Coach Al Sims and captain Colin Chaulk retired, and now so has the goaltender who backstopped them to four championships between 2008 and 2012.Thomas Beauregard made the Komets’ return to Orlando a happy one.
Beauregard had two goals and also scored the only goal in the shootout to help the Komets to a 5-4 victory against Orlando on Friday at Amway Center.
It was the team’s first game in Orlando since 1998 in the old IHL. And Fort Wayne (10-8-1) had to rally to win for just the third time in nine games.
Beauregard gave the Komets a 1-0 lead with a goal at 6:32 of the first period. Brandon Marino scored at 5:55 of the second to extend Fort Wayne’s lead to 2-0.
The Solar Bears (9-10-4) scored the next four goals.
Nick Petersen scored the first two to tie the game. His second came at 14:17 of the second period.
Ryan Ginand gave Orlando a 3-2 lead with a goal at 4:09 of the third period. Ryan Cruthers scored at 10:00 to make it 4-2.
But the Komets fought back. Ryan Hegarty scored at 10:57 to cut the deficit to one. Beauregard then tied the game, scoring at 19:53.
The game eventually went to a shootout and Beauregard was the only player to score.
Kenny Reiter made 40 saves for Fort Wayne.
Fort Wayne’s Lincoln Kaleigh Schrock missed the game as he served his one-game suspension for instigating a fight in the final fight minutes of a 3-1 loss at Gwinnett, Ga., on Nov. 30.
The Komets face Orlando again today. It’s the second of three games in three days in Orlando.
