CINCINNATI, Ohio – Down 2-0 entering game three of their best-of-seven quarterfinal series with the Cincinnati Cyclones, the Fort Wayne Komets sent a message, throttling the Cyclones 8-0 in front of 1,643 fans at U.S. Bank Arena on Wednesday night.
Goaltender Pat Nagle was perfect on the night, stopping all 21 Cincinnati shots, while Alex Belzile and Shawn Szydlowski each added a pair of goals in the romp.
Fort Wayne grabbed the lead early, thanks to Belzile, who slung a shot from the right circle past Brad Thiessen 1:12 into the game to make it 1-0. Mike Embach and Cody Sol were credited with the assists on the play.
Fort Wayne’s Kyle Thomas celebrates one of eight goals Wednesday night in Cincinnati / Photo by Shawn Conkle (PHN)
Four minutes later Troy Bourke added his second goal of the playoffs, tapping in a pass from Brett Perlini for a 2-0 Komets lead. Kyle Thomas added a power play goal at 16:55 of the period, knocking home the rebound of a Perlini shot into the open net to put the lead at 3-0 entering the first intermission. Fort Wayne held a 10-7 shot advantage through the first.
Belzile added his second marker of the night 5:14 into the middle frame, scoring shorthanded and unassisted. Jumping on a loose puck following a collision near the blue line, Belzile marched in all alone and sailed the puck past Thiessen to make it 4-0, and prompting a goalie change from Cyclones Head Coach Matt Macdonald.
A few minutes later, Szydlowski took over.
Szydlowski welcomed Cincinnati netminder Brandon Whitney to the game, scoring his first of the night on the power play at 9:57. Trevor Cheek and Garrett Thompson assisted on Szydlowski’s shot from the left circle that put Fort Wayne up by five goals. Szydlowski lifted the puck past Whitney for his second of the night at 13:02, on a Thompson pass during a two-on-one break. Perlini was credited with the secondary assist on the play.
Three minutes later, Thompson added a goal to make it 7-0. Whitney found himself out of position while trying to grab a loose rebound as Thompson skated in and tapped the puck into the open net at 16:01. Jordon Southorn and Szydlowski picked up the assists on the goal.
Cincinnati would go on to out-shoot Fort Wayne 8-7 in the final period, but would not find the net.
Cincinnati’s Jonathan Diaby and Fort Wayne’s Cody Sol square off during Wednesday’s Kelly Cup quarterfinal series game / Photo by Shawn Conkle (PHN)
Fort Wayne’s Paul Crowder added the final goal of the night, scoring off of a turnover in the slot at 5:35 of the third with Bourke picking up the assist.
36-penalty minutes were handed out in an 11-second span late in the game as tempers flared. Sol and Cincinnati’s Jonathan Diaby dropped the gloves at 16: 44, followed by a tilt between Gabriel Beaupre and Cody Carlson at 16:55.
The late fireworks should set up a memorable game four at 7:35pm EDT in Cincinnati on Friday night. Game five is slated for the same start time on Saturday.
Contact the writer: John.Hall@prohockeynews.com
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