The DPD Coventry Blaze head into a crucial weekend of Challenge Cup action full of confidence following a memorable 2 Tone Night at Skydome Arena.
After suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Belfast Giants on Saturday, the Blaze responded in emphatic fashion on Sunday, producing an outstanding attacking display to defeat the Dundee Stars 8-2.
Get all of the stats, match report, reaction and highights via the Game Centre pages:
Blaze vs. Giants | Saturday 10th October
Blaze vs. Stars | Sunday 11th October
Griffin Ness and Colby MacArthur both netted twice as Coventry celebrated a hugely successful evening on and off the ice, paying tribute to the city's iconic 2 Tone heritage.
Replica versions of the special 2 Tone jerseys are still available to order.
Visit the Coventry Blaze store and select '2 Tone' as jersey type when ordering.
There were plenty of positives to take from the weekend, particularly between the pipes. Evan Fitzpatrick was outstanding against Belfast, stopping 34 shots for a 97.14% save-percentage, while Sisu Heikkeri made 35 saves at 94.59% against Dundee. Both have made impressive starts to the league campaign, with Fitzpatrick recording a 1.02 goals-against average (GAA) and 97.33% save-percentage across two starts, while the unbeaten Heikkeri holds a 2.00 GAA and 93.81% save-percentage.
At the other end of the ice, Ness, Matthew Gleason and William Boysen have all raced to six points, just one behind the league's leading scorers, while Ness and MacArthur have three goals apiece, only one shy of the league's best tally of four.
Attention Turns to a Massive Challenge Cup Weekend
The Blaze now switch their focus to the Challenge Cup, beginning with a trip to Cardiff on Saturday to face the Devils and former Blaze Head Coach Paul Thompson.
Coventry then return to Skydome Arena on Sunday for a MASSIVE Challenge Cup showdown against the Nottingham Panthers, face-off 5.30pm.
This match will be sponsored by our title sponsor, DPD.
With a rivalry stretching back more than two decades, there is already plenty at stake whenever these two sides meet. Add in the memory of last season's heartbreaking overtime defeat to Nottingham in the Challenge Cup Final, and Sunday's encounter promises to be another fiercely contested chapter.
Group A remains wide open, with the Blaze battling to secure the points needed for a top-three finish and qualification for the semi-finals. With the competition reaching a crucial stage, every point could prove decisive.
Check out the Challenge Cup Standings
After an eight-goal statement on 2 Tone Night, Coventry will be determined to carry that momentum into two huge fixtures as they look to strengthen their Challenge Cup ambitions.
The points matter. The rivalry matters. Get behind the Blaze.
Be at Skydome Arena this Sunday for a 5.30pm face-off and help roar the Blaze towards the semi-finals!
Call the box office - 02476 630693
