The Genting Casino Coventry Blaze lit up the Skydome Arena on Bonfire Night, defeating the Guildford Flames 5-3 in a thrilling Elite League clash on Wednesday.
Coventry welcomed back forward Alessio Luciani from illness but were without Sam Ruffin through injury, as well as Jack Hopkins and Archie Hazeldine, who are away on Great Britain duty. The visiting Flames had better news on the injury front, with Captain Matt Alvaro and Jack Jacome returning to the lineup. Former Blaze forward Nick Seitz also made his Flames debut after a brief spell with the Sheffield Steelers.
The Blaze sparked early, opening the scoring at 3.32 when defenceman Connor Russell jumped into the play and fired past Taz Burman. Assists went to Grayson Constable and Matthew Gleason, part of a line centred by Mike Pelech that shone throughout the opening frame.
Flames debutant Seitz made an instant impact, setting up Ethan Strang to tie the game at 16.16, but Coventry reignited just 90 seconds later. Blue-liner Colton Saucerman blasted home his first league goal for the club at 17.43, continuing his red-hot Challenge Cup form and restoring Blaze’s lead heading into the intermission.
Guildford struck early in the second period through Tyler Busch on the powerplay, assisted by Alvaro and Strang, to level things at 2-2. But Blaze captain Kim Tallberg soon lit the fuse again at 25.11, getting on the regular-season scoresheet thanks to a superb screen by Pelech in front of Burman.
The Flames refused to burn out, and Strang was at it again – netting his second of the night and third point at 29.26 off a behind-the-net feed from Mathieu Gosselin to make it 3-3.
Just over three minutes later, Man of the Match Constable struck again to reignite the Blaze. Set up beautifully by Luciani and Saucerman, he buried his fifth of the season from the slot to restore Coventry’s advantage at 32.47.
The Flames piled on late pressure in the second period, but Mat Robson came up with a pair of spectacular saves to keep Coventry’s one-goal lead intact heading into the final frame.
Guildford had a golden chance to level on an early third-period powerplay, but Jacome couldn’t capitalise with the net gaping, his effort looping over the crossbar with Robson down and out. Coventry then steadied the flames, nearly adding a fifth when Tallberg found himself all alone in front, only for Burman to make a strong stop.
The Flames pulled their goaltender for an extra skater with under two minutes to play, but it was the Blaze captain who provided the final firework of the night – Tallberg firing into the empty net with 26 seconds left to seal a 5-3 victory.
Photo credit: Scott Stevens
