Al Sims, 60, who guided the Komets to five championships between 1993 and 2012 with a stint coaching the NHL’s San Jose Sharks in between, retired Monday as the winningest coach in the francise’s 61-season history.
FORT WAYNE – In overtime, center Colin Chaulk skated into the offensive zone and patiently circled before dropping a pass for defenseman Nick Schaus, whose 50-foot slapshot won it for the Komets 2-1 over the Stingrays in overtime at Charleston, S.C.
The Komets (29-28-3) went 1-0-1 in back-to-back games against the Stingrays, who are led by the ECHL’s top goaltender, Ryan Zapolski.
He stopped 29 of 31 shots, getting bested by center Jean-Michel Rizk in the first period.
The Stingrays (31-25-6) tied it in the second on a goal from Patrick Gaul, in front of 5,158 fans at the North Charleston Coliseum.
Fort Wayne’s goalie, Jeff Deslauriers, stopped 25 of 26 shots while playing his sixth consecutive game since being sent down directly from the NHL by Anaheim.
Deslauriers had a glove save on South Carolina’s 3-on-1 rush with 13 seconds remaining in regulation time to set up Schaus’ winner.
Schaus was sent down by Norfolk of the American Hockey League on Friday, and he scored in back-to-back games for Fort Wayne.
The Komets are on a 3-1-1 surge, which has kept them seven points back of the Florida Everblades for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Komets have 12 games remaining in the regular season and are off until Friday, when they start back-to-back games against the Everblades, the defending ECHL champions, who have former Komets tough guy Brent Henley.
