Komets look to snap five game skid.

Fort Wayne, IN - The Komets enter week 20 of 2012-13 looking to snap a five-game winless skid and climb back into playoff contention beginning with a home tilt against the Cincinnati Cyclones this Friday at 8pm.  Saturday the Komets travel to Toledo for a 7:05pm faceoff and return home Sunday to face the Wheeling Nailers at 5pm.

The way it stands--With 18 games and six weeks remaining the Komets have 54 points (26-26-2) and trail eighth-place Elmira (27-20-4) by four points in the battle for playoff position in the Eastern Conference.  The top eight teams in the conference qualify for post-season play.  In the tight race for contention Kalamazoo is ranked ninth with a one-point edge over the Komets while Wheeling and Orlando trail the Komets by three points each.  -ECHL Standings-

The players--Brandon Marino (LW) continues to lead the Komets with 41 assists and 59 points after leading with three goals for week 19. Thomas Beauregard leads with 19 goals after finding the net in Friday's 6-1 loss to Evansville.  Brett Smith (C) finished the week riding a three-game point streak (1 goal, 2 assists).  Center Colin Chaulk returned to action Saturday for his first game after missing 33 games on the injured reserve list. 

Milestones--Smith skated his 500^th pro game (regular season) Friday at Evansville and reached the 40-point mark on the season with a goal Sunday at Toledo.  Smith has reached 40 points four seasons straight and eight seasons overall during his career.  Chaulk reached 999 pro points (regular season) dishing two assists Sunday at Toledo.

Leaders of the pack--(active players) Marino 41 assists, 59 points, +8....Beauregard 19 goals.....Kaleigh Schrock (RW) 147 penalty minutes.

Iron Man--Tyler Butler (D) has skated all 54 Komet games to date.  The veteran, skating his 10^th pro season, also appeared in all 66 regular season games for Arizona (CHL) last season.

Komet Legends clipped by Toledo Alumni 8-7--It took a shootout, and most likely few oxygen tanks, but the Toledo Alumni team outlasted the Fort Wayne Komet Legends 8-7 Sunday in a matinee feature at the Huntington Center in downtown Toledo prior to the Komet/Walleye game that followed.  Former Komet Kelly Hurd was the only Fort Wayne skater to score in the shootout after Legends team skaters Adam Lewis, Scott Collins, John Hilworth, Kelly Perrault and Martin Burgers scored goals in regulation.  The game was highlighted by former Komet and Toledo goaltender Doug Teskey backstopping both teams in the game.  Teskey minded the Fort Wayne net the first two periods before getting between the pipes for Toledo in the third frame.
Report Card Night scores an A+-- It was another successful night for Comcast Report Card Night at the Komet game Saturday night against the Evansville IceMen.  The first sell-out of the season included 10,480 on hand for the Literacy Alliance fundraiser where students are rewarded with a free ticket to the game for at least one "A" on their report card.  Comcast pledged a donation for each "A" student in attendance with all proceeds going directly to The Literacy Alliance.

KOMETS IN THE COMMUNITY THIS WEEK
Tip-A-Komet at Applebess Tuesday night--The Komets invite all fans to the second Tip-A-Komet benefit of the year at Applebee's North Clinton location by the Coliseum this Tuesday night, Feb. 19, from 6:30pm-8:30pm.  Fans have a chance to be served dinner by a Komet player as the entire team will be on-hand for the special night at Applebee's.  All tips benefit Applebee's Make-A-Wish Foundation Fundraising efforts.  For more information fans can call the Komet office at 260-483-0011.

Bus Stuff for Community Harvest Food Bank--The annual campusLink Bus Stuff to benefit Community Harvest Food Bank will take place again this year during Komet home games Friday, Feb. 22, Sunday, Feb. 24 and Wednesday Feb. 27.  Komet fans can save $2.00 off their upper arena game ticket with a food donation at each game.  The Komets ask that fans bring canned or packaged food for donation.  The goal is to donate enough food to fill a campusLink bus to benefit hungry families served by the Community Harvest Food Bank.  Additional contributions can be made by stuffing the CitiLink/campusLink buses at IPFW, Ivy Tech and Community Harvest locations.
Bus Stuff News Conference Tuesday--Citilink will host a news conference Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 10AM at the Coliseum to announce plans for this year's annual food drive for Community Harvest Food Bank.  The CampusLink Bus Stuff is supported by Ivy Tech, IPFW, Community Harvest and CitiLink as well as the Komets.  Representatives will be on hand for the media event Tuesday.

Friday nights are Marathon nights--Friday's are Marathon Nights at Komet home games.  Fans can take advantage of buy-one-get-one-free ticket offers for any Friday night Komet home game including the Komets' next home game this Friday, Feb. 22 against the Cincinnati Cyclones at 8pm.  Fill-Up Cards are available at all participating Marathon stations. 

Sunday Family Night at Komet Hockey--The Komets present Wendy's Family Night at every Sunday home game.  Coupons for a Sundays Four-For-$28 ticket offer are available at Wendy's locations around the Fort Wayne area.  Fans can bring their skates for an open skate after each Sunday Family Night home game.

Saturday, Feb. 23 Komets at Toledo, 7:05pm ET --The Komets return to the Huntington Center in downtown Toledo Saturday for a 7:05pm faceoff. It's the fourth and final trip of the season to Toledo where the Komets are 2-1-0 after Sunday's 6-3 loss against the Walleye.  Toledo is 2-1-2 in their last five outings and 10-2-2 in the last 14 games.  The Walleye will host Wheeling Friday before welcoming the Komets Saturday.

Sunday, Feb. 24 Wheeling Nailers (21-20-9, 51 points) at Komets, 5pm ET--The Komets will complete their two-game season series against the Nailers Sunday when Wheeling visits for a 5pm faceoff at the Memorial Coliseum.  In the first meeting of the year, Dec. 15 at Wheeling, the Komets suffered a 3-2 overtime loss and will try to even the series Sunday.  The Nailers are on a winless slide of six games (0-5-1) going into Monday's Presidents' Day tilt at Greenville.  Wheeling then skates at Toledo Friday and visits Cincinnati Saturday before skating their first ever game at the Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne Sunday.