The Genting Casino Coventry Blaze’s post-season playoff hopes were dented with a 0-3 defeat to Manchester Storm at Skydome Arena on Wednesday.
After a battling performance which earned a valuable point in Guildford on Sunday, Blaze coach Danny Stewart opted to keep an unchanged line-up.
With their playoff position secure and a quarter-final match-up with the Flames set in stone, Manchester gave a start to British goalie Alexander Oldale who earlier in the day was confirmed as signing a new two-year deal.
There was nothing to choose between the two sides in the opening period which ended scoreless.
Each team’s penalty kill was put to work in the second before Raymond Brice scored the games first goal at 35.15, assisted by Stephen Johnson.
At 37.34 Aidan Spellacy dropped the gloves in attempt to generate momentum for the home side, but shortly after the Storm doubled their lead (44.45) when Samuel Tremblay beat Kozun with a quick one-timer from Dallas Ehrhardt and Joe Morrow.
Tremblay’s second on 51.22 all but put the game to bed as Blaze struggled to generate offence against a well organised Storm side.
Oldale celebrated his new deal with a 0-3 shut-out and man of the match award while Coventry will rue a missed opportunity and will go into the final weekend of the season needing the results to go their way to finish inside a playoff position.
Photo credit: Scott Wiggins
