Colorado rides the hot hand of Michael Joly to even Western Confernce Finals series 2-2

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Disciplined play, better puck control, and more shots on net allowed the Colorado Eagles to even up the Western Conference Finals series 2-2 on Firday night.

With a 2-1 victory over the Komets in game four, the Eagles have ensured a return to the Budweiser Events Center next Tuesday for a game six in what now becomes a best two out of three series with Colorado having taken back their home ice advantage.

Michael Joly once again became the only scorer for Eagles with his two first period goals constituting the entirety of the Eagles scoring for the night. Goal number one for Joly came on a one-timer from the right circle with helpers from Jake Marto and Travis Barron to take a 1-0 lead 9:39 into the game.

#16 Michael Joly – 1st Star of the game

Matt Garbowsky got the only assist on Joly’s second goal as he advanced the puck all the way down the ice to the low slot and passed it across to Joly for the tip in on what would be the game-winning goal with 7:09 remaining in the first period.

The Eagles mustered 12-shots on goal to the Komets 11 in period one and took one minor penalty compared the Komets’ two minors.

There was no scoring to be had in the second period and the shots on goal were 13 for the Eagles and nine for Fort Wayne. Both teams received just one penalty in the second period, but Colorado’s penalty proved costly as Jason Binkley tallied the Komets’ lone goal at 33-seconds into the third during the carryover time from that late second-period infraction.

#4 Jason Binkley – 2nd Star of the game

A very determined Komets team managed 14 shots on goal to five for the Eagles in the final frame, but were stymied by having to kill four minor penalties to only one for the Eagles and were unable to get even on the scoreboard.

Joe Cannata recorded a 33-save victory for the Eagles while the Komet’s Michael Houser stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced in the loss.