Komets stun Mavericks with late goal, win 4-3 to tie series

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KCTV) - The Fort Wayne Komets scored with seconds remaining in regulation to defeat the Kansas City Mavericks 4-3 Saturday night, tying the playoff series at one game apiece.

Fort Wayne jumped to a 2-0 lead with two early goals that shocked the large crowd.

Mavericks coach Tad O’Had credited the Komets offense and acknowledged his team’s defensive lapses.

“There’s a couple of mistakes that we need to clean up on defensively,” O’Had said.

Kansas City fought back in the second period. David Cotton converted a penalty shot, then Justin Janicke found the net to tie the game 2-2 after two periods.

“We’re a resilient group, I was proud of the way we played,” O’Had said.

The Komets took a 3-2 lead with less than six minutes to play in the third period.

Kansas City pulled its goalie and tied the game with 59 seconds left in regulation.

“Overall, I really liked our third period. We put a ton of pressure on their goaltender and came up with the huge goal there,” O’Had said.

But Fort Wayne silenced the roaring crown by scoring again with seconds remaining to secure the 4-3 victory.

“This is playoff hockey, I’m excited for it. We’ve got a deep roster. We’ve got a healthy roster. This is what playoff hockey is about. Bring on the challenge,” O’Had said.