The Genting Casino Coventry Blaze were narrowly beaten 3-2 by the Nottingham Panthers in their opening Challenge Cup game at Motorpoint Arena on Saturday.
The Panthers, led by former Blaze coach Danny Stewart, took an early lead just 2.12 into the game when Tim Doherty netted his second goal of the competition, assisted by Reid Stefanson and Oliver Betteridge.
Nottingham doubled their advantage at 15.42 on the powerplay, with Matt Alfaro scoring his first of two goals by slipping the puck through Blaze goalie Mat Robson’s legs. Davis Bunz and Hugo Roy picked up the assists as the home side went into the break with a deserved 2-0 lead.
Coventry gained momentum in the second period, aided by three powerplay opportunities. However, Panthers’ netminder Ryan Bednard stood tall, preserving his team’s two-goal advantage through 40 minutes of play.
The Blaze were finally rewarded for their pressure early in the third period, as Luciani beat the in-form Bednard on the powerplay at 41.12, with Mike Regush and Jakob Stridsberg assisting.
A pivotal moment came at 47.23 when Coventry faced a 5-on-3 penalty kill after receiving two minor penalties on the same play. A show of resilience helped them kill of the disadvantage and keep their hopes alive.
However, despite a determined push for an equaliser, frustration grew for the Blaze bench and head coach Kevin Moore, formerly a Panthers assistant, when Alfaro struck again at 52.26, restoring Nottingham’s two-goal lead.
Regush came close to pulling one back, hitting the crossbar, but Coventry’s persistence paid off when Chase Gresock scored with 1.11 remaining after Robson was pulled for an extra skater.
In the dying moments, a late penalty dashed any hopes of a dramatic equaliser, sealing a 3-2 victory for the Panthers, who maintained their perfect Challenge Cup record with a third straight win.
Photo credit: Panthers Images
