The Fort Wayne Komets and Missouri Mavericks needed two overtimes to decide things in a wild hockey game on Thursday night that eventually saw the Komets capitalize on a double overtime power play to win 5-4 at the Independence Events Center.
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The Komets have won back-to-back games in Missouri to even their best-of-7 series at two wins apiece and regain home-ice advantage after dropping the first two games of the series at home to the Mavs.
Fort Wayne ended the game 3 for 6 with the man advantage scoring one man advantage goal on a penalty called in the final minute of regulation and the third being the eventual game winner on a penalty called in double overtime. Both calls against Missouri were tripping infractions.
Missouri also dazzled on the power play going 2 for 6.
Nick Boucher earned the win making 40 saves improving to 6-3 in the post-season.
Charlie Effinger was the busier goaltender for the fourth straight game seeing 51 shots and making 46 saves. He loses back-to-back decisions after winning his first six.
The game saw two extreme lead changes with the Komets scoring three goals in the second period in a span of 2:42 erasing a 1-0 deficit and then the Mavericks came galloping back with three goals in the third period regaining a one-goal advantage.
The score that seemingly would push the Mavs to a 3-1 series lead came off the stick of Game 1 hero John-Scott Dickson who collected a power play goal at the 18:56 mark but the power play for the Komets in the final minute was enough for Jamie Milam to tie the game with just 22 seconds remaining to send the game to OT.
For Milam, it was his first goal of the post-season and in the game he finished with three points (1-2=3) matching his output through the first nine games of the post-season (3A).
In the overtime, it was Milam who had several good blasts and it was off his stick that the winning goal began. Milam faked a shot and then slung a pass to the left circle to Colin Chaulk who found defenseman Frankie DeAngelis going hard down the right wing to the back door. DeAngelis would take the perfect pass from the veteran and push the puck by Effinger on a play that neither the Mavs goalie nor their defense could do much to prevent.
Andrew Courtney and Dickson each had a goal and an assist for the Mavs and Ed McGrane scored for the fourth straight game.
Brett Smith and Chaulk each finished with two helpers in the game and joining Milam and DeAngelis with goals was Jean-Michel Rizk, Chris Auger and Leo Thomas.
Game 5 will be on Saturday night in Missouri and then the series is assured to shift back to Fort Wayne for at least a Game 6 on Tuesday and potentially a Game 7 on Thursday.
