Komets Look To Start New Year Off Right

ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets (via ducks.nhl.com)

Fort Wayne, IN – The Komets have been struggle of late against teams not from Kalamazoo or Elmira. They have only won five of their last 12 games. This is really due to lack of full on practicing to address key issues (i.e. the much maligned power play). Injuries and call-ups have also been an issue this season.

Coach Al Sims is concerned that the team may be forgetting some of the basics.

“We need a practice,” Coach Sims said. “We haven’t been able to practice with all the games over the past little bit and, … we all need a refresher. We were in the game (Monday), down two goals going into the third period. We tried to put more pressure on them and pinch our defensemen (in the offensive zone), which we normally don’t do. But unfortunately, when you don’t have any time to practice it or have a chance to work on it, we need some saves and unfortunately our goalies struggled a little bit (against the Walleye).”

The Komets are coming in to the game tonight 16-14-2 and it is making the schedule the reason for the poor performance is really just an excuse as only eight other teams in the 23 team league have played fewer games.

Coach Sims says there is a fine line between resting and improving.

“You have to be careful how hard you work your team at certain areas of the year,” Sims said, before practicing Tuesday. “With us going through this stretch of 25 games in 44 nights, you have to be careful you don’t exhaust them by, say, practicing (Tuesday) and then having nothing left (tonight). We want them to have lots in the tank, and we still want them to get some important stuff done (in practice).”

The K’s welcome the Gwinnett Gladiators and their second in the conference 22-11-1 record. The good news is that Luca Caputi, Corey Elkins and Nick Schaus are on their way in from Norfolk.

Tonight’s game will start at 7:30 PM EST and audio is available on the team’s website.