The Fort Wayne Komets got a bad bounce early on and things kept getting worse in a 3-1 loss to the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Friday night.

Because Komets goaltender Tim Haun skated to the corner to play a center-ice dump-in from Muskegon defenseman Adam Welch, Haun was unable to react in time to get back to the net when the puck hit oddly off the glass and changed direction to slide into the Fort Wayne goal 2:48 after the opening faceoff.

The Komets never caught up all night as Robin Bouchard scored in the second and third periods. Justin Chwedoruk scored a power-play goal for Fort Wayne early in the third period to make it 2-1, but Bouchard answered with a power-play goal halfway through the period. Chwedoruk has scored goals in four straight games and has only played five in a Komets' uniform.

Fort Wayne outshot Muskegon 39-19, but Lumberjacks' goaltender Matt Lundin made 37 saves after coming in early when starter Sebastien Centomo suffered an injury after stopping the first Komets' shot.

The game was marred by penalties, as referee Ryan Hutchison awarded each squad 10 power-play chances.

The Lumberjacks have won nine games in a row to pull five points up on the Komets in the International Hockey League standings. Fort Wayne lost its three-game winning streak. Muskegon has won three games in a row against Fort Wayne, holding the Komets to four goals.

The Komets are 5-4 on the road even though they have been outscored 10-3 in the first period away from Memorial Coliseum.