Analysis: Komets have shown they are in the cup conversation, but there is still plenty of room for growth | Comets

The Komets went 1-1-1 in their three-game set against the Florida Everblades, not an overwhelming success, but enough to show that they are in the conversation to be the favorites to win the Predict the ECHL’s Kelly Cup Championship.

The last three seasons the trophy has gone to the Everblades. They are the benchmark for success, sitting atop the league at 14-3-1 this season. And the Komets (10-5-1) matched them blow for blow.

“Honestly, I think we were able to win every game,” said defenseman Cameron Supryka, who scored for Fort Wayne in Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Memorial Coliseum. “This is a team that has won three Kelly Cups for a reason. They are a great team and we fit together really well. I have no doubt we have a championship team and when we see these guys again we will make them pay.”

Saturday’s game was so poorly officiated by Trevor Wohlford and Ryan Siegel that it was difficult to assess the Komets’ performance. Florida had a two-goal lead and the first six power plays of the game before Supryka scored from a tight angle at 14:51 of the second period.

The Komets were missing their leading scorer Odeen Tufto, who suffered a lower-body injury on the first shift of Friday’s 2-1 overtime win, a game capped by a goal from Alex Aleardi. They didn’t do themselves any favors with two delay-of-game penalties on Saturday for kicking the puck out of play or an egregious Jack Dugan penalty for interference, but the referees didn’t call the game evenly. Noah Ganske being punched in the face without a call being made was one of several moments that rightly angered the 7,718 spectators at Memorial Coliseum. Florida finished 1-for-9 on power plays, Fort Wayne 0-for-3.

More telling than Saturday’s loss was Thursday’s 5-4 overtime loss, when the Komets twice blew a two-goal lead.

“If we do what we’re supposed to do there on Thursday, it changes the weekend for us,” coach Jesse Kallechy said. “We showed that we are on the right track with good teams and I am proud of how the boys worked and fought this weekend. I think we have the foundation of something really good here and we need to put it together.”

The Komets emerged from the series with more positives than negatives: goaltending from Brett Brochu and Connor Ungar was solid; Without Tufto, the Komets showed their versatility as the forwards played around unfamiliar line combinations; and the Komets matched the physical intensity of the Everblades, no small feat.

The Komets went 7-4-1 through their brutally difficult November, including a 3-0-0 record against the Kansas City Mavericks and Central Division leader Toledo Walleye, although an 0-2-0 record against the North Division leaders Wheeling Nailers show Fort Wayne has room for growth.

Dugan shows signs

Dugan has one goal, 11 assists, a team-worst minus-9 rating and 43 penalty minutes in 16 games. Last season, he recorded 20 goals, a league-best 60 assists, 169 penalty minutes and a plus-8 rating in 70 games.

Dugan needs to protect the puck better — he can’t get away with the fancy no-look passes anymore — and look forward to having more help than he did last season.

“I see signs that his game is improving,” Kallechy said. “For him it’s not just about the goals and assists. I think he’s trying to move on to other things and I saw some signs of that (last) week. He puts a lot of pressure on himself to produce, and I tell him, ‘Hey, it’ll come naturally.’ He didn’t score 80 points last season by accident.”

Ice chips

After facing the ECHL’s best team, the Komets next face the worst team, the Cincinnati Cyclones (2-10-3), with a home-on-home series beginning Wednesday in Ohio. … The Komets are known for having high-scoring rookies — like Ture Linden, Mark Rassell and Matt Alvaro over the past three seasons — but defenseman Harrison Rees leads their rookies with four assists this season. … Ungar’s strong 24-save win on Friday means he no longer has the worst goals-against and save percentage in the ECHL. His 4.04 GAA is better than the Allen Americans’ Dylan Wells (4.13). And with an SP of .864, he’s better than Joe Cannata of the Norfolk Admirals (.861).