Blaze take shootout win in Nottingham

Photo: Panthers Images

Coventry Blaze led by two and then tied the game inside the final ten minutes before taking a shootout win over Nottingham Panthers.

Tyler Kirkup put the Blaze into an early lead at the Motorpoint Arena, dekeing nicely past Rok Stojanovič off a JD Dudek feed with 3:42 gone. The visitors were then given an excellent chance to double their lead when Joe Hazeldine was called for Hooking, but it was the hosts who scored the next goal - Hugo Roy forced a turnover at the red line and skated through to beat Taran Kozun shorthanded at 5:37.

Two powerplay goals put the Blaze 3-1 ahead through 30 minutes. Brady Norrish scored against his former team at 28:27 followed by JD Dudek beating Stojanovič five-hole 1:23 later to give the Blaze a two-goal advantage. Anthony Luciani scored his first Panthers goal at 33:18 to bring the deficit back to one.

Mathieu Lemay turned the game with two goals in just over 90 seconds, tying things up at 47:17 and then putting the Panthers ahead on the on the powerplay at 48:49. Unfortunately for the hosts, they could only hold that lead some three minutes until Coventry's Luciani, Alessio, tied things up with 8:01 to play.

Neither side managed to win it in OT, but in the shootout Kristo and Dudek scored to put the Blaze ahead - Taran Kozun stopped all four shots he faced to backstop the Blaze to the win.