General manager David Franke said the Komets “are trying to set a tone” with their first two player signings for next season, forward Matt Firman and defenseman Mathieu Gagnon.FORT WAYNE – Do the Komets want to sweep their way to the Presidents’ Cup? Oh, yes, absolutely.
“We’ve got to leave it all out there,” forward Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock said. “It’s got to be the same mentality, and we want to raise a trophy in the next game. That’s our incentive.”
The Komets lead the best-of-seven CHL finals 3-0 and enter tonight’s home game against Wichita a victory away from hoisting a Cup for the ninth time in their 60 years of hockey. Fort Wayne has won four Cups since 2003.
Even if they don’t get it done tonight, the Komets would have a game at Memorial Coliseum on Monday and two in Wichita, Kan., to try to accomplish the feat.
But the Komets don’t want to wait after winning 7-3 Thursday at the Coliseum.
“We’ve got to keep going,” defenseman Frankie DeAngelis said. “We’re so close, but we can’t take anything for granted. We have to come out in Game 4 with the same mindset we’ve had the last three games.”
Center Colin Chaulk has led the Komets in the series with two goals and eight points. Forward Mike Vaskivuo has two goals and seven points and leads all playoff scorers with eight goals and 21 points.
Commissioner Duane Lewis will be at the Coliseum tonight to present the Cup, if the Komets win.
The game starts at 8:15 p.m. because of the University of Saint Francis’ commencement.
The Thunder, which won the regular-season championship, may again be without goalie Adam Russo.
Russo missed Game 3 with a concussion and was replaced by Bryan Hogan. The Thunder was also without star forward Alex Bourret, who had a concussion and a broken rib.
“We’ve got to come out Saturday and really jump on them,” said Schrock, whose team is in its 18th trip to the playoff finals, including its time in the two versions of the IHL and the UHL.
The Komets are 5-3 at the Coliseum in the playoffs, and Wichita is 2-4 on the road.
The Komets have no desire to play longer than necessary against the Thunder after going to six games against Rapid City and seven against Missouri in the playoffs.
Tonight could be the Komets’ final CHL game before an expected move to the ECHL.
“We’ll stay focused, and we’ve got to close it out (tonight),” Vaskivuo said. “It’s Game 7 for us.
“No matter what the series is right now, it’s Game 7 for us.”
Notes: There were 200 tickets left for today’s game as of 5 p.m. Friday. … The Komets will sell about 100 brooms for $5 each before tonight’s game.
