Even the celebration seemed to need a comeback Friday night.

Just as time expired, Kalamazoo center Kory Karlander deflected a puck past Komets goaltender Nick Boucher to possibly tie the game. While the Komets skated to — they hoped — congratulate Boucher, the Kalamazoo players surrounded referee Jim Hawthorne, demanding he count the goal. Hawthorne consulted with linesmen Jonathan Forbes and Peter Cichy before skating over to ask goal judge John Cains what he thought.

“The puck went in, but it didn't count,” Cains said. “I was pushing the button, but the goal light couldn't come on because time had expired.”

Hawthorne signaled no goal and the Komets could finally start their real celebration. The 4-3 win was their 23rd in a row at home, breaking the International Hockey League record, and it was every bit as tense as the wait for the ruling on the last-second potential tying goal. The Komets rallied from a 3-1 deficit to score three power-play goals in the third period and thrill their 9,212 Memorial Coliseum fans.

Every home game since Dec. 27, the Komets have skated toward center ice at the end of the night to raise their sticks and salute their fans.

“Winning is fun, not only for the players, but you talk to fans all week and it seems like they are two times more excited about it than us,” Komets captain Guy Dupuis said. “They put even more importance on the records than we really do.”

While giving up five power-play attempts, the Komets had just given up three Kalamazoo goals during the second period to fall behind 3-1. The Wings were outworking the Komets, who kept chasing the puck and taking penalties. Komets coach Al Sims between periods told his players not to let the referee end the streak and to play more disciplined.

“Everybody believed we could still win the game. Guys believe in themselves,” Sims said. “Anybody who has been around this group long enough knows that a 3-1 lead going into the third isn't safe with the Komets at home.”

P.C. Drouin started the comeback with a wrist shot from the top of the circle that was so hard it hit the back of the net before Kalamazoo goaltender Jeff Reynaert could flinch. Then Luciano Aquino helped a Guy Dupuis shot from the blue line trickle through Reynaert's legs three minutes later. Then three minutes after that, Colin Chaulk came up with a loose puck behind the Kalamazoo net and fed Aquino a nifty five-foot backhand saucer pass for Aquino's third goal of the night. By then, ear drums were in jeopardy.

“It was just fun because the crowd was into it,” Aquino said. “It was a great night to play for the Komets.”

Because there have been more than 50 pro hockey leagues over the years, there's no way to tell if the mark is an all-time hockey record, but the Komets still have a few more marks to try for. They have 105 points with eight regular-season games remaining in the chase for the club record of 112 for a season. They also have 30 home wins with three games left to chase the club record of 32 for a season and need five wins to break the club record of 53 in a season.