Blaze win after taking big early lead

Photo: Scott Wiggins

Coventry Blaze, playing their only game of the weekend, raced into a four-goal lead before Sheffield Steelers could respond, eventually taking a 4-2 Challenge Cup win at the Skydome.

Ryan Richardson opened the scoring at 1:53 before Brett Perlini doubled the Blaze lead on the powerplay at 17:54, finishing a passing move at the back post.

Coventry continued to pull away early in the second. Jaxson Ezman made it 3-0 at 21:18 when a loose puck rolled to him in front, before Artem Buzoverya added a fourth at 23:39 with a breakaway finish backhanded over the glove.

Sheffield finally responded at 28:23. Mitchell Balmas kept hold of the puck before firing home to get the Steelers on the board and reduce the deficit to three.

The visitors added a second at 53:23, shortly after having a powerplay, as Robert Dowd snapped a shot upstairs to make it 4-2.

That was as close as Sheffield got, with Coventry seeing out the remainder of the game to take the two Challenge Cup points.