TOLEDO – I hate to bring other seasons into this, but I asked Shawn Szydlowski why the Komets have been more successful winning at the Huntington Center in these playoffs after being a combined 0-7 here in 2015 and 2017.

“We have the depth and skill, but the guys have bought in (this year),” Szydlowski said, after the Komets’ 4-1 victory tonight. “The guys in this locker room just want to win. There are guys in this locker room who have been here quite a while and had to deal with Toledo the last few years. Everyone is finally buying in.

“Just the amount of heart in this room, it’s overwhelming at times, watching guys just sell out, block shots, dump pucks in instead of trying to beat a guy one-on-one. We’re just playing hockey the right way and that’s what a championship team is.”

The Komets are 2-1 at the Huntington Center in this series, after going 2-2 during the regular season.

The Komets lead the best-of-7 Central Division finals 3-2 and can clinch the series at Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday, though they are expecting to get Toledo’s best in that game. The Colorado Eagles await the winner of this series.

“Right now it’s a sudden-death game for us back home, and we like to be on home ice, but we’ve got to go there with that mentality,” Fort Wayne’s Garrett Thompson said.

The Komets know they cannot keep up the parade to the penalty box they had tonight. Toledo was 1 for 8 on the power play, while Fort Wayne was 1 for 4. No way the Walleye is that unsuccessful given that many opportunities again.

Fort Wayne’s forecheck tonight was amazing, and it allowed it to score the first three goals and really suck the energy out of the building.

“You’re playing such a good, talented, deep team and if you let them have possession easily, you’re going to be on your heels,” Komets coach Gary Graham said, lauding his team’s forecheck. “Whenever we sit back against these guys, that’s when we get into trouble. Implementing a consistent forecheck for 60 minutes is obviously part of the game plan, and I’m sure they’re saying the same things over there. That’s why possession of the faceoffs is so key.”

If you’re wondering about Phelix Martineau, who left the game in the first two minutes after he got tangled up with Connor Crisp, he aggravated an injury he’d already been dealing with. Graham said it was a lower body injury.

Here’s the cool thing, though: Justin MacDonald moved to center, where he hadn’t been playing for the Komets, and they won playing one man short of a full lineup.

“Luckily, after every practice, I take draws in case a time like this does happen,” MacDonald said. “It did happen and I did really well against the opponents and I’m satisfied with that.”

The players also had a lot of gratitude for players like Bobby Shea, who scored a goal, and Anthony Petruzzelli, who was a thorn in the sides of the Toledo players. It’s making it so Szydlowski and Gabriel Desjardins don’t have to do all the heavy lifting.