Post Game Notes - Game 2

For Immediate Release
Sunday, April 29, 2012

Fort Wayne 6 at Wichita 3
at the INTRUST Bank Arena

Box Score | Game Live

Series: Komets lead best-of-7 series 2-0

Next Game: Game 3 – Thursday, May 3 at Fort Wayne (7:30 PM EST)

Three Stars:
1. Chris Auger (FTW), 2 goals, 1 assist, +3
2. Mike Vaskivuo (FTW), 1 goal, 1 assist, +2
3. Chris Chaulk (FTW), 2 assists, +3

Goaltenders:
FTW- Nick Boucher (Win- 27 saves, 3 goals allowed)
WIC- Adam Russo (Loss- 16 saves, 4 goals allowed); Bryan Hogan (ND- 9 saves, 2 goals allowed)

Goals:
FTW: 1-3-2=6
WIC: 1-1-1=3

Shots:
FTW: 8-17-6=31
WIC: 10-9-11=30

The Fort Wayne Komets became just the second team in CHL history to win the first two games of the Finals on the road as they take a commanding 2-0 lead over the Wichita Thunder thanks to their 6-3 win on Sunday in Wichita.

Fort Wayne used a huge second period scoring three goals on 17 shots to earn their fourth straight win in the post-season.

Wichita jumped on the scoreboard first for the just the third time in 13 post-season games when Kevin Seibel beat Nick Boucher at the 9:40 mark of the opening period for his first goal of the playoffs.

The Komets third line, known as the ‘RedRum Line’, were rewarded for their strong play in the offensive zone with the tying goal at the 12:53 mark of the period scored by Jean-Michel Rizk (his sixth of the playoffs) assisted by Kaleigh Schrock and Stephon Thorne.  The score sat at 1-1 after 20 minutes.

In a reversal from Game 1 that saw the Thunder outscore the Komets 3-1 in the second period, Fort Wayne dominated period number two in Game 2.  Amateur defenseman Daniel Maggio scored his first professional goal at the 7:36 mark giving the Komets the first lead of the game. 

On the power play, the Komets added to the lead with Chris Auger scoring his fifth goal in the last three games at the 10:31 mark.  Leo Thomas and Mike Vaskivuo had the assists.

With the score 3-1, Fort Wayne added to their advantage with Vaskivuo’s second point of the night at the 14:58 mark, assisted by Colin Chaulk and Auger making the score 4-1.  The goal was the seventh of the post-season for Vaskivuo. 

Wichita goaltender Adam Russo was pulled from the game at this point allowing four goals on 20 shots.  Bryan Hogan came in as a replacement.

Wichita would cut the lead to two goals with a power play goal of their own scored by Chris Chappell, his fifth of the post-season and second point of the night.

The Komets were all over the Thunder in the second period as they outshot the home team 17-9.

The third period was much of the same as the Komets took advantage of their chances with Bobby Chaumont scoring for the fourth straight game at the 9:30 mark with Brett Smith and Jamie Lovell earning the assists. 

With the score 5-2, Auger notched his second goal of the game giving him three straight games with multiple-goal efforts (Vaskivuo had the only assist).

Erik Lizon netted one final goal for the Thunder with about three minutes remaining in the game, his first of the post-season putting the final score at 6-3.

Fort Wayne outshot the Thunder 31-30 as Boucher wins his fourth straight decision in the playoffs making 27 saves.  Russo took the loss and Hogan finished with nine saves on 11 shots.

Wichita finished 1 for 3 with the power play and Fort Wayne was 1 for 2.
 
Both clubs now get three days off before playing Game 3 in Fort Wayne on Thursday night.  The next three contests will be at the home of the Komets in the 2-3-2 series format.