FORT WAYNE- The Indy Fuel faced the Fort Wayne Komets on Sunday evening in Game 5 of the Divisional Semifinal Round of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Facing elimination on the road, the Fuel could not outscore the Komets and ultimately fell 4-0 in their final match.

1ST PERIOD

Indy earned the first power play of the game at 9:44 when Harrison Rees took a high sticking penalty that sent him to the box for two minutes. 

The Fuel took the game’s next penalty. With under five minutes to go in the first frame, Tyler Weiss was called for holding. Immediately after they killed the penalty, Logan Nelson scored for the Komets, putting them up 1-0. 

At 19:40, Blake Murray took a hooking penalty. This put Indy on a power play that would last well into the second period. 

After one frame, Indy was outshooting the Komets, 12-6 despite being down 1-0.

2ND PERIOD

Just 32 seconds into the second period, Kyle Aucoin took a high sticking penalty. This negated the Fuel’s power play chance and gave the Komets about a minute of power play time themselves. Regardless, neither team scored on the power play. 

Late in the period, Indy’s Jesse Tucker left the ice after a collision that left a lot to clean up before play resumed. 

Fort Wayne had a few more good chances before the period ended without another goal or penalty. 

Through two, shots were tied 19-19 while the Komets remained up 1-0. 

3RD PERIOD

Tucker returned to play in the third period as the Fuel came out swinging, however it was Komets captain Alex Aleardi who scored next. 

His goal came at 5:00, putting Fort Wayne up 2-0. At 7:26, William Dufour scored to make it 3-0 for the Komets quickly. 

Soon after that, Chris Cameron took a roughing penalty. Just twelve seconds after that, Jesse Tucker joined him in the penalty for high sticking. This came at the same time as a power play goal for the Komets, by Matt Miller. This gave Fort Wayne a 4-0 lead.

At 12:44, what was essentially a line brawl broke out resulting in roughing penalties to Chris Cameron and Tyler Inamoto while Chase Dafoe went to the box for goaltender interference.

It seemed like the floodgates opened and an onslaught of penalties hit the game sheet after fighting broke out nearly everywhere. Indy’s Nick Grima and Tyler Weiss ended up with ten minute misconduct penalties along with Stonehouse and Atkinson from the Komets. 

The Fuel put their best efforts towards attacking the net for the remainder of the game but could not score. The game ended with a final score of 4-0 in favor of the Komets, with Indy slightly outshooting Fort Wayne, 29-28.

The Komets will move on to the second round of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs where they will face the Toledo Walleye.

ABOUT THE INDY FUEL:

The Indy Fuel are the proud ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks and the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs. The Fuel have returned to Fishers Event Center for their 12th season. Information and tickets can be found HERE.

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--INDYFUELHOCKEY.COM--