Monarchs on Saturday and Sunday.

- Jacob MacDonald leads rookies with three shorthanded goals.

- The Jackals are 11-3-0 in one-goal games.

- Elmira hosts Brampton on Monday and is at Norfolk on Friday and Saturday and Reading on Sunday.

- Maxim Kitsyn is tied for second in plus-minus at +21.

- Manchester leads the league with 34.90 shots per game.

- The Monarchs travel to Adirondack on Friday and host the Thunder on Saturday and Sunday.

- Steven Whitney has six points (2g-4a) in his last three games.

- The Admirals are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.

- Norfolk hosts Elmira on Friday and Saturday.

- Adam Comrie leads defensemen with 15 goals and 34 points.

- Reading is tied for fifth on the power play at home at 21.3 percent (17-for-80).

- The Royals host Adirondack on Monday, Brampton on Friday and Saturday and Elmira on Sunday.

North Division

- Mike Vernace is second among defensemen with 22 assists.

- The Beast are tied for second wtih 10 games decided in overtime or a shootout.

- Brampton is at Elmira on Monday, Reading on Friday and Saturday and Wheeling on Sunday.

- Curtis Valk has 10 points (3g-7a) in six games with Kalamazoo this season.

- Kalamazoo set a season-high with seven goals in Sunday's 7-2 win at Quad City.

- The K-Wings are at Wheeling on Friday and Saturday.

- Shane Berschbach is on a six-game point streak (6g-6a).

- The Walleye have won five straight games and are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games.

- Toledo hosts Utah on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

- Anton Zlobin is on an eight-game point streak (7g-7a).

- Wheeling has scored at least one power-play goal in four consecutive games.

- The Nailers host Kalamazoo on Friday and Saturday and Brampton on Sunday.

South Division

- Derek Nesbitt leads the league with seven game-winning goals.

- Atlanta is 23-1-1 when scoring three or more goals.

- The Gladiators host Greenville on Monday, visit the Swamp Rabbits on Tuesday and South Carolina on Friday and host Evansville on Saturday.

- Ryan Martindale has at least one point in six of his last seven games (2g-8a).

- The Everblades are 7-0-1 in games decided in overtime or a shootout.

- Florida hosts Orlando on Friday.

- Darian Dziurzynski has five goals in his last five games.

- Greenville has had each of its last 11 games decided by two goals or less.

- The Swamp Rabbits visit Atlanta on Monday, host the Gladiators on Tuesday and Evansville on Friday and are at South Carolina on Saturday.

- Ryan Massa is 5-0-0 in January with one shutout, a 1.80 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage.

- Orlando is third with 3.27 goals per game.

- The Solar Bears are at Florida on Friday.

- Marcus Perrier skated in his 100th pro and ECHL game on Sunday against Alaska.

- South Carolina is second with 26.31 shots-against per game.

- The Stingrays host Atlanta on Friday and Greenville on Saturday.

Midwest Division

- Eric Robinson is fifth among rookies with a 21.1 percent shooting percentage (4-for-19).

- The Cyclones are tied for third with two shorthanded goals against.

- Cincinnati is at Allen on Monday and Fort Wayne on Friday and Saturday.

- Danny Hobbs has three goals in his first five games since joining the IceMen from Binghamton of the American Hockey League.

- Evansville starts a stretch of six road games in nine days this weekend.

- The IceMen are at Greenville on Friday and Atlanta on Saturday.

- Pat Nagle has started 13 consecutive games, going 11-1-1 in that span.

- The Komets are 8-3-1 when outshot by their opponents.

- Fort Wayne hosts Cincinnati on Friday and Saturday and visits Indy on Sunday.

- Ben Marshall is second among rookie defensemen with 22 points (5g-17a).

- Indy is the league's least-penalized team with 10.13 penalty minutes per game.

- The Fuel host Quad City on Friday and Saturday and Fort Wayne on Sunday.

- Austin Coldwell is on a team season best seven-game point streak (1g-9a).

- The Mallards play their next five games on the road.

- Quad City is at Indy on Friday and Saturday.

Central Division

- Chad Costello leads the league with 21 power-play points (4g-17a).

- Allen is 17-0-1 when leading after two periods.

- The Americans host Cincinnati on Monday and are at Wichita on Friday and Saturday before hosting the Thunder on Sunday.

- Tyler Barnes is third with 40 points (15g-25a).

- The Mavericks lead the league in goals per game (3.53) and goals-against per game (1.89).

- Missouri hosts Tulsa on Friday and Saturday.

- Dan DeSalvo is tied for sixth among rookies with 17 assists.

- Tulsa is 11-0-0 when leading after two periods.

- The Oilers are at Missouri on Friday and Saturday.

- Eric Springer has five assists in his last four games.

- The Thunder have scored a power-play goal in six consecutive games.

- Wichita is at Utah on Monday, hosts Allen on Friday and Saturday and visits the Americans on Sunday.

West Division

- Tommaso Traversa posted the Aces first hat trick of the season on Saturday at South Carolina.

- Alaska is 5-0-2 in its last seven games.

- The Aces host Idaho on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

- Collin Bowman is third among defensemen with nine goals.

- The Eagles lead the league with 25.92 shots-against per game.

- Colorado is at Rapid City on Friday and Saturday.

- Jefferson Dahl is tied for the league lead with nine power-play goals.

- Idaho has killed off 10 consecutive opponent power plays.

- The Steelheads are at Alaska on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

- Destry Straight is tied for third among rookies with three game-winning goals.

- The Rush are second on the penalty kill at 87.7 percent (93-for-106).

- Rapid City hosts Colorado on Friday and Saturday.

- Ryan Faragher is tied for second with 16 wins.

- Utah has scored a league-leading 48 goals in the third period.

- The Grizzlies host Wichita on Monday and visit Toledo on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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ECHL Stories from January 18, 2016


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