The Genting Casino Coventry Blaze battled their way to a thrilling 3-2 shootout victory over the Belfast Giants on Sunday night, with over 2,000 fans in attendance at the Skydome witnessing a dramatic encounter.
The win earned the Blaze two valuable points after a rollercoaster game that saw them race into an early lead, only to be pegged back, before holding their nerve in a tense shootout.
The game couldn’t have started better for the hosts who were without centreman Jackson Cressey, with assistant coach Zach Vinnell jumping into the line-up.
Just 65 seconds in, Alessio Luciani combined beautifully with Nick Seitz on a 2-on-1 rush, with Seitz drawing Giants’ netminder Jackson Whistle out of position and allowing Luciani to slot the puck into an empty net.
Blaze quickly doubled their lead at 7.25 through Greyson Constable, who found the back of the net off another pinpoint Seitz pass, giving the Blaze a deserved 2-0 advantage.
Belfast’s Head Coach Adam Keefe called a timeout following the second goal, and the message clearly resonated with his team.
However, the Blaze were nearly 3-0 up moments later when Constable was denied on a breakaway by Whistle, but it wasn’t long before the Giants made their comeback.
At 10.56, JJ Piccinich capitalised on a turnover in the Blaze’s own zone, showing fantastic quick hands to pull one back for the visitors.
Less than four minutes later, Jeff Baum fired through traffic off a face-off win by Ben Lake to level the score at 2-2, setting up a tense final stretch of the period.
Mark Cooper nearly gave the Giants the lead on a shorthanded chance before the period ended, but the game remained tied going into the second.
Period two was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams having powerplay opportunities but failing to convert.
The Blaze were almost ahead again when Constable rang a shot off the post at 33.37 after a period of pressure from Belfast.
Despite some end-to-end action, neither side was able to break the deadlock, and the game entered the third still tied at two.
The third period was tight, with both teams digging deep defensively. Belfast had two powerplay opportunities, but the Blaze penalty kill stood strong to deny them a go-ahead goal.
At the other end, a Scott Conway penalty gave the Blaze a short powerplay, but they too couldn’t find the winner as time ticked down.
Overtime began cautiously, with both teams looking to reset and avoid making a costly mistake in the neutral zone.
The best chance came when Josh Roach broke free on a breakaway, but Blaze goalie Mat Robson came up big, denying the Giants defenceman with a stellar save.
The final 30 seconds saw the Blaze create a couple of good chances, but Whistle was equal to the task, sending the game into a shootout.
Blaze took the lead in the shootout with Nick Seitz scoring on the first attempt, but Belfast quickly levelled through Piccinich. Terrance Amorosa then showcased his silky hands to put the Blaze back in front, meaning Grant Mishmash had to score for Belfast – and he did.
However, with the game on the line, it was captain Kim Tallberg who stepped up in the final round. He coolly slotted the puck past Whistle to secure the extra point for the Blaze, sending the home crowd into raptures as the team celebrated their hard-fought victory.
Photo credit: Scott Wiggins
