After losing 3-2 in both Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference quarterfinals, the Komets will head to U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati to try and keep their season alive.

Foremost on the mind of coach Gary Graham was his team’s penchant for playing poorly late in periods; they have given up three goals in the final minute of periods, including Christiaan Minella’s winner tonight at Memorial Coliseum. (Video highlights are above.)

“We can’t play the end of periods. We just can’t close out periods. It’s our Achilles' heel right now,” said coach Gary Graham, whose playoff record with Fort Wayne fell to 17-10, including a mark of 2-6 against the Cyclones.

But it’s about a lot more than that.

Forward Garrett Thompson talked about the need to get more traffic in front of goaltender Brad Thiessen. Captain Jamie Schaafsma said the Komets are looking too much for the highlight-reel plays and not making it simple.

I would add these problems onto it: The power play, which is 1 for 11 and has allowed two short-handed goals; the Komets’ inability to make the simple clears out of their own zone; the lack of close-range shots; and the need for players such as Mike Embach, Kyle Thomas (notwithstanding his third-period goal tonight) and Garrett Meurs to step up offensively.

“We learned from these games and I think we’re going to take the positives out of them, look at the film and see what we can do to beat these guys,” said Jamie Schaafsma, whose Komets won the Midwest Division and earned the second seed for the conference playoffs.

The seventh-seeded Cyclones, who have won 7 of 12 games against Fort Wayne this season, will host Game 3, 4 and 5, if necessary, on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

“Obviously, it’s tough when you lose two to start the series,” said Thompson, who atoned for a costly Game 1 turnover by scoring in the first period of Game 2. “But there’s a lot of hockey left to be played and that’s our focus.”

The Komets aren’t alone in their struggles on home ice; their loss brought the records of teams at home in the ECHL playoffs to 1-9.

Graham said he will evaluate lineup changes for the next game. It’s almost certain that defenseman Mason Geertsen, who just returned from the American Hockey League, will play. I would have been playing Brett Perlini all along. Graham wouldn’t rule out a change in goaltenders, though I don’t think Pat Nagle has been the problem.

By the way, there was something on the ice before the Komets second goal. It sure looked like a puck, though I find it hard to believe it would have been. If it was, though, play should have been called dead. There was an opportunity to do that after a Cincinnati scoring chance and before they went up 2-1.

Overall, the Komets haven't looked energized enough to me. I can't recall two more boring playoff games back-to-back in this building. I think inexperience may have them playing a little tight -- have you ever seen more sloppy plays inside the blue line? -- but the way Cincinnati has clogged up the neutral zone has been tough, too.

Fort Wayne has to win Wednesday, in my opinion, or the series is over.

jcohn@jg.net