Bloomington comes out flat in 5-2 loss to Komets

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Bloomington Prairie Thunder entered the Central Hockey League’s post-season on less than a high note. After a magnificent showing during the regular season, placing third in the highly competitive Turner Conference, the Prairie Thunder was looking forward to their first trip to the playoffs, but were paired with the Fort Wayne Komets, a team that stymied them time and time again when the two clubs played in the International Hockey League.  The Komets, who won three consecutive IHL championships in the past three seasons, were an early disappointment this season entering their new environs in the CHL, but the club came on strong in the latter half of the year and entered this series with designs of snuffing out the Prairie Thunder.

And snuff out out they did.
With an early power play opportunity the Komets broke out on top at the 4:59 mark of the first when Tab Lardner converted passes from Frankie DeAngelis and Colin Chaulk to make it a 1-0 contest.  
The lead held up through the remainder of the opening period and the Prairie Thunder had few answers to Nick Boucher’s net minding. Fort Wayne’s shot count doubled Bloomington’s 12-6.  The Komets broke the game open in a ten minute span of the second when they netted three unanswered goals for a 4-0 lead. Leo Thomas, Mathieu Curadeau and PC Drouin all scored for the Komets in middle frame.
Specials teams were essential to the Fort Wayne attack as the club netted three power play goals and one short-handed goal.   
Bloomington finally got back into the game in the third when their offense launched 17 shots on goal and broke through for two goals in a 40 second span by Brodie Sheahan and Jason Deleurme to cut the lead in half at 4-2.
But Boucher remained strong in net for the Komets and Curadeau closed out the scoring with his second of the game into an empty net at the 18:47 mark. Although Bloomington out shot Fort Wayne 37-29 in the game, Boucher was as solid as ever and helped to make the difference for the visiting team.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 3:05 pm.
Contact the writer/photographer Jeff.Buydos@prohockeynews.com