48 hours to forget for the Blaze
It started out with so much promise, but the previous weekend ended as a damp squib in Coventry as the Blaze were shelled 6-1 two nights running against Corey Neilson and the Nottingham Panthers. When you have as many players ejected over the weekend as you score goals, you know it’s been a long weekend.
Saturday’s game was a one-sided affair as Nottingham exploited Coventry’s offensive frailties and powered forward at every opportunity. The Blaze thought they’d scored about 30 seconds in but the whole of the puck didn’t cross the whole of the line. It wasn’t looking good for Coventry and then Bryan Jurynec got ejected for kneeing Danny Meyers; accidentally, but he still did it and referee Moray Hanson got the right call. Running short on numbers, the Blaze were battered relentlessly and the makeshift defence couldn’t stem the tide. Just to clarify, the Blaze D currently consists of a top end Brit, a good import, a coach who has been brought back in to the team, a converted forward and an U20 who has just come back from concussion.
So with Saturday behind them, it was hoped for much better on Sunday. And for the majority of the first period, that’s what happened. Blaze were on top, had more offensive possession and were creating reasonable chances. The new signing Peter Nylander showed flashes of why he was a decent KHL forward just a few years ago and Coventry worked themselves into a 1-0 lead. And then worked themselves out of it again, conceding two in ninety seconds leaving them 2-1 behind at the break. Nottingham didn’t earn that lead, although it could be said that they were more clinical and that in itself merits the advantage.
The remaining two periods saw Nottingham once again dominate their Midlands rivals. They wouldn’t score again until the third period when Matt Myers was given more space than Neil Armstrong and he rarely fails to finish. For five periods of hockey, the Blaze had been limp and almost spineless as Marc Levers (in particular) had chipped, hacked and whacked his way around the net. Peter Hirsch lost his cool uncharacteristically and punched Levers in the face with his blocker; a guaranteed game penalty was inevitable although the description of high sticking was somewhat mystifying.
Coventry leaked three more goals in the final 12 minutes to ensure a repeat score line. The 120 minutes of hockey highlighted where the Blaze are so painfully deficient when compared to the top three. They lack scoring; only Shea Guthrie really posed an offensive threat. They are short of experienced defencemen who are capable of playing at the EIHL level. And perhaps most crucially, they are short of the team toughness that the Blaze built their championship sides on in years past. Reid Simonton would have checked an opposition player into next week had they even looked at the netminder the wrong way, let alone fire a puck towards him after the whistle had clearly blown. It’s not about having an enforcer – but when the only players that stand up for you are a young British guy and the goalie – you have problems.
Coventry have had a bad run of form away from home and now it is looking like it is creeping into the home displays as well. This Saturday, they need to rectify it in a hurry against a resurgent Fife Flyers team.
