Blaze snap losing run with win over Panthers

Photo: Scott Wiggins

Coventry Blaze ended their six-game losing run with a 6-3 home win over Nottingham on Monday night, pulling them back 10 points clear of the Panthers in the Viaplay Elite League standings.

A nice Mike Hammond pass found Tanner Sorenson for the game's first goal at 4:14, but the majority of the 2,502-strong crowd at the Skydome were on their feet just over two minutes later when John Curran tip Garrett Johnson's shot past Alex Dubeau. 

Bretty Welychka put the Panthers back ahead on the powerplay with 11:58 gone, but Peyton Frantti levelled on an advantage for the Blaze just shy of seven minutes later when he was left wide open by the Panthers' defensive zone coverage.

The Blaze, who had a goal washed out in the first period as the puck hadn't entered the net, took the lead 2:20 into period two when Kim Tallberg's shot was ruled to have entered the goal and gone out through the roof of the net - a call upheld on video review. Former Blaze forward Luke Ferrara found Sorenson in front for a tying goal at 33:25 to make it 3-3. 

Coventry took the lead 4:16 into period three when the Panthers turned the puck over on the Blaze's blueline, and Frantti fed Jack Billings to skate 1-on-0 and finish past Dubeau. Panthers coach Corey Neilson pulled Dubeau with 2:07 to play but the gamble backfired when the visitors again turned the puck over allowing Mitch Cook to fire into the empty net. Tallberg scored his second of the night, also with Dubeau out, with 38 seconds remaining.