The Genting Casino Coventry Blaze used their special teams to secure a 3-1 victory over the Glasgow Clan at Skydome Arena in Sunday night’s Halloween themed Elite League clash.
After a cautious start, the action intensified just before the halfway mark of the first period. Blaze’s leading scorer, Alessio Luciani, nearly broke the deadlock, ringing a shot off the post of Glasgow netminder Landon Bow. Moments later, the Clan seized their chance on a counterattack, with Tyson McLellan scoring the opening goal at 9:21, showcasing a highlight-reel finish past Blaze goaltender Mat Robson.
Despite the game’s fast pace, the first penalty wasn’t called until 27.17, when Simon Despres of the Clan was penalized for hooking.
Although Glasgow successfully killed off that penalty, Coventry’s potent powerplay eventually turned the tide.
When Mitchell Heard was penalized for slashing, Blaze finally equalized at 34.05. Chase Gresock’s powerplay shot deflected off Jackson Cressey’s skate and into the net. The goal, awarded after a video review confirmed no deliberate redirection, tied the game at 1-1.
Clan were again called for a penalty eight seconds into the second period and Blaze capitalized quickly. Captain Kim Tallberg burying a loose puck just six seconds into the powerplay to put his side 2-1 up, assisted by Jakob Stridsberg and Nick Seitz.
With 12.42 left on the clock, Despres was ejected for elbowing Morten Jurgens, granting Blaze a five-minute powerplay. Glasgow’s discipline faltered further when Chris McKay received an interference penalty for a late hit along the boards. However, thanks to a resilient penalty kill and strong goaltending by Bow, the Clan narrowly escaped with the score still at 2-1.
As the five-minute penalty on Despres expired, Blaze took their first penalty of the night when Chase Gresock was called for hooking. Stridsberg’s high-sticking penalty soon after gave Glasgow a crucial 5-on-3 opportunity. Coventry, however, dug deep to kill off both penalties, preserving their one-goal lead.
Desperate for an equalizer, the Clan called a timeout and pulled Bow in the final minutes, but Blaze’s Mike Regush sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 1.09 remaining, securing a 3-1 final score.
The win moves Coventry to within one point of the Cardiff Devils at the top of the league, with a game in hand.
The Devils are the next visitors to Skydome Arena on Sunday 10th November with a 5.30pm face-off.
Photo credit: Scott Wiggins
