Blaze stumble as Caps near playoffs

COVENTRY,U.K- Elite league Coventry Blaze were convincingly beaten by the Edinburgh Capitals, as the Scottish club moved a step closer to playoff qualification. The Blaze have begun to falter at the worst possible time in the season. This was their third consecutive home defeat, and to add salt to the wound they have seen rivals Sheffield Steelers clinch the Elite League Championship in the last week, a title that Coventry Blaze have won for the last two seasons.

The home side had already beaten the Capitals five times this season, and the first period didn’t show any signs of this trend changing. Blaze piled pressure on Pasi Raitanen in the Edinburgh net from the start, and deservedly took the lead through captain Jonathon Weaver with a well placed wrist shot into the top corner.
Blaze continued to dominate and doubled their lead in the final minute of the first period with a powerplay goal from Carlyle Lewis. By the end of the first period Blaze had fired 24 shots at the Caps goal and looked in complete control, while Capitals were restricted to limited opportunities and counter attacks.
However, the roles were reversed in the second period, as Capitals came out battling for every puck. While the Blaze seemed to take their foot off of the gas, the Caps moved up several gears, and Adam Stefishen eventually scored on the powerplay with a close range finish to give them a lifeline.
The game was then turned on its’ head, as the Caps scored again 24 seconds later. American defenseman Joe Dustin netted, again from close range, to tie the game up. The Caps’ Mark Hurtubise, who is second in the league in points, behind only Manchester Phoenix’s Beauregard, had an outstanding game despite being targeted physically by the Blaze. Hurtubise assisted on the first two goals, and scored what turned out to be the game winning goal himself. After being sent clear down the right wing by Dustin he fired a low wrister past Perras in the Blaze net.
Capitals extended their lead with five minutes to go in the second period, as player/director of hockey Doug Christiansen tallied, again on the powerplay. In the third period the Blaze never really looked like getting back into the game, and looked lethargic throughout. They persisted with playing a dump and chase game that did not come close to breaking down the Caps’ well organised defence, led by Scottish blueliner Kyle Horne. The match finished 4-2.
Capitals will have been happy with performances of relative newcomers Jason Cassells, who recorded two assists, and Brad Bonello who was a threat whenever he was on the ice. However it was a veteran that collected the man of the match award. 38-year-old goalie Pasi Raitanen faced 51 shots but looked unbeatable for most of the night, making several excellent saves.
Even after this defeat Coventry Blaze are still tied for second in the league with Nottingham Panthers. However it is a far cry from previous years when the Blaze have dominated the league. The loss of all-star netminder Trevor Koenig and premier defenseman Neal Martin, as well as Captain Sylvain Cloutier, has significantly weakened the roster, and they will have to step up their play if they are to make a splash in the playoffs. Edinburgh Capitals on the other hand are almost assured a playoff spot after this result. They can make their place safe by winning one of their last two games, and the only way Hull Stingrays can overtake them for eighth place is by winning both of their remaining games while Capitals lose both of theirs. The Caps’ fate is entirely in their own hands. Contact the author at Dave.lambert@prohockeynews.com