The Genting Casino Coventry Blaze began their pre-season with a 7–4 victory over the NIHL Champion Milton Keynes Lightning on Saturday night.
Blaze were without captain Kim Tallberg, who will return from his summer in Australia in the coming days, and forward Artie Buzoverya, held out as a precaution. Dershahn Stewart started in goal, with Joel Bearman backing up.
It was the Lightning who struck first, Jordan Cownie converting a rebound past Stewart at 1.45. The visitors’ lead was quickly doubled, again through Cownie, who scored on the powerplay at 2.26.
Coventry’s first goal of the 2025/26 campaign came at 9.08 when Colton Saucerman blasted a slapshot through traffic and beyond Will Kerlin.
The game was tied at 15.33 after Matthew Geason produced a diving backhand finish between the Lightning netminder’s pads.
Early in the second period, Milton Keynes regained their advantage on the powerplay when Dominik Gabaj fired high into the top corner at 25.07.
Blaze hit back just three minutes later with a powerplay strike of their own as William Boysen rifled home from the hash marks to level things at 2–2.
The turning point came in the third period. At 43.09, Saucerman crept in at the back post to put Blaze ahead for the first time. Just two minutes later, the lead was doubled while short-handed—Mike Pelech’s breakaway effort was stopped, but Elijah Barriga followed up to score from a tight angle at 45.54.
Another short-handed goal arrived at 47.14 when former Lightning forward Mack Stewart capitalised on a loose puck to make it 6–3.
Milton Keynes kept pressing and were rewarded late on. With the netminder pulled, Toms Rutkis struck on a rebound with 1.46 to play. Pushing again with the extra skater, the Lightning were caught at the other end as Grant Mismash punished a turnover, sliding the puck into the empty net at 58.45 to complete a 7–4 Blaze victory.
Photo credit: Scott Wiggins
