The Genting Casino Coventry Blaze fell to a 1-5 defeat against top-of-the-table Sheffield Steelers at the Skydome Arena on Sunday.
Blaze were boosted by the return of goaltender Mat Robson, though forwards Grayson Constable and Artie Buzoverya remained unavailable. At the other end, Eamon McAdam got the start for Sheffield as Matthew Greenfield was rested.
Both sides created early powerplay opportunities, but the opening goal didn’t arrive until 17.26, when Michell Heard and Dominic Cormier combined to set up Mikko Juusola to give the Steelers a 0-1 lead.
Just 16 seconds into the middle period, Sheffield struck again. Cormier walked down the left wing and fired past Robson at 20.16 to double the advantage.
At 24.45, the visitors strengthened their grip on the game. The lively Heard cut in from the right and drove the net, finishing from close range to make it 0-3.
Despite the deficit, Blaze refused to fold and generated sustained pressure, but McAdam stood tall with several key saves to preserve the Steelers’ lead.
Coventry were finally rewarded at 38.34 when Jere Vertanen floated a shot over the shoulder of the Steelers netminder on the powerplay. The goal triggered a heartwarming moment as fans ‘Aired the Bear’, throwing teddies and soft toys onto the ice as part of the club’s charity collection for Cash for Kids: Mission Christmas.
The home side had two early powerplay chances in the final period but couldn’t find a way past McAdam. They were punished on 50.21 when Sam Tremblay scored shorthanded, assisted by Juusola, to extend Sheffield’s lead to 1-4.
Late in the game, Heard was assessed two minutes for cross-checking and a further two minutes for abuse of an official at 58.26. With Robson pulled to create a 6-on-4 situation, Sheffield sealed the result when Tremblay scored his second of the night, firing the puck the length of the ice into the empty net for a 1-5 final score.
Photo credit: Scott Wiggins
