Flames double up on Blaze

Photo: John Uwins

Guildford Flames headed into Christmas with the pxrfect gift for their fans - an away and home double over Coventry Blaze, confirmed after a 5-1 win at the Spectrum on Saturday night.

Both Eamon McAdam and Nolan Kent were called into early action to keep the game scoreless through the opening ten minutes, before the Flames took control of things in the latter stages of the first period. Ben O'Connor opened the scoring with 10:27 played, while at 17:59 an excellent Lewis Hook pass fooled everyone to set up Brett Ferguson at the top of the crease and double the home side's lead. The Blaze had a review for a possible goal as the clock ticked down, but to no avail.

It was an O'Connor shot that was deflected by Owen Griffiths to completely wrong-foot Kent that put the Flames three ahead 6:41 into period two, although Alessio Luciani pulled one back on a rebound with just under five minutes left in the second.

With 15 minutes left in period three, Steven McParland had a golden chance to wrap the game up but couldn't beat Kent on a breakaway which had almost developed into a 2-on-0 by the time he shot. Shortly after, Turner Ripplinger whipped a Patrik Bajkov pass behind Kent to put the Flames 4-2 up. Danny Stewart pulled Kent with over four minutes to go in an attempt to find a way back into the game by his size. A shot on the empty net went wide but Hook got there first to set up an attack - thwarted only by three separate saves by Blaze captain Brady Norrish acting as a stand-in goalie in the crease. 

Peter Crinella did, however, settle the game with the Flames' fifth at 57:09 to earn them a four-point week.