Toothless Coventry Blaze fall to Nottingham Panthers in cup clash

Coventry Blaze’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals of this year’s Challenge Cup were dashed by a 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Panthers on Sunday evening.

Matthew Marcinew’s early go-ahead goal and an eventual man-of-the-match display from goaltender Kevin Carr was enough for the visitors to carry a lead deep into the third period, when two further goals sealed a result that brings life to their own progression hopes.

Fresh off a smash-and-grab win in Sheffield the night before, Coventry returned to the Skydome Arena with the chance to record a second consecutive four-point weekend.

Much to the delight of the near-sold out away section, however, it was Nottingham who came out of the blocks the quickest of the two sides. A dynamic counter-attack within the opening minute saw Blaze goaltender Mat Robson called into action to deny Brendan Harris, but Marcinew reacted quickest to bury the rebound.

The second period descended into something of a slug match

Coventry responded positively to the early setback – tallying some twenty efforts on Carr’s goal throughout the remainder of the frame – but just couldn’t outsmart the veteran Canadian.

If anything, the timing of the evening’s first interval played right into the hands of the visitors. Bar a pair of early half-chance for Sam Ruffin, it seemed as if the barrage of Blaze pressure had largely been interrupted by the restart of play.

With the hosts becoming increasingly frustrated, the second period descended into something of a slug match.

It was Coventry’s Grant Mismash and Nottingham’s Tim Doherty who were in the thick of the first major scuffle of the night, before Blaze captain Kim Tallberg squared up to visiting forward Ross Armour.

With the home momentum now well and truly disrupted, the Panthers enjoyed their best attacking spell of the game towards the end of the second frame. The lively Harris turned provider to fashion goalscoring opportunities for Cooper Zech and the now-calmed Armour, but neither showed the conviction to double the advantage from close range.

Nottingham found that all-important second goal with three-and-a-half minutes left on the clock

As the game entered its final chapter, a gradual loss of discipline from the hosts threatened to undermine any chance of a plotting a comeback.

William Boysen was the first Blaze skater to be found guilty of an admittedly-harsh tripping infraction, before Tallberg was sent to serve a two-minute stint of his own in the penalty box for a similar offence.

However, thanks to some dogged defending, Coventry survived both of their one-man deficits still needing just the one goal to send the game into overtime.

Then, forcing the visitors into an infraction of their own, it looked as if the perfect opportunity to do just that had presented itself. Newly-acquired defenceman Colton Saucerman completely dictated Coventry’s two-minute powerplay, but not for the first time on the night, the hosts lacked that killer touch.

Clements’ dismissal for unsporting behaviour in the aftermath of that third goal rather summed up Coventry’s night

Having now withstood the worst of the home pressure, Nottingham found that all-important second goal with three-and-a-half minutes left on the clock through Chase Pearson’s deft touch beyond Robson.

Blaze head coach Kevin Moore pulled the 29-year-old goalie in a last-ditch attempt to salvage the game, but the empty net made it easy for Zsombor Garát to make it three from distance moments later.

David Clements’ dismissal for unsporting behaviour in the aftermath of that third goal rather summed up Coventry’s night, who now sit one point and one position adrift of the automatic qualification spots for the semi-finals.

Their current third-placed position would still see them qualify for the play-off to determine the fourth and final semi-final spot, but thanks to Sunday’s shutout win, the Panthers are hot on their heels.