Blaze hit Panthers for seven

Photo: Scott Wiggins

Coventry Blaze ended a two-game hoke slide with a three-goal win over Nottingham Panthers on Sunday evening.

The Blaze took the lead midway through the first period when Johnny Curran scored on a quick breakaway at 13:59. The Panthers answered straight back as Jeremy Welsh equalised by deflecting a pass into the net from the slot at 14:24. Coventry, however, did not let up and scored two goals late in the period to regain and then extend their lead. At 17:19, Mitch Cook deflected Tyler Kirkup's shot past Peyton Jones, while at 19:10 it was David Clements who surprised the Panthers' netminder with a quick shot off the faceoff. 

The home side extended their lead further in the middle of the second period, with Jack Billings blasting a one-timer into the Panthers' net from Ovi's office at 30:26. David Levin pulled one back for the visitors at 34:44 with a quick shot after a scrap in front of the net, on the powerplay.

Levin then brought the Panthers back to within a goal at 47:40, deking himself free to put the puck into the net through Miklós Rajna's five-hole. The Blaze answered right back in just eight seconds as Johnny Curran slid the puck under the Jones. Matthew Myers scored with a quick wristshot from the edge of the faceoff circle at 50:27 to get the Panthers back to within one again, however Ross Venus' breakaway finish with just over six minutes to go made things comfortable for the hosts again. Alex Forbes shot from his own zone into the empty net to set a final score of 7-4 at 59:36.