Blaze climb above Stars with OT win

Photo: Derek Black

Coventry Blaze climbed above Dundee Stars thanks to an overtime win at the Dundee Ice Arena. The 1,775 fans in attendance saw a well-contested game that needed the extra period to settle it.

There were no goals through the opening 20 minutes, but it didn't take long for the deadlock to be broken in the second. Anthony Rinaldi jumped out of the penalty box two seconds into the period and joined the play to break into the Blaze and and feed the puck across for Brent Beaudoin to fire home from the slot. That was a lead the Stars held deep into the period until Sean Allen was called for Interference, and Kobe Roth tipped Kim Tallberg's shot past Kevin Carr to tie the game with 3:25 left in period two.

In what continued to be a very exciting game at both ends, neither Carr not Nolan Kent were to be beaten in the final period of regulation. Beaudoin looked as if he was wining up for the game-winner with 1:25 to play, but a well-time hook from Tallberg prevented the chance at the expense of a minor penalty. The Stars were unable to take advantage of that powerplay in the final 85 seconds of regulation, nor the first 35 seconds of overtime, and the game stayed level. The winning goal was all about the excellent hands of Johnny Curran who held off his man, drove wide, and centred for Alessio Luciani - with the goal potentially going in off Drydn Dow's stick - for the winner 99 seconds into the bonus period.