The third shutout of the Komets’ season was Pat Nagle’s first. And thanks to the 4-0 victory tonight over the Atlanta Gladiators, the Komets have won back-to-back games and outscored the opposition 9-1.

Nagle stopped 21 shots.

In a first period highlighted by the goaltending of Nagle, who stopped 11 shots, defenseman Gabriel Beaupre netted a shot at 4:24 from the top of the left circle that seemed to stun goaltender Matt Ginn.

Beaupre, who was playing his first game since returning from San Antonio of the American Hockey League, hadn’t scored a goal in his first 16 games this season with the Komets.

The Komets’ defense buckled down in the second period, allowing only five shots to the Gladiators, and forward Garrett Meurs made it 2-0 by redirecting a shot from Alex Belzile at 17:01.

Fort Wayne came in having won only two of its previous five games, but its last one had been an impressive 5-1 victory Saturday at the Coliseum over the Brampton Beast that included a hat trick by Shawn Szydlowski.

Atlanta, which was formerly known as Gwinnett, had won six of its previous seven games. It came close to getting on to the scoreboard 2:10 into the third period, when Kevin Albers fired a wrist shot from 15 feet out but Nagle kicked the puck out of harm’s way.

Nagle remained solid by stopping a Garry Nunn wraparound attempt before Tyler Shiplo hit the post at 13:40. Eighteen seconds later, Joe Perry put the Komets up 3-0 with a shot from 8 feet out.

Perry struck again on a power play at 15:15 – the first penalty of the game had just been called by referee Pierre Lambert on Atlanta for having too many men on the ice – and it was 4-0 Fort Wayne.

Notes: The Komets played without defenseman Drew Daniels, who has three goals and 15 points in 15 games. General manager David Franke said he has a lower-body injury. … The Komets also played without Reid Halabi, Domenic Alberga, Curtis Leonard, Dean Ouellet and Brock Montgomery. … Chris Treft, who is from Fort Wayne, is in his first season as the Gladiators’ radio broadcaster. He was given the puck from the opening faceoff. ... Spencer Martin had the first two shutouts of the Komets' season.

jcohn@jg.net