Eagles take 3-2 Western Conference Finals lead Over Komets with 4-3 Double OT win

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Despite being out-shot 54-36, the Colorado Eagles persisted and with the stellar goaltending of Joe Cannata proved victorious over the Fort Wayne Komets in game five of the western conference finals in double overtime on Saturday night.

#31 Joe Cannata 1st Star

For the second game in a row, the Eagles started the scoring when captain Matt Garbowsky took a pass from Ryan Harrison and sped down the ice on a breakaway, beating Michael Houser for the 1-0 lead at 4:03 of the first period.

Three minutes later Fort Wayne’s Artur Tyanulin tipped a pass from Jason Binkley past the Eagle’s Cannata to tie the game 1-1.

A minor penalty to Garbowsky brought out the best power play team in the league, who lived up to their reputation once again by garnering the go ahead goal from Ryan Culkin at 13:28 of the opening period for the Komets. After the first 20-minutes of play, Fort Wayne led 2-1.

10:09 into the second frame, Colorado’s Jake Marto unleashed a slap shot from the top of the right circle to even the score at 2-2. Fort Wayne wasted no time answering the Eagles’ goal with one of their own, as Komets captain Jamie Schaafsma scored off a bad bounce from an Eagles defenseman at 12:11 of the middle frame to put the Komets up 3-2.

#44 Brady Shaw 2nd Star

Period three saw Michael Joly record the only goal of the period as he blasted a shot from near the blue line past Houser to tie the game 3-3 and send it to overtime.

No goals were scored in the first 20-minutes of overtime play, so after another intermission, a second 20-minutes was put on the clock. However, only 2:38 was needed, as Colorado’s Brady Shaw engaged in a puck battle down low and sent a shot past the Komets’ Houser to break the tie and win the game 4-3 for the visiting Colorado Eagles.