The Indy Fuel finished a four-games-in-five-days stretch Sunday with a 4-0 loss at home to the Fort Wayne Komets. While the Fuel had several scoring opportunities, Fort Wayne was able to capitalize early and pot four goals in the game’s first 22 minutes to take the lead.
Komets goaltender Francois Tremblay had a shutout in his first ECHL game this season, stopping all 21 Fuel shots. The Fuel had a handful of chances, including a high-slot shot off the crossbar in the second period. Fort Wayne was able to capitalize on some early chances.
Fort Wayne scored two first-period goals upon the expiration of penalties — Matthew Pistilli scored 4:37 into the game, collecting a rebound on a shot by Paul Crowder after Crowder broke up-ice on an odd-man rush, which followed a neutral zone turnover. The Komets’ Nathan Condon scored at 14:49 of the period to make it 2-0. The Fuel had a chance with an extended 5-on-3 late in the period, but Fort Wayne killed both penalties, and after the expiration of the second, Condon came out of the box and broke free to score a breakaway goal. Mitchell Heard made it 4-0 at 1:44 of the second with a shot off a faceoff.
The Fuel are now 1-2-1-1 on the season. Fort Wayne is 5-0-0.
ECHL boxscore
IndyFuelHockey.com game story
Opposing view: Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette story
Takeaways
- Much like Wednesday, the Fuel were stronger in the second and third periods, especially in limiting Fort Wayne’s scoring chances.
- Both teams were 0-4 on the power play. The Fuel have now killed off 12 consecutive opponent penalties.
- Cody Reichard made 33 saves in the Fuel net.
- This was the first game the Fuel have played that was decided (taking out empty-netters) by more than one goal.
Lineup
The Fuel had a bit of a different lineup today, with Robert Czarnik and Pete Massar both being scratched. Czarnik, the ECHL’s top goal scorer (5), was attending to a family matter. Dean Chelios was activated from the reserve list and made his first appearance in a Fuel uniform. Klarc Wilson was activated and skated RW with Mike Duco and Brett Perlini. Patrick Cullen jumped into Czarnik’s spot with Rhett Bly and Jamie Wise.
Mike Duco-Brett Perlini-Klarc Wilson
Patrick Cullen-Rhett Bly-Jamie Wise
Johnny McGuire-Matt White-Garrett Klotz/Dean Chelios
Mathieu Brisebois-Nick Jones
Dillon Fournier-Justin Holl
Nick Bruneteau-Ildar Telyakov
Cody Reichard
B: Sean Bonar
Next up: The Fuel will play a home-and-home with the Evansville IceMen this weekend. Friday’s game will be at the Fairgrounds Coliseum, with a 7:35 p.m. puck drop. The teams will head to the Pocket City for an 8:15 p.m. Saturday game at the Ford Center in Evansville, which will start a three-game roadtrip.
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