From potential series-shifting win to potential series-shifting loss for the Iowa Heartlanders

CORAVILLE - Woulda been a great win. Probably the best in Iowa Heartlanders history.

Instead it was a crushing loss. Hopefully not too crushing of a loss.

Jack Gorniak scored 2:17 into overtime to give the Fort Wayne Komets a 7-6 win in Game 3 of this first-round ECHL playoff series at Xtream Arena. A full-throated crowd of 1,477 saw a bunch of hockey in this one.

A whole bunch of hockey.

“We could have gotten that win for sure,” said Iowa captain Yuki Miura. “Obviously it’s disappointing. At the same time, we came back from a two-goal deficit twice, so that’s a good thing. The things that we have to improve include the shift right after we score. When we think we get the momentum, we still have to be dialed in. We still have to stay composed, manage the highs and lows, as they always say.”

Iowa scored the first goal for the third straight game in this series, when Nathan Noel spanked home a one-timer from the slot 4:19 in after a nifty centering feed from behind the net by teammate Adam Goodsir. Noel scored again late in the period to give the Heartlanders a 2-1 lead, only for Fort Wayne to tie it on an Ethan Keppen goal in the final minute.

Noel and fellow forward Luke Mobley played for the first time in the series, replacing stalwarts Gavin Hain and Will Calverley, who were out injured and considered day to day, according to Iowa Coach Derek Damon.

Fort Wayne grabbed a 4-2 lead after two periods on goals from Blake Murray and Keppen again. Then things went bonkers.

Iowa tied things on a power-play goal from Ryan McGuire 34 seconds into the third and a Miura breakaway goal at the 1:27 mark. But ... Kirill Tyutyayev scored just nine seconds after Miura’s goal, and Zach Jordan scored just 27 second after that.

Fort Wayne 6, Iowa 4.

“It’s tough. I thought we started really well, then we got on our heels a little bit, and they capitalized. Then the second period, I just didn’t think we were very sharp. Our changes, we didn’t manage pucks well, and they capitalized,” Damon said. “I thought the way we competed in the third was really good. It was just unfortunate we score two goals and work back, and then give up two quick ones ... That just can’t happen at this time of the year. We’ve got to be better, more disciplined in our system and structure. Just being a pro, you can’t give up those kind of goals this time of year.”

Yet Iowa didn’t go away. Keltie-Jeri Leon converted on the power play at the 5:11 mark as the Heartlanders drew within 6-5. Then Jack O’Brien eventually tied it with just 3:02 left by jamming a puck at the side of the net through or off Fort Wayne goaltender Brett Brochu.

“The thing is I thought we had a really good momentum push there in the third and thought we were going to get it in overtime,” Damon said. “Credit to them, they came out with more urgency. And they capitalized. Tip your cap to them. They’ve got a 2-1 series lead. Now it’s time for us to bounce back tomorrow.”

A series of events led to Gorniak, a former teammate at the University of Wisconsin of Heartlanders goalie Kyle McLellan being able to skate down the slot in overtime and beat him into the high right side of the net. Fort Wayne carried the play in overtime.

Both teams definitely will want to clean up for Tuesday night’s Game 4 at Xtream Arena (7:05 p.m. opening faceoff) the very large amount of defensive miscues they made. Damon said he could tell some of his team’s mistakes were because there are many players on his team who don’t have much playoff experience.

“I hate to use this, but it’s some guys’ first time in the playoffs,” he said. “They make some mistakes that just can’t happen this time of year.”

“It’s still a long series. We have one win and two home games left. So hopefully we gets these two wins and go there and get one,” Miura said. “Every shift matters. Everybody wearing our jersey has to play the best we can. It takes us all to win. I’m sure they’re going to come hard, so we have to match that. Mentally it’s kind of hard with an OT loss and in 24 hours we have to play a new game. But we’ve got to flush it, it’s a playoff game, and our goal is to get four of them.”

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