Blaze Dig Deep to Secure Shoot-Out Victory Over Panthers
A depleted DPD Coventry Blaze side battled to a hard-fought 2-1 shoot-out victory over the Nottingham Panthers at Skydome Arena on Sunday, keeping their Challenge Cup semi-final hopes alive in Group A.
Blaze headed into the contest without long-term absentees Grant Mismash and Tanner Kaspick, while defenceman Nick Grima was also missing. Standout forward Matthew Gleason was a late addition to the injury list.
Canadian netminder Evan Fitzpatrick made his second consecutive start between the pipes for Coventry, facing former popular Blaze netminder Mat Robson at the opposite end.
The Panthers had an early opportunity to take the lead when William Boysen was penalised for tripping at 1:17, but Fitzpatrick and the Blaze penalty kill stood firm.
Nottingham were soon shorthanded themselves, with Tim Doherty called for high-sticking before Brandon Frattaroli was penalised for tripping. Carson Musser came closest to breaking the deadlock for Coventry during the resulting power-play opportunities, striking the post.
The Panthers finished the opening period on the power play after Boysen was penalised for holding the stick. Fitzpatrick produced an excellent close-range save to deny Chase Pearson, before Zach O’Brien hit the post as Nottingham threatened to open the scoring.
The officials' whistles were quieter in the second period, with Darick Louis-Jean the only player penalised, as the Panthers defenceman was sent to the box in the latter stages of the middle frame.
Clear-cut chances remained at a premium as both sides defended resolutely, with neither willing to give up ground in a tightly contested battle for crucial Challenge Cup points.
The game finally came to life in the third period, with the visitors striking first. Jaako Niskala controlled a feed from Brandon Frattaroli before firing past Fitzpatrick at 44:38 to give Nottingham a 1-0 lead.
Coventry responded superbly, however, drawing level less than three minutes later. Jaxson Ezman found defenceman Márkó Csollák, who continued his impressive weekend by scoring his second goal in as many games at 47:32 to make it 1-1.
Blaze had a golden opportunity to snatch victory in regulation time when Max Grondin was penalised for holding the stick at 58:49. However, the Panthers' penalty kill held firm to force overtime.
Both teams traded chances during the additional period, but neither could find a winner, sending the contest to a shoot-out.
Miikka Pitkanen gave Nottingham the advantage in the opening round, but Fitzpatrick stood tall to keep the Panthers at bay. Boysen then levelled the shoot-out at 1-1 before stepping up again in sudden death to score the decisive goal.
Boysen's winning effort secured the extra point for Coventry and earned him the Man of the Match award, capping a determined performance from a Blaze side that refused to give in despite their injury troubles.
The victory keeps Coventry firmly in the hunt for a place in the Challenge Cup semi-finals, with Group A qualification still within reach.