CINCINNATI, Ohio – For the second-straight night, it took two overtime periods before a winner would be decided in the ECHL Western Conference quarterfinal series game at U.S. Bank Arena between the Fort Wayne Komets and Cincinnati Cyclones, this time with a different result.
Jonathan Diaby’s goal 9:26 into the second overtime lifted the Cyclones to a 5-4 win, avenging a 3-2 loss to the Komets on Friday night and giving Cincinnati a 3-2 series lead. The series now shifts back to Fort Wayne, where the seventh-seeded Cyclones claimed a pair of wins in the first two games of the series over the second-seeded Komets.
Garrett Thompson put the Komets on the board first, scoring just 39-seconds into the game with the assist going to Jordon Southorn. Skating into the offensive zone, Thompson let off a wrist shot from the left circle, beating Cyclone goaltender Brad Theissen to make it 1-0.
Branden Gracel answered three minutes later to tie the game at 1-1. Levko Koper and Andrew Blazek picked up the assists on the play. On a two-on-one break, Gracel walked down low in the slot, where he released a backhanded shot that sailed above the glove of Fort Wayne goalie Pat Nagle and into the net.
Steve Weinstein found the net at 12:53 to give Cincinnati its first lead of the night, with Colin Mulvey and Brett Wysopal being credited with the assists. Weinstein fired a shot from the right circle that seemed to bounce off of a Fort Wayne defender and into the net to make it a 2-1 Cincinnati lead.
Fort Wayne got off to a quick start once again in the second period, as Shawn Szydlowski beat Theissen 59-seconds into the period to tie the game at 2-2. Szydlowski took a pass on the left wing side, slipped around a defender and sailed the puck past Theissen for the score. Mike Embach and Gabriel Beaupre got the assists on the tying goal.
Blazek put the Cyclones back on top seven minutes later, scoring unassisted at 8:08. Firing a shot from the left circle, through traffic, Nagle got a piece of the puck, yet it trickled across the goal line. The goal was Blazek’s first of the postseason.
Brett Perlini pulled the game back even just two minutes later, scoring on assists from Szydlowski and Southorn on the power play at 10:14. Perlini pounced on a rebound in the slot and lifted it above Theissen’s glove for the goal.
The game remained tied 3-3 as the two teams entered their locker rooms for the second intermission.
Blazek picked up his second goal of the night at 7:40 of the third, giving Cincinnati a 4-3 lead after firing a shot through traffic from the top of the left circle. Assists were awarded to Tommy Mele and Christiaan Minella.
As it appeared like the Cyclones would hold on for the win, Thompson found the net for the second time of the night, scoring on the power play to bring the score back even with just 2:42 remaining in the third period. Working in front of the net, Thompson was in position to poke home the rebound of a Perlini shot. Southorn picked up the secondary assist on the score.
Nearing the half way mark of the second extra frame, Diaby collected a pass from Riley Weselowski pass at the top of the right circle and fired a laser past Nagle for the win. Zach Budish was credited with the secondary assist on the play.
The series now goes back to Fort Wayne, with game six scheduled for a 7:30pm EDT opening face off on Monday.
A Cincinnati win would move the Cyclones into the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs, while a Fort Wayne win would force game seven on the Komets’ home ice on Wednesday.
Contact the writer: John.Hall@prohockeynews.com
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