The Genting Casino Coventry Blaze delivered a thrilling performance in front of a huge holiday crowd, defeating the Cardiff Devils 5-2 in the Elite League on Boxing Day.
Despite the absence of former Cardiff forward Brandon Alderson from the Coventry line-up, and the Devils missing key players such as Ben Bowns, Ben Davies, Reid Duke, and Zach O’Brien, the match was highly competitive.
The league-leading Devils struck first when Joey Martin scored at 9:47, assisted by Evan Mosey and Gleason Fournier. However, the Blaze responded swiftly, with David Clements firing a slapshot past Mac Carruth at 13.40, assisted by Alessio Luciani and Chase Gresock.
Just 13 seconds into the second period, Gresock turned scorer, assisted by Mike Regush, giving Coventry a 2-1 lead.
The Blaze’s confidence soared, and they continued to press offensively. Grayson Constable extended the lead to 3-1 at 32.41, capitalising on heavy pressure from the home side.
The Devils fought back in the third period, with top-scorer Josh MacDonald converting from Martin’s wrap-around at 45.13, narrowing the gap to 3-2.
However, Coventry quickly regained their two-goal advantage after Cardiff was penalized for too many men on the ice. Nick Seitz pounced on a rebound from a heavy Jakob Stridsberg shot at 51.15.
The highlight of the night came at 54.20 when Regush scored a goal of the season contender.
MIKE. REGUSH. 🤯 | #EIHL
— Elite Ice Hockey League | #EIHL (@officialEIHL) December 26, 2024
(@covblazehockey) pic.twitter.com/SW8rtYjlEP
Skating from his own end, he skilfully juggled and deked the puck through the Cardiff defence, leaving Carruth dizzy and sealing the 5-2 victory for Coventry.
Photo credit: Scott Wiggins
