Oldale shuts out Blaze as Storm lock in fourth

Photo: Scott Wiggins

On the day he signed a two-year contract extension in Manchester, Alex Oldale logged his first professional shutout to give Storm a 3-0 win over Coventry Blaze. The result ensured Storm will finish fourth this season.

Oldale was instrumental in keeping the game scoreless in the opening period with a couple of early, big stops as the Blaze pushed for the opening goal. Pressure was on the home side to get a result in their race for a playoff place, and they started period two with good speed and tempo but without troubling the young Storm goalie.

Eventually, it was the visitors that went ahead. The Storm had already had a couple of odd-man rushes and finally made one count when Stephen Johnson found Raymond Brice in acres of space to peat Taran Kozun at 35:15.

4:45 into the third, Sam Tremblay dealt the Blaze a virtual knock-out blow with Storm's second of the night with a short-side finish on Kozun off a backdoor play set up by Dallas Ehrhardt. Tremblay let a wrist shot go from the slot to put Manchester three up with 8:38 to play which realistically ended the game. Coventry were shut out leaving them with just five goals in their past five games. Their playoff hopes are now out of their hands - they'll have to get results against Cardiff and Guildford, as well as hoping for help elsewhere, to make the post-season.