Komets Streak into the New Year; Gems Visit Friday and Sunday
January 2, 2012 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Fort Wayne Komets News Release
Fort Wayne, IN - The Komets improved to a CHL-best 20-7-1 for 41 points and a .732 win percentage by claiming all four games played during week 11 of the 2011-12 campaign. The busy week began with a 4-3 home win against Bloomington Tuesday night followed by a 4-2 win on Fort Wayne ice Thursday over the visiting Missouri Mavericks. Friday the Komets collected a 4-3 win at Evansville before returning home for the 55th consecutive New Year's Eve game in Fort Wayne and clipping Bloomington 2-1. The Komets extended their New Year's Eve unbeaten string to 10 games (9-0-1) and improved their New Year's Eve record at home to 37-13-5.
Komets of the week -Leading the Fort Wayne charge for the week was veteran center Colin Chaulk scoring three goals and adding an assist for a four-point week.....posting three-point weeks were left wing Jessie Bennefield (1 goal, 2 assists), left winger Artem Podshendyalov (1 goal, 2 assists), defenseman Dustin Molle (3 assists), center Leo Thomas (1 goal, 2 assists), defenseman Jamie Milam (3 assists) and center Brett Smith (1 goal, 2 assists).....goaltender Nick Boucher (18-4-1) earned all four wins stopping 106 of 113 shots for a 1.91 goals-against average and .938 save percentage for the week.
Komet leaders -Brett Smith continues to lead the Komets with 25 assists, 38 points and plus-16 after appearing in all 28 games to date. Bobby Chaumont and Chris Auger each scored a pair of goals during the week to move into a tie with Smith for most Komet goals with 13.
Leading the CHL -The Komets (28 games) are tied with Wichita (29 games) at the top of the CHL with 20 wins and 41 points.....the Komets lead with a .732 win percentage.....Fort Wayne special K's have the best CHL power play with a 25.3% success rate (24/95).....the Komets average a CHL-high 3.75 goals per game and have the stingiest defense allowing only 2.61 goals-against average per game.....Nick Boucher leads CHL netminders with an 18-4-1 record, 2.21 goals-against average.....defenseman Bryant Molle leads CHL rookies with a plus-15.....Jamie Milam has a CHL defenseman-best four power play goals.
Komets record when ......ahead after one period-13-2-0, ahead after the second period-18-0-0, Komets score the first goal-15-2-1, Komets take at least 30 shots-17-4-1, one-goal games-7-1-1. When scoring five or more goals-8-0-0 (After 28 games last year: 3-0-1).
Streaking Komets -The Komets enter the first week of 2012 riding a five-game win streak and eight-game point streak (7-0-1).....Fort Wayne won the last three straight home games and have points in each of the last nine home games (8-0-1).....defenseman Jamie Milam has dished an assist in each of the last three games.....center Brett Smith has a three-game point-scoring streak (1 goal, 2 assists).
Chaulk hits 700 -- Colin Chaulk reached his 700th all-time point (regular season and playoffs) as a Komet when he assisted on Brett Smith's power play goal Friday at Evansville. Chaulk has 626 regular season points while scoring 74 playoff points for a total of 700 Fort Wayne career points since joining the Komets for his first stint in 2002-03.
Goodbye December -The Komets posted their best December since 2004 with an 11-2-1 record. The K's were 13-2-2 in December, 2004.....Bobby Chaumont and Brett Smith tied with a team-best 16 points each....Chaumont and Chris Auger led with nine goals each while Smith led with 12 assists....Auger had the best plus-minus with plus- 10....goaltender Nick Boucher appears in 12 of the 14 games of December registering a 10-1-1 record, stopping 321 of 345 shots for a 2.04 goals-against average and .930 save percentage.
GAMES THIS WEEK
Komets at Bloomington Tuesday -- The Komets will skate at Bloomington Tuesday night at 8:05ET. It will be the third meeting in the eight days after the Komets swept the Blaze in two games last week. Bloomington (9-18-2) is battling to get out of the CHL cellar with 20 points, trailing Laredo by two points. Tuesday will mark the fifth meeting with the Komets leading the series 3-1-0. The only Fort Wayne loss of the year against the Blaze was at Bloomington Dec. 9, 3-1.
Komets begin three-game weekend series against Dayton Friday in Fort Wayne -- The Komets and Gems (11-13-6, 28 points) will meet for three games in three nights this weekend when Dayton visits Fort Wayne Friday at 8pm. It will be the first Fort Wayne Friday night home game since Nov. 18. The Komets will travel to Dayton Saturday for a 7pm faceoff at Hara Arena and then the two teams will return to Fort Wayne for a 5pm matinee Sunday at the Memorial Coliseum. The Komets lead the series 4-1-0 and have won the last three meetings. The Gems are winless in their last five games (0-3-2) and are idle this week until the weekend mini-series against the Komets begins Friday in Fort Wayne. Dayton goalie Larry Sterling has appeared in the last three straight Dayton games (0-2-1), allowing 13 goals on 114 shots.
Friday night Marathon Nights -- Continuing this year, Friday nights are Marathon Nights at Komet home games. Fans can take advantage of buy-one-get-one-free ticket offers for any Friday night home game. Fill Up Cards are available at all participating Marathon stations.
Hottest Ticket In Town -- Tickets for all 60th Anniversary Komet home games are on sale at the Coliseum Ticket Office and online at TicketMaster. The Komets offer discounts on group tickets sold at the Komet office at 1010 Memorial Way. For more ticket information visit the Komet office, call 260-483-0011 or visit the Komets' website at www.komets.com.
INC Soundoff with the Komets Monday nights -- The Komets, along with I ndiana's News Center and title sponsor PHP, present a live weekly televised sports program on Monday nights at 7:30 on WPTA TV 21 Alive. The show is televised live from Wrigley Field Bar and Grill each week throughout the 2011-12 season with INC's Tommy Schoegler as host. Komet players and personnel will serve as co-hosts during the half-hour program. The show will also feature highlights, interviews, call-ins and special segments. TONIGHT, Jan. 2, center Leo Thomas and defenseman Jamie Milam will be special guests.
60th Anniversary Komet Hockey on WOWO -- The Komets and WOWO Radio News-Talk 1190 AM have partnered once again for 2011-12. Broadcaster Bob Chase will call the action for his 59th consecutive season radio-rinkside. All games broadcast on radio, home and away, can be heard online at Xfinity KometCast. Most games will be broadcast on WOWO Radio News-Talk 1190 AM with ESPN Radio AM 1380 as an alternative when scheduling conflicts occur.
Central Hockey League Stories from January 2, 2012
- Summers Named CHL Player of the Week; Richards Traded to Dayton - Wichita Thunder
- Shots from the Point for January 2, 2012 - CHL
- Wichita's Matt Summers Named Oakley CHL Player of the Week - CHL
- Tulsa Oilers Weekly - Tulsa Oilers
- Mavericks Acquire Szuper and Schafer in Trades with Arizona - Kansas City Mavericks
- Mallards Weekly Update: January 2, 2012 - Quad City Mallards
- Arizona Complete Two Trades with Missouri - Arizona Sundogs
- Komets Streak into the New Year; Gems Visit Friday and Sunday - Fort Wayne Komets
- Rgv Killer Bees Weekly; Bees Remain on Road - Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
- Allen Americans Weekly - Allen Americans
- Sundogs Weekly Update - Arizona Sundogs
- Bloomington Blaze Weekly - Bloomington Blaze
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