Fireworks produced by Blaze at just right time
THE Genting Casino Coventry Blaze produced a sparkling road performance on Bonfire Night defeating the Dundee Stars 5-1 in Scotland.
Coventry blew their opponents away in the first period scoring four unanswered. Captain Nathanael Halbert got on the board first at just 19 seconds and the goal was his 18th point of the Elite League season (two goals, 16 assists) which leads all defencemen.
British blue-liner David Clements doubled Blaze’s lead at 3.44 before forward Johnny Curran scored his seventh of the regular season on the powerplay at 7.12 to make it 0-3. Centreman Peyton Frantti added to Dundee’s misery at 13.16 and he was later involved in a scuffle with Ian Parker and received five minutes for fighting.
Curran registered his team-leading eighth goal at 20.38, assisted by Colton Yellow Horn who like Halbert has 18 points which ranks joint-second in the Elite League. Philippe Sanche broke man-ofthe-match Paavo Holsa’s shut out at 40.24 but that is as good as it got for the Stars. With victory, Blaze maintained third place in the Elite League table while the Dundee Stars fell to ninth and outside of the play-off positions.
The following day Blaze moved up to second in the Elite League table with a 3-0 win over the Glasgow Clan at Skydome Arena.
Halbert again scored first for Coventry at 7.58, assisted by Colton Yellow Horn who each took their regular season points tally to 19 in 14 games (joint third in the league).
Swede Kim Tallberg then scored just before the halfway mark which was the only goal in an even second period.
Both teams had two powerplay opportunities in the third, but neither team was able to convert with Blaze netminder Holsa remaining particularly strong to collect his second man of the match award in as many nights.
With Glasgow chasing a way back into the game, they pulled netminder John Muse for the extra skater later in the game leaving the net wide open for Tallberg to score his second.
With a 3-0 win and another fourpoint weekend, the Blaze next travel to Sheffield to take on the third placed Steelers at the Sheffield Arena tomorrow.
Head coach Danny Stewart said: “I don’t think we were great tonight. We didn’t seem to have the legs after the bus trip last night but we found a way and credit to the guys.”
We didn’t seem to have the legs after the bus trip last night but we found a way and credit to the guys. Danny Stewart