Box Score | Game Live

In a critical Game 5, the Missouri Mavericks rebounded from back-to-back losses to the Fort Wayne Komets with maybe their most complete game of the post-season and certainly the conference finals in a 5-2 victory at the Independence Events Center.

The Mavs now lead the best-of-7 series three games to two and will head back to Fort Wayne for Game’s 6 and 7 needing just one win to advance to their first Ray Miron Presidents’ Cup Finals.

The win for Missouri marked the first time that the home team has won a game in this series.

Missouri came into Game 5 allowing close to 44 shots on goal per game in the series but their defense kept the puck away from goalie Charlie Effinger who saw just 26 shots in the game stopping 24 of them.

John-Scott Dickson got his team off and running early scoring his fourth goal of the series and sixth of the post-season just 39 seconds into the game.

The Komets would tie the game just past the midway point of the first period with Jean-Michel Rizk scoring his fourth goal of the series and fifth goal of the playoffs tying the game at one.

The Mavs would finish the opening period strong and really take control of the game.  Ed McGrane did more damage stretching his goal streak to five games thanks to a shorthanded goal at the 13:20 mark and his strike was followed by Brandon Smith’s fourth post-season goal which served as the game winner.

With the score 3-1 entering the second period, the Komets would get back into the game with a power play goal from Frankie DeAngelis at the 8:14 mark but it would not hold up as Sebastien Thinel scored his third goal of the playoffs (has a point in all nine Missouri playoff games) at the 11:42 mark making the score 4-2 which was enough to put away the Komets.

Kris Hogg added some insurance in the third period scoring at the 15:13 mark.

Effinger improves to 7-2 in the playoffs for the Mavericks.

Nick Boucher took the loss making 27 saves as his post-season record falls to 6-4.

Hogg, Thinel and McGrane all finished the night with a goal and an assist.

Game 6 is slated for Tuesday night in Fort Wayne.