The Genting Casino Coventry Blaze will scarcely believe their 2-1 defeat to the Nottingham Panthers at the Motorpoint Arena in the Elite League on Saturday. Despite an outstanding performance, two late goals in the final five minutes cost the Blaze dearly.
Determined to avenge their 9-2 New Year’s Eve defeat in Nottingham, the Blaze, who were without Zach Heintz, came out firing and dominated the opening twenty minutes.
Panthers netminder Jason Grande was instrumental in keeping the home side in the game early on. However, at 10:10, Blaze’s top scorer and birthday boy Nick Seitz finally broke through, netting his 17th goal of the regular season with assists from Alessio Luciani and Grayson Constable.

Following the opener, Coventry continued to pile on the pressure and generated further chances, outshooting the Panthers 13-6 in the first period. Despite their dominance, the Blaze took only a one-goal lead into the locker room.
The second period began much like the first, with Grande remaining the Panthers’ savior. After making a stunning save on Morten Jurgens, Grande required treatment but managed to continue after a brief delay. Coventry had an opportunity to extend their lead on a powerplay late in the second period but couldn’t capitalize.

The Panthers earned their first powerplay early in the third period, but the Blaze’s penalty kill unit held firm. Throughout the night, Coventry looked composed defensively, stifling Nottingham’s offensive efforts.
However, the game took a dramatic turn in the final five minutes. The Panthers, who had struggled to create much offensively, suddenly found their stride. Otto Nieminen equalized by banking the puck off Blaze goalie Mat Robson, with Didrik Henbrant doing exceptionally well to keep the puck alive in the offensive zone.
The decisive moment came at 57:46 when Panthers’ defenceman Cooper Zech scored his first goal for the team, assisted by Nieminen. With time running out, the Blaze pulled Robson for an extra skater, creating a couple of significant chances. Henbrant hit the bar, offering a glimmer of hope, but the clock ran out, and the Panthers escaped with a fortuitous 2-1 victory.
It was a heart-breaking result for the Blaze, who were the better side for much of the game but failed to convert their dominance into a win.
Photo credit: Panthers Images