The DPD Coventry Blaze suffered a 7-2 pre-season defeat against the Guildford Flames at Guildford Spectrum on Saturday.
Blaze started brightly and created opportunities in the opening stages, but it was the hosts who took the lead at 3:31. Cole Sanford finished from Josh Waller to give Guildford an early advantage.
The game then took a physical turn after the Flames’ Jake Willets was penalised for a knee-on-knee hit on Blaze’s top-scoring forward, Grant Mismash.
Aiming to exact revenge, rugged defenceman Connor Russell dropped the gloves and was later thrown from the game, before Ryan Richardson, Griffin Ness and Artem Buzoverya all fought for Blaze as tempers flared.
The Flames doubled their lead just before the first intermission, with Sanford finding the back of the net for his second of the night at 19:57.
Coventry responded early in the second period and got themselves back into the contest at 25:25. Andrew Nielsen fired home to make it 2-1.
Guildford regained their two-goal advantage at 30:56. Former Blaze forward Chase Gresock finished from Jack Jacome and Matt Alvaro to make it 3-1.
The Flames added another just over four minutes later, with Alvaro finding the net at 35:25 after combining with Gresock and Jacome.
Blaze continued to battle and reduced the deficit to two once again late in the period. Colby MacArthur scored at 39:53, assisted by Nielsen and Ness, leaving Guildford 4-2 ahead after 40 minutes.
The hosts struck early in the third period to restore their three-goal advantage. Jacome made it 5-2 at 43:18, with the influential Alvaro and Boudrias providing the assists.
Guildford continued to find openings as the period progressed, with Brett Neumann scoring at 50:16 to put the Flames 6-2 ahead.
Neumann then completed the scoring at 53:48, adding his second of the night from former Blaze defenceman Jordan Power to make it 7-2.
