Fort Wayne, IN- Beck Warm registered a career high-45 saves, but Ryan Fanti managed to stop all Cincinnati attempts for a 35-save shutout and a 3-0 win for Fort Wayne in game three of the opening round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Cincinnati remains ahead in the series, 2-1, but will now face Fort Wayne in a guaranteed game five Sunday evening. Should the Komets get another win at home, Cincinnati would host a game six at Heritage Bank Center Tuesday, May 2.
- Fort Wayne took advantage of their home crowd early when Dan Maggio struck to put the Komets on the board 1:48 into the game. Garrett Van Whye took a shot from the right circle that was knocked down in front of Beck Warm, before Maggio turned and tucked the puck in-between the legs of the goaltender to make it 1-0. Cincinnati trailed 9-3 in shots at one point during the first period, but finished the frame leading 16-11 in shots on goal.
- Neither team scored in the second period for a third straight game, but the Komets came out firing in the third period, putting 22 shots on goal to Cincinnati's eight. After Blake Siebenhaler had a goal waived off in the first four minutes of the third (kicking motion), Darien Kielb found the back of the net at the 7:22 mark, going backhand to forehand from underneath the goal line to beat a sprawled out Warm. Matt Boudens was left alone in front of the goal less than three minutes later on a power play to make it 3-0.
- Fanti turned away six Cyclones power plays and stopped both Justin Vaive and Zack Andrusiak, who each fired a team high-five shots on goal. Fanti was most busy during the first period when the 'Clones put 16 pucks on target. The 23-year-old earned his first shutout as a Komet with 35 saves. Warm stopped 20 shots in the third period alone in the loss. He has stopped 102 of 105 shots through the first three games of the playoffs.
- The 'Clones have the opportunity to bounce back Friday night and take a commanding 3-1 series lead when they rematch with the Komets at Fort Wayne.
