The Genting Casino Coventry Blaze produced a sensational late comeback to defeat the Manchester Storm 4-3 in overtime at the Skydome Arena on Sunday.
The opening ten minutes were a lively, end-to-end affair and, despite Storm earning a late first-period powerplay, neither side could break the deadlock before the interval.
Blaze opened the scoring at 23.33 when William Boysen pounced on a rebound from a Jordan Power shot, with Matthew Gleason also picking up an assist.
Coventry then had two opportunities to double their lead on the powerplay but were unable to capitalise and soon found themselves in penalty trouble.
Manchester drew level on a 5-on-3 powerplay at 35.53, Brandon Cutler’s one-time effort being awarded after video review confirmed the puck crossed the line before the net was dislodged. Assists were credited to Nick Welsh and Brady Gilmour.
Just 1.28 later, Storm went ahead at 37.24 on the 5-on-4 as Kaleb Ergang finished from close range, with Cutler and Gilmour again involved.
The visitors extended their lead early in the third period when defenceman Kyle Locke’s speculative effort slipped through the five-hole of Mat Robson, a goal the Blaze netminder would want back (42.37). Tyler Hinam and Zach Sullivan recorded the assists.
Trailing by two, Coventry pushed hard for a response but were frustrated on the powerplay despite Grant Mismash forcing Evan Weninger into a stunning save as the game entered the final ten minutes.
The Blaze showed real bravery by pulling Robson for the extra skater with four minutes remaining, and the gamble paid off. At 56.44, Elijah Barriga buried the rebound after Jere Vertanen’s floated shot to cut the deficit and set up a thrilling finale.
Robson was pulled again almost immediately and, with 2.22 remaining, Barriga struck once more to tie the game at 3–3 in dramatic fashion.
With Stephen Johnson penalised for tripping with just 30 seconds left, Coventry carried a golden powerplay opportunity into overtime. It took just 56 seconds of the 4-on-3 advantage for the hosts to complete the comeback, Man of the Match Mismash blasting home a huge one-timer to seal the win.
Mismash finished the night with three points, adding the overtime winner to his two assists, as the Skydome Arena erupted and the Blaze extended their winning streak to seven games in unforgettable style.
Photo credit: Scott Wiggins
