Coventry Blaze 2-4 Nottingham Panthers

Panthers travelled to Coventry tonight on the back of an comfortable win the night before at home against Cardiff. Coventry were looking to get their first points of the play-off qualifiers after losing their first game away at the Devils.

Panthers started the game as the better side and had 3 brilliant chances to score before they actually did. After excellent teamwork around the opposition zone of which 5 or 6 players contributed, Jinman fed Taubert alone in front of the goal and he fired straight into the bottom corner to give the Panthers a lead they fully deserved. Within 3 minutes though, Coventry were level. Panthers youngster Marc Levers was sitting out 2 minutes for hooking when O'Brien squared the puck and Gallace didnt need a second invitation.

Panthers had to wait until the 22nd minute before re-taking the lead. It was another excellently taken team goal from Panthers' top line. Craighead took the puck into the zone before passing it to the right for Jinman, Jinman passed it to Cadotte who skated in from Lehman's blind side and slotted home just in front of the crease. A tactic that Jinman and Cadotte have used so many times this season, to such great effect.

Coventry wouldnt lie down though, almost immediately they replied. Good work from Watkins gave O'Brien a clean sight of goal and he fired it under Sundberg's right arm and into the back of the net. 6 minutes later though, Panthers were back in the lead for the third time. Yet again, great work by Jinman and Cadotte saw Craighead have all the time in the world to roof the puck past Lehman and silence the boo-boys in the home support.

The third period contained a mixture of staunch defending, controversial refereeing decisions and nerves. Panthers were happy to sit back in their zone for the entire period without really going for a goal, a tactic that nearly cost them the cup in Sheffield. Fortunately for Coach Adey, the tactic worked tonight.

Referee Kirkham twice disallowed Coventry goals, one a good decision, the other more contentious. The first 'goal' was poked home a matter of 4 or 5 seconds after he had blown his whistle because a Coventry player was clutching his face. A fair decision with which you cannot argue. The second wasn't quite so straightforward. Sundberg pulled out a brilliant save and the puck looped up in the air, the Panthers #1 tried to catch the puck on its way down and dramatically dived for it, it looked as if he had succeeded in covering it and that is certainly what Mr Kirkham thought. In reality, the puck had squirmed free and had been prodded into the empty net. Kirkham, however, had already whistled so the goal didnt stand. A key decision that eventually proved to be Coventry's downfall. With a minute left, the game was over as a contest. The line that had scored all of Panthers' previous goals tonight came good again. Jinman and Cadotte broke 2-on-1 and instead of passing to Cadotte, Jinman shot wide of Lehman and into the back of the net. Game over.

This win sees Panthers all but qualified for the semi-final weekend, with only a draw in Cardiff or at home to Coventry needed to go through. Coventry on the other hand need to win in Nottingham on Saturday and then beat Cardiff at the Skydome the following night to qualify.

MOTM awards went to 4-point Lee Jinman for the Panthers and Jody Lehman who had a fine game in goal for Coventry. A near full house saw this one, which Panthers won 4-2.

Daniel Newham